The Krampus Kalendar: K is for KRAMPUS

In the twenty-first century, we have become so used to the idea of Santa bringing gifts to good little boys and girls on Christmas Eve it is easy to forget that not so long ago, bad little boys and girls were likewise punished.

In the wild heartlands of Europe such legends are not so easily forgotten, and so it is that in countries such as Austria and Hungary, on 5 December, communities remember Krampus, a demonic anti-Santa who accompanies St. Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children.




In the Alpine regions, traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus and roam the streets, frightening children and women with rusty chains and clanging bells. In some rural areas the tradition goes so far as to include the birching of young girls!

Images of Krampus usually show him with a basket on his back, used to carry away bad children and dump them into the pits of Hell. The name Krampus itself originates from the Old High German word krampen, meaning ‘claw’.

So when the chubby, cheery fellow with the bulging sack of presents asks if you've been good or bad, you had better have been good, for goodness sake…

Krampus is the Big Bad of both the gamebook 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas and the roleplaying game 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas, which is currently funding on Kickstarter.

   

To find out more about the festive season and its many traditions, order your copy of the Chrismologist's Christmas Explained: Robins, Kings and Brussel Sprouts today!

The book is also available in the United States as Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Christmas.

      

Gruss vom Krampus!

Today is 5th December, which means that this evening is Krampusnacht, the night when the Christmas Devil stalks the streets of Austrian and German mountain settlements, searching for naughty children to whip with his birch switch and carry away to hell in his wicker basket.

Krampusnacht feels more like Halloween than Christmas. To mark this occasion in the winter calendar, men dressed as Krampus drink alcohol, run through the streets, and frighten children. Often, they chase delinquent children around and actually hit them with sticks! The Krampus costume itself traditionally consists of a hand-carved wooden mask and a suit made from sheep or goat skin. Cowbells are worn around the wearer’s hips.

Of course, Krampus is the villain of 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas (which is accepting reviews on Amazon now), but he is also the Big Bad of 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas, which needs some love on Kickstarter right now.

Don't forget to pledge your support before midnight, to benefit from the Early Bird rewards on offer.

And it's not too late to send some Krampus Kards this Christmas. If you need some more, they can be purchased from the ACE Gamebooks Etsy shop here.

The Krampus Kalendar: A is for ADVENT Sunday

I was hoping that Day 1 of this year's Krampus Kalendar would be A is for Available from Amazon, but it looks like it's going to have to be A is for Alternative Arrangements. (The unavailability of
'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas on Amazon seems to be a problem at the book distributors end, which we're working hard to resolve.)

But fortunately, today happens to be Advent Sunday. The period of four weeks leading up to Christmas is called Advent, from the Latin 'adveneo' meaning ‘to come’. In this context it refers to the coming of Jesus, and so in the Christian Church has always been a time of preparation, in expectation of the Feast of the Nativity.

In many households the days left until Christmas are counted down with the aid of an Advent calendar. The first Advent calendars, as we would recognise them, were made in the middle of the nineteenth century. Even before that, however, German Lutherans were already marking off the days of Advent by some physical means. In some households this meant lighting a new candle each day or hanging up a religious image, but could be something as simple (and cost-free) as marking a line in chalk on the door of the house. If candles were used, they were mounted on a device called an Advent clock.

The first recognisable Advent calendar, however, didn’t appear until 1851, and even then it was a handmade creation. There is some debate as to when the first printed calendar appeared. Some say that it was produced in 1902 or 1903, in Hamburg, Germany; others claim that it did not appear until 1908, and that it was the creation of one Gerhard Lang, a printer from Munich. And although it might seem like a more recent addition, Advent calendars replete with chocolate treats have actually been around for at least half a century, and were certainly available by 1958.

'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas makes the perfect stocking filler, while 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas is currently funding on Kickstarter.

   

To find out more about the festive season and its many traditions, order your copy of the Chrismologist's Christmas Explained: Robins, Kings and Brussel Sprouts today!

The book is also available in the United States as Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Christmas.

      

'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas

'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas is now live on Kickstarter!

'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas is a rules-lite RPG, designed to be picked up and played with minimal preparation. It is inspired by the legends and literature of Christmas, as well as the ACE Gamebook 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas.

In 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas, the players take on the role of various toys, brought to life by Santa Claus, so that they might save him from Krampus, the Christmas Devil, who has abducted the jolly old elf. What follows is an epic adventure, that will take them to the arctic wilderness of the North Pole and, eventually, into Santa's workshop itself.

Written by Jonathan Green, and illustrated by Tony Hough, 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas is ideal for a festive gaming session with an established group, or even as an alternative to the games usually played on Christmas Day.

And remember, if you back within the first week, you will receive a £5 Early Bird discount off the basic Print Book Code rewards.

'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas concludes on Kickstarter today!

Don't get left out in the cold! Today is your last chance to back 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas, written by Yours Truly and illustrated by my sometime partner-in-crime Tony Hough.

You have until 7:00pm GMT to place your pledge, so don't delay! Winter is already here!

'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas

I bring you glad tidings of great joy! 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas has reached its funding goal on Kickstarter.

Of course, it's not too late to join the fun yourself, as there are still two weeks left to run and plenty of rewards on offer, including...

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar 2017 - Day 5

In the mountainous regions of central Europe tonight, people will be keeping an eye out for Krampus, the Christmas Devil. For where Father Christmas giveth, Krampus taketh away...



You can find out more about the sinister Krampus and Krampusnacht in Christmas Explained: Robins, Kings and Brussel Sprouts.

A Gathering of Krampuses

What is the collective noun for Krampuses? And while we're at it, what is the accurate plural form of 'Krampus'?

Anyway, that aside... For the last two years Family Green have spent New Year skiing in Alpendorf, in the Austrian Tyrol. This photograph was taken this week as the town prepared for Krampusnacht on Monday.

Running into that lot on Monday night would have been a hair-raising experience!

You can find out more about Krampus and his habits in Christmas Explained: Robins, Kings and Brussel Sprouts.

Krampus is almost here...

You'd better be good, for goodness' sake...

Krampus is coming...

4th December 2015

A late Christmas present...

For everyone!

Now I know Krampusnacht was celebrated back on the 5th December and the Feast of Saint Nicholas was on the 6th December, but Family Green are away in the snowy Austrian Tyrol at the moment, and in a fit of seasonal generosity, inspired by the inspiring surroundings, I am giving away a story I wrote back in 2012.

You can download a pdf of Claws here.

If you enjoy Claws, and you like you future police enforcement Mega-City One-flavoured, then chances are you will also enjoy my latest seasonal Judge Dredd offering, You'd Better Be Good, For Goodness' Sake.

And of course you can find out all about the Krampus in my Christmas book Christmas Explained: Robins, Kings and Brussel Sprouts.

You'd better be good, for goodness sake...

In the twenty-first century, we've got so used to the idea that Santa brings gifts to good little boys and girls, it is easy to forget that not so long ago bad little boys and girls were likewise punished.

In the wild heartlands of Europe, such legends are not so easily forgotten, and so it is that in countries such as Austria and Hungary, on December 5 communities remember Krampus*, a demonic anti-Santa who accompanies St. Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children.

In the Alpine regions, traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December, particularly on the evening of 5 December, and roam the streets frightening children and women with rusty chains and bells. In some rural areas the tradition goes so far as to include the birching of young girls!

Images of Krampus usually show him with a basket on his back used to carry away bad children and dump them into the pits of Hell.

So when the fat man with the bulging sack asks if you've been good or bad, you'd better have been good, for goodness sake...

You can also get hold of some very cool Krampus greetings cards and stickers, and the like, from Miss Monster here.

* The word Krampus originates from the Old High German word for claw (Krampen).

Krampuslauf Graz 2010

If you were reading this blog last week, you'll know all about Krampus the anti-Santa already. Well here's a video of a parade of the terrifying beastmen.

K is for Krampus

In the twenty-first century, we've got so used to the idea that Santa brings gifts to good little boys and girls, it is easy to forget that not so long ago bad little boys and girls were likewise punished.

In the wild heartlands of Europe, such legends are not so easily forgotten, and so it is that in countries such as Austria and Hungary, on December 5 communities remember Krampus*, a demonic anti-Santa who accompanies St. Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children.

In the Alpine regions, traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December, particularly on the evening of 5 December, and roam the streets frightening children and women with rusty chains and bells. In some rural areas the tradition goes so far as to include the birching of young girls!

Images of Krampus usually show him with a basket on his back used to carry away bad children and dump them into the pits of Hell.

So when the fat man with the bulging sack asks if you've been good or bad, you'd better have been good, for goodness sake...

* * * *

You will find many other such tasty morsels of information in my book What is Myrrh Anyway?- and its American counterpart Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

* The word Krampus originates from the Old High German word for claw (Krampen).

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar - Day 5

In the twenty-first century, we've got so used to the idea that Santa brings gifts to good little boys and girls, it is easy to forget that not so long ago bad little boys and girls were likewise punished.

In the wild heartlands of Europe, such legends are not so easily forgotten, and so it is that in countries such as Austria and Hungary, on December 5 communities remember Krampus*, a demonic anti-Santa who accompanies St. Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children.

In the Alpine regions, traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December, particularly on the evening of 5 December, and roam the streets frightening children and women with rusty chains and bells. In some rural areas the tradition goes so far as to include the birching of young girls!

Images of Krampus usually show him with a basket on his back used to carry away bad children and dump them into the pits of Hell.

So when the fat man with the bulging sack asks if you've been good or bad, you'd better have been good, for goodness sake...

You can also get hold of some very cool Krampus greetings cards and stickers, and the like, from Miss Monster here.

* The word Krampus originates from the Old High German word for claw (Krampen).