The custom of theholidayseason , which include St. Nicholas Day , New Year ’s Day , and Epiphany , as well asChristmas , often incorporate early pagan traditions that have been set aside and adapt for contemporaneous use . Customs that further little child to be good so as to deserve theirChristmas giftsoften add up with a dark side : The punishment you ’ll receive from a lusus naturae or evil being if youaren’tgood . Here are eight of these villainous part .
1. Krampus
As a tool to boost expert behavior in children , Santa serves as the cultivated carrot , andKrampusis the stick . Krampus is the anti - Santa and may look like a devil or like a wild Alpine beast , depending on the part andmaterialsavailable to make Krampus costume . Krampus Night is celebrated on December 5 , the eve ofSt . NicholasDay in Austria and other parts of Europe . Public celebrations that night have many Krampuses walking the streets , looking for citizenry to dumbfound up . In recent years , the tradition has spread beyond Europe , and many cities in America have their own Krampus Nights now .
2. Jólakötturinn
Jólakötturinn is the Icelandic Yule Cat or Christmas Cat . He is not a nicecat ; in fact , he might eat you . This role is tied to anIcelandic traditionin which those who finished all their work on clock time take in new clothes for Christmas , while those who were lazy did not ( although this was chiefly a scourge ) . To encourage children to operate hard , parents evidence the tarradiddle of theYule Cat , say that Jólakötturinn could tell who the indolent child were because they did not have at least one new item of clothing for Christmas — and these children would be sacrifice to the Yule Cat . This admonisher tends to spur children into doing their chores . A poemwritten about the quat ends with a suggestion that tike help out the indigent , so they , too , can have the protection of new clothing . It ’s no wonderment that Icelanders put inmore overtime at workthan most Europeans ( though thefour - day oeuvre weekmay change that ) .
3. Frau Perchta
Tales told in Germany and Austria sometimes featurea witchnamedFrau Perchtawho hands out both wages and punishment during the 12 days of Christmas ( December 25 through Epiphany on January 6 ) . She is well know for her grim penalty of the sinful : She will rip out your home organs and replace them with refuse . The ugly figure of Perchta may show up in Christmas processions in Austria , somewhat like Krampus .
Perchta ’s story is thought to have condescend from a legendary Alpine goddess ofnature , who lean the forest most of the year and deals with man only during Christmas . In modern celebration , Perchta or a close relation may show up in advance during Fastnacht , the Alpine fete just before Lent . There may be some connectedness between Frau Perchta and the Italian witchLa Befana , but La Befana is n’t really a monster — she ’s an surly but goodwitchwho leaves presents .
4. Belsnickel
Belsnickelis a virile character from southwestern German traditional knowledge who traveled to the United States and survives in Pennsylvania Dutch usage ( fans ofThe Officewill recognize Dwight ’s caricature of him ) . He comes to children sometime before Christmas , fag tattered old clothing and raggedy fur . Belsnickel carries a replacement to frighten minor and candy to reward them for proficient behavior . In modern visit , the electric switch is only used for stochasticity , and to warn tyke they still have time to be good before Christmas . Then all the nestling getcandy , if they ’re polite about it . The nameBelsnickelis a portmanteau of the Germanbelzen(meaning “ to whack ” ) andnickelfor St. Nicholas .
Knecht Ruprechtand Ru Klaas are alike characters from German folklore who dole out beatings to bad fry , leave St. Nicholas to reward good tyke with gifts .
5. Hans Trapp
Hans Trapp is another anti - Santa who hands out punishment to bad children in the Alsace and Lorraine regions of France . The legendsays that Trapp was a real man — a rich , grasping , and evil valet de chambre — who worshiped Satan and was excommunicate from the Catholic Church . He was expatriate into the forest where he preyed upon children , disguised as a scarecrow with wheat jut out from his clothing . He was about to eat one son he bewitch when he was hit by lightning and kill — a penalization of his own from God . Still , he visit young children before Christmas , line up as a bird-scarer , to dash them into effective behavior .
6. Père Fouettard
The Frenchlegendof Père Fouettard , whose name translates to “ Father Whipper , ” begins with an evil butcher who craved children to consume . He ( or his wife ) lured three boys into his butcher shop , where he kill , chopped , and salted them . St. Nicholas came to the deliverance , resurrected the boys , and took detainment of the stumbler . The captive bumbler became Père Fouettard , St. Nicholas‘s retainer , whose chore it is to deal out punishment to bad child on St. Nicholas Day .
7. The Yule Lads
The Jólasveinar , orYule fellow , are 13 Icelandic trolls who each have a name and distinct personality . In ancient times , they steal thing and caused trouble around Christmastime , so they were used to frighten off children into behaving , like the Yule Cat . However , the 20th century bring tales of the benevolent Norwegian figureJulenisse(Santa Claus ) , who bring gifts to good children . The traditions became mingled , until the formerly rascally Jólasveinar became kind enough to leave gifts in place that children leave out … if they ’re good boys and girl , that is .
8. Grýla
All the Yule Lads respond toGrýla , their female parent . She predates the Yule Lads in Icelandic legend as the ogress who abduct , cooks , and deplete children who do n’t obey their parent . She only became associated with Christmas in the 17th century , when she was assign to be the female parent of the Yule Lads . consort to legend , Grýla had three different husbands and 72 minor , who do trouble ranging from harmless mischief to murder . As if the household is n’t crowded enough , the Yule Cat also be with Grýla . This ogress is such a bad hat thatThe Onionblamed her for the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano .
A reading of this list originally guide in 2013 ; it has been updated for 2022 .
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