MILWAUKEE — It's the time of year when kids are wondering if they are on the naughty or nice list. But instead of Santa Claus bringing kids a lump of coal, children might be visited by the more evil and menacing Krampus.
“I like the scary aspect of it. I like the dark and scary side of this," Michael Brandt, who likes to play the character of Krampus, said.
Krampus is the evil counterpart to St. Nicholas, according to European folklore. Essentially, before the naughty or nice list, there was Krampus. If you were good, you wouldn't see Krampus. But if you were bad, he would come and either hit you with a birch stick or maybe even steal you away.
“At a basic level, Krampus is behavior modification, and that’s been absorbed into Christendom, and now at this point it’s change your attitude, or you’re not going to get your presents under the tree," Brandt said.
Krampus' origins come from the Central European area. Originally, it was a winter pagan tradition. Parts of Krampus' story eventually fused with Christianity. Today, he is seen as St. Nick's shadow.
Across the U.S. and Europe, people celebrate Krampus and St. Nicholas during Krampusnacht. It's a holiday tradition that usually involves a parade of characters, markets, and performances. In Milwaukee, Krampusnacht, is Dec. 7 in the Brewery District.
“It’s really like a fun block party or a festival. We have live music. There's activities. We have over 70 local vendors, artists, crafters, small businesses," Tea Krulos, the director of Milwaukee's Krampusnacht, said.
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Krulos organized the first celebration back in 2017.
"I was like, how strange that Milwaukee, which famously has this very rich German history, doesn't have an event like that. So that talk slowly turned into planning the first Milwaukee Krampusnacht. It was a huge hit, really fun time, and been doing it ever since," Krulos said.
The celebration has evolved to incorporate more features each year, including a kids' Krampus event.
“We go around this very hall and pass out presents, and there’s always activities and gifts going around," Kyle Starr, who dresses as St. Nicholas, said.
Believe it or not, even though Krampus might thwack you with a stick or steal your children, parents gladly give their kids to him.
“Some people are handing their kids off to us. They’re saying here take our kid, you know, and some of them are back behind their kids, going like this, and we know to back off," Brandt said.
Milwaukee's Krampusnacht happens on Sunday Dec. 7, from 3 pm to 9 pm in the Brewery District.
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