On the 6th day of December, in predominantely rural Austria,
the visit by the "Krampus" (the devil)
and St. Nikolaus (Santa Claus) is still practiced.
Young men dressed in devilish costumes, with frightening masks,
armed with noise making chains and switches,
roam the streets and, wherever they find a young woman,
they playfully use the switches on the girls legs. The girls crouch down
to protect their legs with their skirts and scream and laugh all at the same time.
Sankt Nikolaus, always dressed in bishop's regalia
and carrying an appropriate staff, hands out little presents
like nuts, figs, apples and the like.
The whole village takes part in this old custom, which I remember well
from my childhood days.....just the othe day?
7 comments:
I am afraid of "krampus" and "Perchten"... even i just hear a "cow-bell", i am running and my heart beats very fast. You will not see me on a "Perchten"-Lauf or something like this... buuahh no no no...
Nice to know that in some place, old traditions are alive and well.
Sorry but as a "kindergartenpädagoge"
I have to tell you something important:St.Nikolaus is not Santa.
St.Hikolaus is a Bishop who lived in Myra (Turkey) and Santa Clause is the Weihnachtsmann who lives at the Nordpol and is dressed like Coca Cola edvertisment wanted him to be dressed.
St.Nilolaus is a holy man who visits Austrian childrens on the 6 th of December.
Sorry but that is a topic which is very important for us.
Many people don`t know who is who Some perents say no to the Krampus.Instead of the Krampus the Nikolaus ransforms into the Person who is the evil
Wenn du nicht brav bist dann wir dir der Nikolaus........
But the Nikolaus is the friend of the children and not the bad guy.
He might say what was wrong duribg the year but he doesn`t punish.You should not.........
I could talk much more on this topic-
But the most important thing is: NIkolaus is not Santa Clause.
Even if you translate Santa Clause into Heiliger Klaus.
Try and ask people: what happens on the 24 th of December.
The right answer should be:Jesus Birthday.
You would not get it very often
Christianes statement is correct.
St. Claus is not St. Nikolaus.
Theo
Liane, your statement is correct, too. There are good persons and "not good" persons.
Theo
Liane!
Krampus is the opposit person to St. Nikolaus. Nikolaus was a bishop in Myra (South Turkey in former time), who helped the poor people, Christiane told about him The Krampus is the bad person beside him in our reagons.
Perchten (peopel) are other persons, they ran in the Raunächte, before and after the nights of New Year Day.6 great nights. In these nights the old Keltics and Germans believed, that the bad goasts, who are in winter, will run away when they see the figures and spring time comes.
Sorry, Lianne, I have wrote your first name not correctly.
Theo
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