Krampus Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure in the Central and Eastern Alpine folklore of Europe who, during the Advent season, scares children who have misbehaved. Assisting Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, the pair visit children on the nigh ...

, the "

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...

" of Austrian and Bavarian folklore, has entered the

popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...

of North America;

Christian Jacobs Christian Richards Jacobs (born January 11, 1972) is an American musician, television producer, and actor. He is perhaps most recognized as the co-creator of the award-winning Nick Jr. TV show ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', on which he additionally serves a ...

notes that "thanks to the Internet and YouTube,A short film called
A Krampus Carol
' was produced in 2011 for Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations but never aired, as the

Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United S ...

considered it inappropriate; "Luckily, the special lives on on YouTube". rampusis now very much on America's Christmas radar." Tanya Basu interprets this as part of a "growing movement of anti-Christmas celebrations": a " bah, humbug" rejection of – or novel alternative to – mainstream festivities. Brian Joines of Image Comics suspects that the reason Krampus (specifically, as well as dark aspects of Christmas in general) has not been historically popularized in America is a

social artifact A cultural artifact, or cultural artefact (see American and British English spelling differences), is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology, ethnology and sociology for anything created by humans which gives information ...

resulting from "the nature of how we view Christmas in this country, both as a big day for kids and as the birth of a big religious figurehead". In some North American depictions, Krampus is an

antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...

who seeks to prevent children from becoming spoiled by rampant

consumerism Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the su ...

flowing from the

economics of Christmas The economics of Christmas are significant because Christmas is typically a high-volume selling season for goods suppliers around the world. Sales increase dramatically as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies to celebrate. In th ...

. Krampus is often mentioned in media related to Christmas,Krampus is briefly mentioned in the

Supernatural (U.S. TV series) ''Supernatural'' is an American dark fantasy drama television series created by Eric Kripke. It was first broadcast on September 13, 2005, on The WB, and subsequently became part of successor The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Wi ...

episode "

A Very Supernatural Christmas "A Very Supernatural Christmas" is the eighth episode of the paranormal drama television series '' Supernatural''s third season. It was first broadcast on The CW on December 13, 2007. The narrative follows series protagonists Sam (Jared Padalecki ...

" (2007) as being one of the anti-Clauses in folklore. but the following lists instances where the character is featured significantly.

Krampus celebrations

Krampus-related events are held in cities across North America. Each may have a theme or cause, be it a simple bar crawl, toy drive, or a charity fundraiser. Below are a few: * Krampusnacht Washington DC. * Toronto Krampus Ball. * Chicago Krampus Fest. * LA Krampusfest. * San Francisco Krampus Krawl. * Dallas Krampus Society. * Krampuslauf Philadelphia. *Krampusnacht St. Louis, MO.

Costumes

Costumed characters are a central part of all Krampus celebrations. These characters include: Krampus, Saint Nikolaus, the woodsman, angels, and the old woman. As Krampus is half-goat and half-demon, the costume normally shares certain primary elements such as: a fur suit, horns, demon mask, and hooves. Props commonly used are; bells, a birch switch, basket worn on the back, chains, walking staff, and a horse hair or hemp flogger. The most traditional Krampus costumes are made from goat/sheep skins, animal horns, and hand carved masks. More often they are made with modern and less costly materials, such as: fake fur and latex masks. Several Krampus costume instructional YouTube videos are available.

Film

*''Krampus: The Christmas Devil'': a

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...

horror film (2013). *''vom Krampus: zwischen Latexhaut und Schaffell: video-documentary film'' (2013). * '' Krampus: The Reckoning'': a

horror film (2015). * '' A Christmas Horror Story'': an anthology horror film (2015), where Krampus is played by

Rob Archer Rob Archer (born August 9, 1975) is a Canadian actor and stuntman known for his roles as Bruce in ''Lost Girl'', Krampus in '' A Christmas Horror Story'' and Knox in ''Ant-Man and the Wasp''. Biography Rob Archer grew up as an '80s kid, admiring ...

in his monster form, while Amy Forsyth and

Julian Richings Julian Richings (born 30 August 1956)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at Ancestry.com is a British-Canadian character actor. He has appeared in over 225 films and television series. Career After touring t ...

appear as human characters who transform into him. * ''

'': a

horror comedy Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three types: "black comedy, parody and sp ...

(2015) from

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

, where Krampus is physically portrayed by Luke Hawker and voiced by

Gideon Emery Gideon Emery is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Deucalion in '' Teen Wolf'' and for providing voice-over work in video games, television series and films. Early life and education Emery was born to Pauline, a compe ...

. * '' Krampus: The Devil Returns'': a

horror sequel to ''Krampus: The Christmas Devil'' (2016). * ''

Krampus Unleashed ''Krampus Unleashed'' is a 2016 horror film written and directed by Robert Conway. Premiering on video on demand before being released direct-to-video, the film stars Bryson Holl, Caroline Lassetter, Tim Sauer, and Emily Lynne Aiken as members o ...

'': a

horror film (2016). * ''Mother Krampus'': a

horror film (2017). * ''Mother Krampus 2'': a

horror film (2018). * ''Krampus origins'': a

horror film (2018). * ''Slay Belles'': a

horror film (2018).

In production

* ''Anti-Claus'' (initially titled ''Comes the Krampus''), from

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...

. * ''Happy Krampus!'', from

Walden Media Walden Media, LLC or Walden Media is an American film investor, distributor, and publishing company. Its films are based on children's literature, biographies or historical events, as well as documentaries and some original screenplays. The corpo ...

and

The Jim Henson Company The Jim Henson Company (formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc.; commonly referred to as Henson) is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is known for ...

Television

* G4 commercial (2003).

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...

ers outside a house sing a

dirge A dirge ( la, dirige, naenia) is a somber song or lament expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. Often taking the form of a brief hymn, dirges are typically shorter and less meditative than elegi ...

about Krampus, who has entered to punish the naughty children inside. * ''

The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show fo ...

'' segment "The Blitzkrieg on

Grinch The Grinch is a fictional character created by Dr. Seuss. He is best known as the main character of the 1957 children's book '' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' He has been portrayed and voiced by many different actors, including Boris Karloff ...

itude -

Hallmark A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term '' hallmark'' can a ...

& Krampus" (2009), regarding the so-called 'War on Christmas'. * " The Devil of Christmas" (2016), an episode of ''

Inside No. 9 ''Inside No. 9'' is a British black comedy anthology television programme that first aired in 2014. It is written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton and produced by the BBC. Each 30-minute episode is a self-contained story with new chara ...

'' features the figure.

Animation

* ''

The Venture Brothers ''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animated action comedy TV series created by Chris McCulloch (also known as "Jackson Publick") for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on February 16, 2 ...

'' episode " A Very Venture Christmas" (2004). While looking for a Christmas story to read aloud at the annual Venture Compound Christmas Party, Hank and Dean unwittingly summon the Krampus from one of Dr. Orpheus's grimoires. * ''

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated ''Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated'' (also known as ''Mystery Incorporated'' or ''Scooby-Doo! Mystery, Inc.'') is an American animated television series that serves as the eleventh incarnation of the ''Scooby-Doo'' media franchise created by Han ...

'' episode " Wrath of the Krampus" (2012). Voiced by

Carlos Alazraqui Carlos Jaime Alazraqui (born July 20, 1962) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, impressionist, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on '' Reno 911!'' and for his voice acting roles. His extensive ...

. * '' American Dad!'' episode "

Minstrel Krampus "Minstrel Krampus" is the eighth episode of the ninth season and the 160th overall episode of the animated comedy series '' American Dad!''. It aired on Fox in the United States on December 15, 2013, and is written by Murray Miller and Judah M ...

" (2013). Voiced by Danny Glover with the singing voice provided by Charles Bradley. * The '' Robot Chicken'' episode " The Robot Chicken Christmas Special: The X-Mas United" features Krampus as Santa's opponent on a college debate tour in 2002. Both Santa and Krampus have sex with a groupie, but Krampus does not use a condom and fathers "The Nerd", a recurring ''Robot Chicken'' character. The episode was first broadcast on December 13, 2015 on the

Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...

programming block of the Cartoon Network. In the next season, the episode " Freshly Baked: The Robot Chicken Santa Claus Pot Cookie Freakout Special: Special Edition" features Krampus as the leader of a rock band called "Krampus". It was first broadcast on December 10, 2017, on Adult Swim. In the next season, the episode " Robot Chicken's Santa's Dead (Spoiler Alert) Holiday Murder Thing Special" features Krampus as a suspect in the murder of Santa Claus, who was later revealed to be Tim Allen in a Santa costume. * In one ''

Teen Titans Go! ''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013 and is based on the DC Comics fictional superhero team. The series was announce ...

'' episode titled "Welcome to Halloween", the Krampus is a major character.

Live action

* ''

The League ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football leagu ...

'' episode " A Krampus Carol" (2012). * '' The Aquabats! Super Show!'' episode " Christmas with The Aquabats!" (2013). Voiced by Robert Smigel in a German accent. * ''

Grimm Grimm may refer to: People * Grimm (surname) * Brothers Grimm, German linguists ** Jacob Grimm (1785–1863), German philologist, jurist and mythologist ** Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm * Christia ...

'' episode " Twelve Days of Krampus" (2013). Depicted as a man who annually transforms into Krampus (

Derek Mears Derek Mears (born April 29, 1972) is an American actor and stuntman. Often appearing in horror and science-fiction titles, he came to prominence for portraying Jason Voorhees in the 2009 reboot of ''Friday the 13th''. His film roles also include ...

) to kidnap and eat "naughty" children on Christmas. * ''

Lost Girl ''Lost Girl'' is a Canadian supernatural drama television series that premiered on Showcase on September 12, 2010, and ran for five seasons. It follows the life of a bisexual succubus named Bo, played by Anna Silk, as she learns to control ...

'' episode " Groundhog Fae" (2013). * '' Murdoch Mysteries'' episode "A Merry Murdoch Christmas" (2015, season 9). A sighting of Krampus is reported on the night a philanthropist dressed as Santa is murdered at a Christmas Gala. Inspector Brackenreid has a nightmare of his boyhood encounter with Krampus. * Episode 5 of ''

The Santa Clauses ''The Santa Clauses'' is an American Christmas comedy television series created by Jack Burditt for Disney+ and based on ''The Santa Clause'' film series. It serves as a sequel to '' The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause'' (2006) and featur ...

'' has Krampus amongst all the past Santas Simon Choksi sees in the Yuleverse.

Print media

*''Krampus: The Devil of Christmas'' (2004), by Monte Beauchamp collects early 1900s Krampus postcards **Art director and graphic designer Monte Beauchamp published Krampus postcards from the 19th and 20th centuries in his magazine ''

BLAB! ''Blab!'' was an anthology edited by Monte Beauchamp that featured a mixture of alternative comics and illustrated features focused predominantly on illustration, graphic design, and Lowbrow (art movement), lowbrow art. The first two issues (198 ...

'' after being introduced to them by a collector. He then had two books of Krampus postcards published in 2004 and 2010. An exhibit was mounted in a gallery in Santa Monica, and a friend of Beauchamp's opened a Krampus-themed club in Los Angeles.Little Becky (December 1, 2017
"How Krampus, the Christmas 'Devil,' Became Cool"
'' National Geographic'' *'' Chickenhare''

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

(2006), had a Krampus named Banjo as one of the main characters. * ''Krampus: The Yule Lord'' novel (2012), by

Gerald Brom Gerald Brom (born March 9, 1965), known professionally as Brom, is an American gothic fantasy artist and illustrator, known for his work in role-playing games, novels, and comics. Early life Brom was born March 9, 1965, in Albany, Georgia. As the ...

set in Boone County, West Virginia.. Brom'
Krampus
page. *''

Klaus Klaus is a German, Dutch and Scandinavian given name and surname. It originated as a short form of Nikolaus, a German form of the Greek given name Nicholas. Notable persons whose family name is Klaus * Billy Klaus (1928–2006), American base ...

'', a graphic novel by

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...

. *''Krampus: Shadow of Saint Nicholas'', a 2015 graphic novel released by

Legendary Entertainment Legendary Pictures Productions, LLC ( doing business as Legendary Entertainment or simply Legendary) is an American film production and mass media company based in Burbank, California, founded by Thomas Tull in 2000. The company has collaborated ...

as a tie-in with the 2015 Krampus film. *''Of Christmas Present'', Thomm Quackenbush's 2014 novelette has Krampus try to have an alcoholic Salvation Army Santa be the new Santa.

Others

* '' CarnEvil'' arcade game (1998), has a "freakishly evil St. Nick"

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...

named Krampus. * '' Random Spirit Lover'' album (2007), by the Canadian indie band Sunset Rubdown, features a picture of Krampus on the back cover. Spencer Krug stated that it was placed there because "he represents the sort of duality that's a theme on the record, the two sides of every thing." * The single "Naughty Christmas" (2016) by Italian band Lacuna Coil mentions Krampus repeatedly throughout the song. *''Krampus: A Yuletide Tale'', a musical by Carrie Gilchrist (book, lyrics) and Nils-Petter Ankarblom (book, music, lyrics), was first produced at Short North Stage in Columbus, Ohio in December 2015. * In the '' Doctor Who'' audio drama series '' Ravenous'' (2018), the two-part "Better Watch Out" and "Fairytale of Salzburg" sees the Eighth Doctor and his companions attend a Christmas celebration in Salzburg, only for a mysterious wish-granting entity to grant a wish that makes the Krampus real. As the Krampus (Robert Whitelock) nearly sends the whole city to Hell, the Doctor's companion Helen Sinclair is able to find the original Saint Nicholas (Raad Rawi) and bring him to the present so that he can command the Krampus to depart, as tradition states that only Saint Nick can command the Krampus. *''

Overwatch ''Overwatch'' is a multimedia franchise centered on a series of online multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment: '' Overwatch'' released in 2016, and ''Overwatch 2'' released in 2022. Both games f ...

'', an online video game by

Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three gradu ...

, features a customized Krampus skin for the character Junkrat in their "Overwatch Winter Wonderland" event. Jack-frost

* '' Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale'' (2010), a Finnish

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

about finding the source of the original Santa Claus myth; a supernatural being who, rather than rewarding good children, punishes the naughty. *

Santa Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

Jack Frost Jack Frost is a personification of frost, ice, snow, sleet, winter, and freezing cold. He is a variant of Old Man Winter who is held responsible for frosty weather, nipping the fingers and toes in such weather, coloring the foliage in autumn, ...

who is usually depicted as just mischievous, malevolent monsters associated with Christmas in North American popular culture. * Bogeymen from '' Babes in Toyland'' * Santa Claus'' (1959) from Mexico features a demon who ineptly attempts to ruin Christmas. * In a 2022 episode of The Family Histories Podcast, Krampus suddenly breaks into host Andrew Martin's garage where he keeps his time machine. Krampus is soon knocked unconscious by the 19th Century Hungarian poet and revolutionary

Sándor Petőfi Sándor Petőfi ( []; né Petrovics; sk, Alexander Petrovič; sr, Александар Петровић; 1 January 1823 – most likely 31 July 1849) was a Hungarian poet of Serbian origin and liberal revolutionary. He is considered Hungary' ...

, and they learn that he is carrying a scroll listing the show's naughty guests. Krampus is zapped back into time to a random date.

References

Informational notes Citations {{Reflist Christmas-related lists Fiction about monsters Topics in popular culture