Krampus the Christmas Devil Is Coming to More Towns. So Where's He From? (STA BREAKING NEWS and ARCHIVES)

by Theresa , Saturday, December 27, 2014, 08:47

Krampus, a half-goat, half-demon of centuries-old Austrian lore who's known for beating naughty people around Christmastime, is having a moment.

Krampus parties and parades are happening across the United States, and the figure has his own American comic book series. Last week, Austrian-German actor Christoph Waltz told Jimmy Fallon about Krampus on the Tonight Show, with help from a Krampus doll.

"St. Nicholas comes with praise and presents and wisdom," Waltz said. "Krampus [comes] with a stick, a bag ... If you weren't good, you get stuck in the bag and hit and shipped off.

"You have to remember Sigmund Freud was Austrian," Waltz deadpanned.

Some Krampus fans say it's the commercialization of Christmas and the lure of a less cheery holiday character—Krampus has horns, dark hair, and fangs—that drove them to celebrate the beast.

FULL STORY