100 Fun Facts About Krampus

Krampus is a horned figure from the folklore of which mountain region?

The Alps. The Catholic Church tried to ban his masked revels, but they survived in remote mountain towns.

Krampus runs also fill the streets around Merano in South Tyrol, a German-speaking province of which country?

Italy. South Tyrol was Austrian until Italy took it after the First World War, and it kept the masked runs held around 5 December, the eve of St Nicholas's Day.

In the run-up to St Nicholas's Day, Dutch children leave out hay and a carrot for which companion of Sinterklaas?

His horse. Sinterklaas is said to ride it over the rooftops at night, and next morning the children find sweets or a small present left in return.

With what does Krampus traditionally punish naughty children?

Birch rods. The saint was no softer: children who had misbehaved were told he would leave them a rod in place of presents.

Krampus is usually depicted with which kind of foot?

Goat's hoof. The half-goat, half-demon look has made him a ready-made horror villain, in a 2015 Hollywood film and a string of low-budget Krampus movies besides.

Besides horns and dark fur, which feature do most descriptions of Krampus give him?

A long lolling tongue. In a 1953 Time magazine account he also rattles a huge chain in menacing disbelief while children plead that they have been good.

What does Krampus carry on his back?

A sack or basket for children. In the old tales he carried off the worst-behaved in it, to be drowned, eaten or delivered to Hell.

Popular accounts make Krampus the son of Hel, ruler of the underworld in which mythology?

Norse. The same tellings root him in pagan midwinter rites that were later folded into the Christian feast of St Nicholas.

What are the fearsome masks of Krampus runners traditionally made from?

Wood. The masked figures do more than parade: on the eve of St Nicholas's Day they go from house to house to frighten the children who answer the door.

Who traditionally put on the masks for a Krampuslauf, the Krampus run through the streets?

The town's young men. Drink is usually involved and onlookers can expect a swat, and the runs have boomed since a late-20th-century push to preserve local heritage.

In Austrian St Nicholas processions, the saint who walks beside Krampus is dressed as what?

A bishop. The mitre and golden staff mark the office the real Nicholas held in the fourth century, long before America remade him as Santa Claus.

Which 20th-century government in Vienna banned the Krampus tradition?

The Austrofascist regime, the Catholic dictatorship of 1934 to 1938, forbade the custom, but the ban did not hold and he was back in Austrian homes within a generation.

A 1953 Vienna leaflet titled 'Krampus Is an Evil Man' warned parents that he could do what?

Scar children for life. The head of Vienna's kindergartens wrote it, but the tradition shrugged off the scolding and was booming again by the end of the century.

A 2004 book of vintage Krampus cards helped introduce the demon to which country, where he had been little known?

The United States. Few people there had ever seen the cards; since the book he has become an ironic seasonal icon, with Krampus parties, runs and a 2015 feature film.

Vintage Krampus cards often carry the line 'Gruß vom Krampus', which means what?

Greetings from Krampus. The cheery line usually sits above a picture of the demon thrashing or carrying off children, and some racier cards show him courting women.

What do Krampus runners strap to their belts to announce their approach?

Cowbells. The din is part of the point: the runs are billed as an old rite for scaring off the ghosts of winter.

In Slovenia, Krampus is known by what name?

Parkelj. Centuries under Austrian rule carried the custom into Slovenia, where he trails Miklavž, the local St Nicholas, rattling his chain.

Krampus also visits children in which country, where his name is spelled Krampusz?

Hungary. The figure came over from Austria, name and all, and now walks beside Mikulás, the Hungarian St Nicholas.

Hans Trapp, a Christmas bogeyman said to be based on a real 15th-century knight, frightens children in which French region?

Alsace. The knight, Hans von Trotha, feuded with the abbey at Wissembourg and was excommunicated; the story goes that he dammed the river above the town, then broke the dam to flood it.

Who directed the 2015 comedy-horror Krampus, having earlier made the Halloween anthology Trick 'r Treat?

Michael Dougherty. A lifelong monster-movie fan, he had most of the film's creatures built as puppets and costumes rather than computer effects.

In the 2015 film Krampus, what does young Max do that summons the demon?

Tears up his letter to Santa. It asked for nothing for himself, only wishes for his squabbling family, and he rips it up after his cousins read it out at dinner to mock him.

Which studio created the creature effects for the 2015 Krampus film?

Weta Workshop. Its creatures were mostly puppets and suits on set, which the director said forced a style of shooting that made the scenes more suspenseful.

What does the demon leave behind for families he has tormented in Krampus (2015)?

A bell-shaped bauble bearing his name. Max's grandmother was handed one as a girl, and when Max unwraps another on Christmas morning the family realises it was no dream.

In which Christmas action-comedy is Krampus the estranged adoptive brother of Santa Claus?

Red One. Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju plays him as a grudge-bearing outcast who still turns up to help rescue Santa in the final battle.

Germany's best-known Nicholas companion, Knecht Ruprecht, has a name that translates as what?

Farmhand Rupert. Knecht is a cousin of the English word knight, which began just as humbly: in Old English a cniht was a boy or a servant.

By tradition, what does Knecht Ruprecht quiz children on before deciding to reward or beat them?

Their prayers. Those who can say them perfectly get apples and nuts; in some regions the rest were beaten with a bag of ashes.

How does Belsnickel, the fur-clad gift-bringer of the German Palatinate, differ from Krampus?

He visits alone, without the saint, and does both jobs himself: cakes and nuts from his pockets for good children, and a switch for the rest.

Belsnickel survives in the folklore of German communities in which two places outside Germany?

Pennsylvania and Brazil. Emigrants from the Palatinate carried him to the Pennsylvania Dutch country, and later German settlers took him to Santa Catarina in southern Brazil.

Père Fouettard, the Nicholas companion of eastern France and Belgium, has a name meaning what?

Father Whipper. In the best-known legend he is the butcher, or in some tellings the innkeeper, who murdered three boys; the saint revived them, and the killer has followed him ever since as penance.

In a 2012 Christmas episode of The Office, which character dresses up as the fur-clad gift-bringer Belsnickel?

Dwight Schrute. He hosts a party in the style of his German farming forebears, cooks their food and judges each colleague naughty or nice, switch in hand.

Schmutzli, the Swiss companion of St Nicholas, has a name that seems to come from Schmutz, a German word for what?

Dirt. The link is a best guess: a leading 19th-century folklorist admitted he could only suppose the name came from the figure's smutty, blackened face.

In the Czech Republic, svatý Mikuláš is accompanied by which pair?

A devil and an angel. Naughty Czech children are threatened with coal or, in a local twist, a potato from the devil, though in practice everyone ends up with sweets.

Which 19th-century scholar linked the Nicholas companions to pre-Christian house spirits like the kobold?

Jacob Grimm. The fairy-tale collector's study of German myth argued that Knecht Ruprecht was the same household sprite the English call Robin Goodfellow.

Which composer wrote a piano piece called 'Knecht Ruprecht' for his Album for the Young?

Robert Schumann. Unlike his Scenes from Childhood, the early pieces of this 1848 collection were written simply enough for children and beginners to play.

From which country does Sinterklaas traditionally arrive by boat each year in the Netherlands?

Spain. The real St Nicholas never lived there: his home was Myra, in what is now Turkey.

By 2021, which revised version of Sinterklaas's Dutch companion had become more common at public events than the traditional one?

Sooty Piet. The actors keep their own skin tone, with a few dark smudges said to come from climbing through chimneys.

Frau Perchta, the midwinter spirit of Austrian and south German folklore, was said to punish women who had failed to do what?

Spin all their flax. During the Twelve Nights she was said to inspect every spinning room, and thread left undone was tangled, fouled or paid for with bad luck.

In folklore, what did Frau Perchta do to anyone who ate the wrong food on her feast night?

Slit open their bellies. She was said to take out the forbidden food, pack the space with straw and sew the victim up again, using a ploughshare for a needle.

Austrian winter processions feature 'Schönperchten' and 'Schiachperchten', meaning what?

Beautiful and ugly Perchten. The ugly ones roam at night in fanged masks to drive out the spirits of winter, while the beautiful ones come by day to wish the village luck.

What do German children traditionally leave outside the door on the eve of St Nicholas's Day, hoping for sweets?

A boot. By morning the Nikolaus-Stiefel has been filled with nuts, mandarins and chocolate, and the saint is said to use the visit to check how each child has behaved.

Which actress plays Sarah, the mother of the besieged family, in the 2015 film Krampus?

Toni Collette. Her character Sarah is stuck hosting the sister, brother-in-law and aunt whose sniping pushes her son Max to give up on Christmas.

In which German state is the Krampus tradition most firmly rooted?

Bavaria. The runs had faded there before a 21st-century revival put the horned monsters back on the streets each December.

In Krampus (2015), what does the family call Tom's mother, who knows the demon's legend?

Omi. She speaks almost entirely in German, which the rest of the family follows without trouble, and she alone has met the demon before, as a child.

Krampus (2015) is set in a snowbound suburb, but in which Southern Hemisphere country was it filmed?

New Zealand. Shooting began there in March, the start of the southern autumn, yet one trade review found its wintry landscape convincing enough to make you shiver.

Which animated sitcom's 2013 episode 'Minstrel Krampus' has the demon carry off the family's bratty son, Steve?

American Dad! The demon turns out to be a soulful figure who wins the boy round, and it is Santa who leads a bloody assault on his castle.

In Krampus (2015), what is the name of the giant jack-in-the-box among the demon's killer toys?

Der Klown. During the toys' attack on the family it swallows one of Max's young cousins whole.

St Nicholas visits Austrian children in early December, so who traditionally brings their presents on 24 December?

The Christkind. The winged Christ Child began as a Protestant alternative to St Nicholas, yet today it is mainly Catholic regions such as Austria that keep the custom.

In Krampus (2015), which festive treats come to life and attack the family?

Gingerbread men. One lures a greedy young cousin to the fireplace, and when the boy goes to eat it he is hauled up the chimney.

Krampus's name is usually traced to an old German word meaning what?

Claw. The German word is Krampen, and his fearsome look brought trouble: the Church once tried to ban the revels because the horned figure looked too much like Satan.

In which 2020 Netflix film is the villain Belsnickel, a fallen elf cursed to live as a human?

The Christmas Chronicles 2. Julian Dennison plays him, and his plan is to steal the star from the top of the tree, which powers the whole North Pole village.

In the German dub of which animated sitcom is the family's dog renamed Knecht Ruprecht, after St Nicholas's helper?

The Simpsons swaps Santa's Little Helper for Knecht Ruprecht in German, so the family's pet shares a title with the soot-smeared figure who trails the saint each December.

Iceland's monstrous Yule Cat, a Krampus-like enforcer, eats anyone who has not received what before Christmas Eve?

New clothes went to farm workers who finished processing the autumn wool in time, so the man-eating cat was a threat aimed squarely at anyone who slacked.

Which actor, Ben Wyatt in Parks and Recreation, plays the father Tom in the 2015 comedy-horror Krampus?

Adam Scott joined the cast in March 2015, just nine days before the cameras rolled, to play a father whose own mother knows the legend all too well.

By custom, which strong drink is offered to the costumed runners at an Austrian Krampus run?

Schnapps, a strong distilled fruit brandy, is the customary offering to a Krampus, and many of the runners take part well fortified with it.

Which objects does Krampus thrash about for dramatic effect, said to symbolise the Church's power over Satan?

Chains mark Krampus as a tamed fiend, since they are thought to show Satan bound by the Church, and vintage cards show him leading youngsters away in them.

The 2013 cartoon 'Minstrel Krampus' gives the demon a castle of living household objects, parodying which Disney film?

Beauty and the Beast is spoofed throughout, with Krampus as a soulful Beast whose songs were sung by Charles Bradley after Danny Glover, his speaking voice, refused to sing.

In the final scene of Krampus (2015), through which objects does the demon watch the homes he has tormented?

Snow globes fill his underworld lair by the hundred, each showing a house he has visited, which undercuts the family's relief at waking up safe on Christmas morning.

Like Krampus, the Namahage are masked ogres who go door to door at New Year scolding lazy youngsters in which country?

Japan's Namahage visit homes on the Oga Peninsula in straw capes and ogre masks, carrying fake knives and shouting to ask whether any crybabies live there.

In Krampus (2015), by which route does the demon finally enter the house to confront Max's grandmother?

The fireplace, Santa's own way in, is where he emerges to attack her with a bag of toys while the rest of the family make a run for the street.

Which long-running cartoon franchise had its heroes face the horned demon in the 2012 episode 'Wrath of the Krampus'?

Scooby-Doo met the demon in the series Mystery Incorporated, where Krampus was voiced by Carlos Alazraqui and served as the episode's main villain.

Which Anchorman actor, sportscaster Champ Kind, plays Max's uncle Howard in the 2015 comedy-horror Krampus?

David Koechner plays the in-law Tom cannot stand, who is finally seized, together with Aunt Dorothy, when the demon's elves leap in through a window.

Which part-animal creatures of Greek mythology does National Geographic say Krampus shares characteristics with?

Satyrs and fauns are the classical creatures he is said to resemble, a likeness that suits a figure routinely billed as half animal and half fiend.

The historical St Nicholas, whom Krampus accompanies, was born in the port of Patara in which modern country?

Turkey holds both Patara, his birthplace, and Myra, where he served; in 2009 its government said it would formally ask for his remains to be sent back.

Which Star Trek actor plays the radio DJ linking the tales of A Christmas Horror Story, a 2015 Krampus anthology?

William Shatner plays Dangerous Dan, stuck on a long Christmas Eve shift while four tales unfold, one of them a family hunted by Krampus after a car crash.

While St Nicholas hands out gifts, what does Krampus traditionally supply to badly behaved youngsters as a booby prize?

Coal is the mild end of his repertoire, since in grimmer tellings the worst offenders are said to be drowned, eaten or hauled off to Hell.

In the grandmother's tale in Krampus (2015), the ancient demon punishes people who have lost what?

Their Christmas spirit was what her own family lost amid wartime hardship, and her wish that they all be taken away brought him to her village.

Which Comedy Central host featured Krampus in a 2009 'War on Christmas' segment of his satirical nightly show?

Stephen Colbert brought the demon to The Colbert Report in a segment on Hallmark and 'Grinchitude', six years before Hollywood gave Krampus a film.

In a 2022 Spanish comedy film, Santa's feud with which rival gift-bringers wakes Krampus from his slumber?

The Three Wise Men traditionally bring Spanish youngsters their presents, so the film sets them against Santa for attention until the squabble rouses the demon.

The director of Krampus (2015) next made which creature-feature sequel, released four years later?

Godzilla: King of the Monsters reunited him with Krampus co-writer Zach Shields, and the pair shared the screenplay credit on the monster sequel.

Early 20th-century Krampus cards aimed at adults show the demon punishing youngsters and doing what to women?

Proposing to them was only the start: other cards of the era recast Krampus as a large woman whipping tiny men.

Which Two and a Half Men actress, the housekeeper Berta, plays cantankerous Aunt Dorothy in the 2015 film Krampus?

Conchata Ferrell played Berta in 212 episodes; the sitcom ended in February 2015, and her great-aunt role reached cinemas that December.

Which actress, Emmy-nominated as police officer Molly Solverson in Fargo, plays Sarah's sister Linda in Krampus (2015)?

Allison Tolman was among the first actors cast, signing on in November 2014, months before the performers playing her sister and brother-in-law.

Which relative is the first to be taken in Krampus (2015), chased by the demon after heading out into the blizzard?

Beth sets off through the storm to check on her boyfriend, hides beneath a delivery truck, and is caught by a jack-in-the-box the creature leaves behind.

What breed is Rosie, the pet that Linda's family brings along for the holiday in Krampus (2015)?

Bulldog Rosie was played by two dogs named Thor and Victoria, and the pet seems to be eaten by the same monstrous toy that devours young Jordan.

Besides Empire magazine, which American genre-film honours nominated Krampus (2015) for Best Horror Film?

Saturn Awards voters shortlisted a film that had topped the box office on its opening day and went on to earn back its budget four times over.

Which Family Guy voice actor is heard as Lumpy, one of the demon's three tiny minions, in the 2015 film Krampus?

Seth Green, the voice of Chris Griffin, plays Lumpy opposite Justin Roiland's Clumpy, two of a trio that goes after Uncle Howard on their master's behalf.

What title did Shout! Factory give the unrated, extended edition of the 2015 film Krampus that it released in 2021?

The Naughty Cut runs about four minutes longer than the theatrical version and arrived in a 4K set with fresh interviews and commentaries.

In Krampus (2015), toward which abandoned vehicle on the street does Tom lead the surviving family members?

A snowplow left in the road is their escape plan, but a creature tunnelling beneath the drifts drags Tom, Sarah and Linda under before they get away.

At the climax of Krampus (2015), into what does the demon throw Max after hearing the boy's apology?

A fiery pit swallows Max even though he offers himself in exchange for his relatives, and he then wakes in bed on Christmas morning as if nothing had happened.

Like Krampus runners, the kukeri are masked dancers who parade through villages each winter in which Balkan country?

Bulgaria's kukeri walk and dance through villages around New Year, scaring away evil spirits and, it is believed, securing a good harvest.

In German folklore, Knecht Ruprecht strikes youngsters who fail his doorstep test with a bag filled with what?

Ashes fill the bag he swings at failures, while youngsters who pass his test are sent away with apples and nuts.

Knecht Ruprecht first appears in writing as a figure in a 17th-century Christmas procession in which German city?

Nuremberg staged the procession where he is first recorded; one scholar argued the figure originally had nothing to do with the season at all.

In Père Fouettard's best-known legend, what did St Nicholas do for the three boys Fouettard had murdered?

Brought them back to life is how the tale ends; in one telling the repentant killer then became the saint's partner, in another he was forced to serve as punishment.

Which Icelandic ogress, mother of the thirteen Yule Lads, is said to cook misbehaving youngsters in a large pot?

Grýla shares a cave with her lazy husband Leppalúði and, in later tellings, keeps the monstrous Yule Cat as a pet.

Which English Romantic poet described meeting a masked Knecht Ruprecht figure during a 1798 visit to northern Germany?

Coleridge saw the figure in the town of Ratzeburg and noted its costume: high buskins, a white robe, a mask and an enormous wig.

In 2011, National Public Radio helped publicise a new Krampus run formed by enthusiasts in which East Coast city?

Philadelphia's run was organised by fans rather than handed down by tradition, part of a wider craze for Krampus parties and Krampus-themed races.

The director of Krampus (2015) says he fell for the demon at first sight after friends sent him what?

An e-card of the creature won him over years before 2011, when he and two co-writers finally began working out the story.

Which blockbuster kept Krampus (2015) in second place at the North American box office on its opening weekend?

Mockingjay – Part 2 was in its third weekend and took $18.6 million to the newcomer's $16.3 million, a debut that nonetheless beat expectations.

Which 1998 Midway arcade light-gun shooter features a monstrous St Nick boss named Krampus?

CarnEvil sends waves of the demon's elves at the player, and Krampus himself was voiced by the game's own creator, Jack Haeger.

Which Styrian winter-sports town draws more than a thousand costumed Krampus runners from all over Austria?

Schladming's gathering brings over 1,200 runners in shaggy costumes into a resort better known for hosting two world skiing championships.

Which gothic fantasy artist, who defined the look of the Dark Sun game setting, wrote the novel Krampus: The Yule Lord?

Brom, who signs his work with his surname alone, set the 2012 story in Boone County, West Virginia.

Which BBC anthology by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith retold the Krampus legend in 'The Devil of Christmas'?

Inside No. 9 staged the special as a 1970s-style drama in which an English family reaches a mountain chalet and their guide tells the Krampus story.

Which explosives-obsessed Overwatch hero received a Krampus skin for the game's Winter Wonderland event?

Junkrat, an unhinged criminal from an irradiated Australia, was dressed as the demon for Blizzard's seasonal event.

Which American publisher launched a 2013 series titled Krampus, created by Dean Kotz and Brian Joines?

Image Comics creator Brian Joines has argued that the demon's darkness sits oddly with a holiday treated as both a big day for kids and a religious feast.

Which young actor, the chef's son Percy in the 2014 film Chef, plays Max in the comedy-horror Krampus?

Emjay Anthony was cast in November 2014, months before the stars playing his parents signed on.

Before Krampus (2015), its director co-wrote X2 and which other superhero film, a 2006 franchise revival?

Superman Returns and the X-Men sequel made him a blockbuster screenwriter before he turned to directing horror comedies.

What do Iceland's Yule Lads leave in the shoe of a disobedient youngster in place of a small gift?

A rotten potato awaits on the windowsill, a mild threat beside the old tales; in 1746 using the Lads to terrify the young was officially banned.

Which Seinfeld actor voiced Krampus as the leader of a rock band in a 2017 Robot Chicken special?

Jason Alexander, sitcom's George Costanza, fronted a band itself called Krampus; an earlier special had made the demon Santa's rival on a college debate tour.

At the Klausjagen parade in Küssnacht on St Nicholas's Eve, where do marchers wear the huge candle-lit Iffelen?

On their heads the marchers balance paper creations up to seven feet tall, glowing like stained-glass windows in a parade once outlawed in 1732.

Which co-op shooter from Tripwire Interactive added a Krampus Lair map, with the demon as its final boss, in 2017?

Killing Floor 2 introduced him in its Twisted Christmas update, where players must defeat Krampus at the end of the map.