NPR Story: Krampus in the United States

From http://www.npr.org/2011/12/10/143485735/naughty-or-nice-krampus-horror-for-the-holidays?sc=fb&cc=fp

Horror For The Holidays: Meet The Anti-Santa
by Peter Crimmins
December 10, 2011

The Krampus is a character from European Alpine folklore, common in Austria and Switzerland. The creature stands on two hooves and has horns growing out of its skull. An extremely long tongue hangs out of its mouth, and it carries a basket to haul away naughty children.

For hundreds of years, the Krampus and Saint Nicholas have worked a kind of good cop-bad cop routine. Saint Nick rewards the good children; Krampus terrorizes the bad.

Around the country, there are Krampus parties and club nights in December, where people dress in leftover Halloween costumes to drink and dance.

Janet Finegar is helping to organize a traditional Krampuslauf: a procession of people dressed as Krampus, walking through the streets with noisemakers. Krampus parades are rare in the United Sates. Last year, Joseph Ragan organized one in Portland, Ore., as a reaction to the way Christmas dominates the winter season.

Read the full article and listen to the audio feature at http://www.npr.org/2011/12/10/143485735/naughty-or-nice-krampus-horror-for-the-holidays?sc=fb&cc=fp

There is also a video clip at the end of the article of many Krampuses in Graz, Austria.