Scary For Kids
Krampus

Krampus

Krampus is a legendary creature from Austrian and Hungarian folklore and is associated with Christmas. On Christmas Eve, while Santa Claus hands out the presents, Krampus deals out the punishment.

Krampus

Krampus gets his name from the old German word for “claw”. In Austria, Santa Claus is called St. Nicholas and his helper is a terrifying demon named Krampus, who travels with him on Christmas Eve.

Krampus is a red-faced goat-horned demon who is covered in shaggy black fur. He has chains hanging from his body and he rings a large cowbell. He has a long waggling red tongue, a tail and carries a big stick and a large black bag.

On Christmas Eve, Austrian children place their shoes on the window sill or outside their bedroom door. While they sleep, Santa Claus and Krampus visit their house. If they’ve been good, Santa leaves candy and treats in their shoes. If they’ve been bad, Krampus beats them with his stick. If they’ve been really bad, Krampus puts them in his sack, carries them off and throws them in a river.

Just imagine this: It’s Christmas Eve and you’ve just finished watching a Christmas movie with your family or singing Christmas carols by the fireside. You’re settling down to sleep when suddenly, an enormous shaggy monster with horns bursts into your bedroom, dragging chains and ringing a bell. He attacks you and beats you over the head with a stick while you scream for your parents to help you. Then, he stuffs you into his bag and kidnaps you as your parents stand by and do nothing. Finally, he throws you into a river and drowns you. All this, because you didn’t behave yourself during the year.

The legend of Krampus became so popular that his story spread throughout Europe. It became especially popular in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Northern Italy.

Today, Krampus Day is celebrated on December 5th. In country towns, some men dress up in furs, heavy boots, and a ghoulish mask topped with horns. Then, carrying sticks and ringing bells, they go around town, visiting the houses of families with small children. When the parents open the door, the men run in and terrorize the kids. They start growling and whipping the air with their sticks. The children scream and cry. After everyone’s had a good fright, the parents invite the men to sit down and have a drink.

“I’m from originally Austria and I spent many years as a child being chased around town by Krampus. It is one of the scariest experiences you can have as a child growing up in Austria. It’s also one of the biggest adrenaline rushes because the danger is quite real. Once, Krampus saw my friends and I and began chasing us. We jumped fences and ran through backyards and Krampus just kept coming after us. When he catches you, he usually gives you a pretty good whipping around your legs, and yes it hurts. It’s also really scary. I can never forget that terror as a child.” – Christoph.

“I’m Austrian and quite familiar with the Krampus, since I got beaten by him several times in my childhood.” – Nina.

“My family lived in Germany when I was young. My siblings and I had the opportunity to meet Krampus every Christmas. It was truly terrifying as a kid! Krampus would come into our house. We were lined up as he asked us questions about how good or bad we had been all year. Krampus had a big bag full of kids with legs and arms sticking out that would actually move around and whimper. Krampus would walk over and whack the bag with a whip. Oh man, we didn’t want to end up in that bag!” – Gavin.

Just when you thought Christmas was the one time of year that couldn’t be scary… along comes Krampus.

scary for kids

22 comments

  • If my parents just stood there while a hairy creepy man just came and started to drown me, I would come back and haunt them as ghosts. Whisper in their ear, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” In not such a whispering manor…

  • hahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhaugaagaggaagagagaahahah………………………THERE IS A U …FIND IT

  • In my country, there is no Krampus or whatever it is….We have only SANTA CLAUS!!!! MY luck

  • The picture made me laugh. Imagine having the child feeling something wet slithering on his forehead. Though it might be possible that he did not feel the tongue seeing he is so scared in the picture.

  • Imagine someone had just moved to one of the countries that celebrates Krampus day. There’s a knock on the door. Kid goes to open it and sees those men. The only way that could be worse is if the father had a shot gun. ‘Cause you know he’s gona use it.

  • dammit the one holidat that was only sort of messed up. plz let valentines day not be a subject for a creepy story. plz!

  • In Czechoslovakia they have a similar being named cert and he scares children with rattling chains

  • That’s so cool!I’ve never heard of this before!
    In my religion we actually celebrate the birth of a horned god in winter. Pretty sure he wouldn’t drown you in the river though. haha

  • @Justwondered
    Yeah I agree with you that demons have no right of punishing children on Christmas. Oh and if you have been bad all year, you don’t get slapped by a demon in bed or dragged into a river, you just get nothing that’s all and if you have been good, you get presents.
    P.S, yeah why would Jesus let demons punish us on the day of his birth?

  • @Dont take me seriously
    Yeah, I hate it when a DOG chases me much less DOGS! -.- I once ran from a friendly dog named dodger that was chasing me ’til our apartment and it was REALLY FAR!

  • The Krampus….. Hmmmm……. Sounds fun! I love running for my life! Especially if dogs are chasing me! P.S. I said dogs not dog.

  • Christmas is about Jesus not some redfaced demon. Santa Claus is most likely an anagram for Satan Lucas=Lucas means lucifer. Demons don’t have any authority in everyday life, let alone at CHRISTmas time! Boy anything to take the focus off Jesus at Christmas. God doesn’t just LET demons attack people haphazardly. He protects his people. That’s all.

  • FIRST! FINALLY! it feels so good…..and scary story, I heard about him on a christmas special,”Supernatural” and why would a jolly ol’ santa punish us like that?I’m just used to the whole coal thing

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