Thousands of people gathered in an Austrian town Saturday for a scary tradition.
Scores of people dressed as the evil companion of Santa Claus, known as Krampus, charged through the town’s streets after dark.
The event known as the “Krampus Run” is based in Germanic folklore.
Krampus punishes bad kids by beating them and putting them into a woven wicker basket on his back.
Over 120 Krampus impersonators charged through the town’s market square.
Some jumped the barricades to cane several of the six-thousand people in attendance.
Little bruises are an accepted side effect of the caning attacks.
But young children usually get away with getting their caps taken away.
Groups from all over Austria and some neighboring countries participated in the event.
This may be one of the highest things to do on my bucket list .. I would so LOVE to be at the Krampus run..
I have written about Krampus plenty of times on here, just search the archives for that information.. The idea of Krampus has been with me since my childhood thanks to Russian and eastern European nuns who taught me in grade school.
My son also knows of Krampus, but we have shielded him from the worst of it all..
Jolly ole Saint Nick needs a rival.
Each year, around this time, Krampus rears his head to be the rival who Santa deserves.
Krampus in Austria! I am jealous of anyone who went
