Most modern Anglo-American Christmas traditions are benign and cheerful: elves make toys for good little girls and boys, couples kiss under the mistletoe and people caroling out in the snow. But it hasn’t always been this way; children in the past had far more to fear than a lump of coal. They had Krampus, an anthropomorphic figure with cloven hooves, horns, and a forked tongue dragging chains and carrying a large sack.

The legend of Krampus dates back centuries, rooted in the “scary ghost stories” shared to pass Europe’s long winter nights. During the longest nights of the year before and after the winter solstice, when the veil between natural and supernatural thinned, tales warned misbehaving children of grim fates — being beaten, eaten or dragged away by other supernatural beings. These ancient stories persisted after the advent of Christianity, with Krampus taking on a distinctly demonic aspect.

What Does Krampus Have to do With Christmas?

Today, Krampus often appears by himself, but he originally served as the “bad cop” counterpart to St. Nicholas, the gift-giver who inspired Santa Claus and became popular in the European Middle Ages. People exchanged gifts on the Feast of St. Nicholas (Dec. 6) or the evening before, until the Protestant Reformation and the rejection of saints shifted gift giving to Christmas. In older traditions, St. Nicholas rewarded good children with gifts and punished the bad, but this was seen as incompatible with his saintly image, leading to the incorporation of Krampus into the tradition. When St. Nicholas came to visit, so did Krampus, and the night of Dec. 5 became popularly known as Krampusnacht (Krampus Night). The two were polar opposites: St. Nicholas arrives with a sack full of toys; Krampus arrives with an empty sack to stuff with children.

Why Is Krampus Becoming More Popular?

The Central European traditions around Krampus have become increasingly popular in North America. Krampus’ rising popularity is attributed to a variety of factors, often a search for “new” traditions or as a rejection of the consumerism surrounding the season. Many cities — including Orlando, which is holding a Krampus Fest on Dec. 8 — are seeing a rise in the tradition of Krampusruns, which are parades of people dressed as Krampus carrying sticks and switches (and the processions can sometimes get rough).

Krampus films, which sometimes incorporate the Christmastime setting into the horror genre, are popular as an antidote to the feel-good movies of the season that flood TV and theatres. In fact, Krampus makes an appearance in the newaction film Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, with an interesting plot twist.

What Are Other Dark Traditions or Symbols Connected to Christmas?

While Krampus is associated with Central Europe, other European societies have their own traditions of Santa’s (evil) helpers. In some French-speaking regions, St. Nicholas is accompanied by Père Fouettard, or Father Whipper, carrying a whip, stick and a basket on his back. The Netherlands have Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), who listened at chimneys to find misbehaving children and would take them away in a sack. Like Krampus, these traditions are changing with the times. In the 1800s Black Pete wore blackface and an afro wig; this racist depiction is being replaced by Sooty Pete (Roetveegpiet) with actors using dark streaks to indicate listening at the chimney.

Santa Claus is a latecomer to the chimney game; goblins and witches had been creeping into homes that way for centuries before. Not all stories of yuletide monsters ended up connected to St. Nicholas and Christmas. In Iceland, the Jólakötturinn (Yule Cat), a giant black cat, peers into windows and eats lazy children and adults. Meanwhile, the thirteen ogre-like Yule Lads steal, play tricks, leave treats for good children and take the naughty ones back home to their mother, Grýla, to be cooked.

In North America, Puritanism stripped many practices of their supernatural elements; the Massachusetts Bay Colony even outlawed Christmas in 1659. Nevertheless, much of what we’ll do in the upcoming weeks has origins in older, darker traditions. There is Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, where the selfish Scrooge is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. The popular Elf-on-a-Shelf, moving at night and sometimes causing mischief, is a reflection of the supernatural entities sent to spy on children. Mistletoe and holly were hung to ward off evil beings. Caroling as we know it emerged after the Reformation; before then, the practice was more akin to our modern Halloween, with a touch of Krampus. Youths dressed in furs and scary masks with horns and went house-to-house asking for food and drink and playing tricks. If they got none, wassail — a hot alcoholic punch or cider — was often given to them. One of the verses in We Wish You a Merry Christmas harkens back to the practice: “So bring us a figgy pudding, and a cup of good cheer.”

If you look closely, you’ll find that many of our songs and traditions echo a time when Christmas was also a season for ghosts and monsters. As we celebrate the holidays this year, give some thought to the traditions of the past and what they mean to us today.