Naughty or nice

You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry－or you may get a visit from the Christmas demon

All around the world at Christmas time, children gleefully await the arrival of Santa Claus and a windfall of presents under the Christmas tree. Of course, that's all well and good if you've been nice－but what if you were a naughty boy or girl this year? In the regions of Alpine Austria and southern Bavaria, that adds up to a terrifying visit from Krampus, the half-goat, half-demon sidekick to Saint Nick whose mission is to punish the misbehaved.

Krampus－whose name is derived from the Old High German word krampen, which means "claw"－is said to be the son of Hel, the god of the underworld in Norse mythology. Emerging from European pagan traditions, Krampus is a figure you'd be right to be scared of－no matter your age. With his flaming-coal eyes, matted fur, cloven hooves, snarled horns, long pointed tongue and jagged fangs, this "Evil Santa" appears on Krampusnacht, occurring the night before the Feast of Saint Nicholas.