What is the Krampus Festival in Austria?
The Krampus Parade is a rollicking event. It always takes place at night and the marchers are dressed in scary costumes. They resemble a cross between cavemen and Vikings, with furry costumes, demonic masks, spiraling horns, whips, and torches. Some of the marchers are acrobatic, doing flips and cartwheels.
What is Krampusnacht festival?
Krampusnacht is celebrated on December 5 every year across Germany, other European countries, and Australia. It occurs the night before the celebration of the Feast of St. Nicholas, a night when people dress up as the devil Krampus and chase naughty children through the streets.
Where is the best Krampus Parade?
Set in the mountains, Johann im Pongau is a beautiful place to be any time of year, but it’s especially great during Krampusnacht, with one of the most famous ones in Austria. The Krampus parade takes yearly on December 6th in the upper part of the village.
How is Krampus celebrated?
Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December. On the preceding evening of 5 December, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets. Sometimes accompanying St. Nicholas and sometimes on his own, Krampus visits homes and businesses.
What are the Austrian Krampusnacht festival masks?
The Krampus masks are all about Krampuslauf, a procession that happens in December each year when hundreds of costumed locals run through the streets of Austrian towns dressed as Krampus. Thousands turn out to see these Bavarian spectacles.
Where do they celebrate Krampusnacht?
Krampusnacht is widely celebrated in Bavaria, Eastern Europe, and Germany. In recent years, it has also become a popular holiday in the United States. Some cities, such as Seattle, Philadelphia, and New Orleans hold Krampus parades. These parades often signify the beginning of the Christmas season.
What countries celebrate Krampusnacht?
The tradition—also known as the Krampuslauf, or Krampus Run—is having a resurgence throughout Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, and has gained recognition in the United States.
What countries celebrate Krampus?
What country celebrates Krampus?
The legend is part of a centuries-old Christmas tradition in Germany, where Christmas celebrations begin in early December. Krampus was created as a counterpart to kindly St. Nicholas, who rewarded children with sweets.
What does Krampus mean in German?
claw
Krampus’s name is derived from the German word krampen, meaning claw, and is said to be the son of Hel in Norse mythology. The legendary beast also shares characteristics with other scary, demonic creatures in Greek mythology, including satyrs and fauns.
What are Austrian Krampusnacht festival masks used for?
The aim? To scare them into behaving. Krampus come in many shapes and sizes, but most have nasty faces, lolling snake-like tongues, and goat or devil horns. Their bodies are covered in skins or fur of animals, the heads are carved out of wood.
In which part of Europe is the festival of Krampusnacht or Krampus night mainly celebrated?
In Alpine Austria and some parts of Germany, this day was known as Krampusnacht, or “Krampus night,” when adults might dress up as Krampus to frighten children at their homes.
Does Switzerland believe in Krampus?
Krampus is known as “Schmutzli” in Switzerland, but the Krampus custom is not really a Swiss thing. In 2015 a Swiss Fasnacht (carnival) association, das Narrenkomitee Schnapsloch, founded in 1945, sponsored the first ever Krampuslauf in Switzerland.
What do Austrians do on Christmas Eve?
Around 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, the tree is lit for the first time and the whole family gathers to sing Christmas carols. “Silent Night”, written and performed for the first time on 24 December 1818 by Josef Mohr and Franz Gruber in the Austrian village of Oberndorf, is still the favourite Christmas carol.
Where does Krampus take place in Austria?
Krampus events are centered in the state of Tyrol in the western Austrian Alps. The Krampuslauf, or Krampus Parade, often takes place on either St. Nicholas Eve (Dec. 5) or St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6).
What are the Krampus festivals?
Dozens of Krampus Festivals animate Austria. The central event is always the Krampus Parade, a spectacular nocturnal procession of terrifyingly clad Krampus figures and Perchten elves. These thrill-fests are amongst of Europe’s most spirited festivals along the lines of the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, and Oktoberfest in Germany.
What happens at the Krampus parade?
Additional parades are held for women dressed as good-natured fairies (the Perchtenlauf) and on New Year’s Eve (the Rauhnachtenlauf) . Like Krampus himself, his namesake parade is far from sweet and tidy. The Krampus Parade is a rollicking event. It always takes place at night and the marchers are dressed in scary costumes.
What is the Krampus legend?
The legend of Krampus states that during the Christmas Holiday season, children who have misbehaved are beaten with birch branches or can even disappear, stuffed into Krampus’ sack, and hauled off to his lair to be tortured or eaten afterwards. In Europe, they do not believe in Santa Claus; this is an American tradition.