The Dark Side of Christmas - a photo on Flickriver

            The Dark Side of Christmas, the Legend of Krampus.

The idea that there is this dark and ominous beast legend woven into the most jolly and beautiful time of year is curious.

He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake! No I don’t mean Santa, I mean his alter ego Krampus; a popular Christmas tradition in European countries such as southern Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. And trust me; you don’t want to make his naughty list! With origins beginning in Norse mythology, Krampus was once believed to be the son of Hel, ruler of the Norse underworld.

Despite his pre-Christian origins, the legend of Krampus is still very much alive today. The night (December 5th) preceding St. Nicholas’ feast is nowadays known as Krampushnacht or Krampus Night. On this day the young men of the Alpine area dress up and wander through the streets with bells clanging to signify their approach, ready to chase children (and sometimes curious tourists) with their chains and whips.

In the United States, Krampus has crept his way into pop culture with the hit T.V. series, Grimm. In 2013 the beast was featured in, The 12 Days of Krampus. In L.A. and all across the states  Krampus events are popping  up.

So the next time you hear a distant jingle on a cold December night, don’t be so quick to assume it’s good ol’ St. Nick. It just may be Krampus coming to drag you to hell!

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I wonder why it is that we "like to be scared" ?

This is actually my son taken on Christmas morning while preparing breakfast.

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Taken in: United Kingdom / England / Hemyock (show map)

Taken on: December 25, 2014

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Christmas 2014 Neil Moralee

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Camera: Panasonic DMC-LX7, f/2.0, 1/80 sec, 12.8mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DMC-LX7
Aperture:	f/2.0
Exposure Time:	0.013 sec (1/80)
Focal Length:	12.8mm
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	High gain up
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.6 (Windows)
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