Who or What is Krampus?
Move over Jack Skellington. Stand aside Grinch. Meet Krampus, the original darker side of Christmas.
Krampus is the not-so-jolly, demon-ish twin brother of Saint Nicholas. He has roots in European holiday mythology, and takes the “you better watch out” approach of the traditional Santa Claus to a bit of an extreme. In the original story, Saint Nick gives out candy, while Krampus deals with the naughty kids – this is the part of the world where Grimm’s Fairy Tales evolved, remember? More recently, Krampus has worked his way into popular culture in the U.S. as an entertaining figure in movies and television. There are even “Krampus Crawls” and parades in many cities.
If you want a little Halloween fun with your Christmas cheer, Krampus bridges the gap!
Have a Listen to Michael’s Song
Songwriter Michael Gaither became fascinated with the character years ago when “The Krampus Comes Out Tonight.” Listen to the tune on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp or anywhere online where ya get your music these days.
Krampus Season In Summary
It was an absolute blast kicking Krampus up a notch and taking him out this past holiday season. Two breweries, Krampus Nacht on December 5th at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, and a special by-request crashing of a local Rotary Club Holiday Dinner. (Full disclosure: Krampus was invited, but they WERE expecting Santa Claus.)
Want More Off beat Holiday Music?
And while you’re here, you might as well also have a listen to Michael’s other holiday tune, “No More Tequila For Santa.”
Until Krampus Season 2025, you’d better be good for goodness sake! And if you’re looking ahead to next season and want a real live Krampus at your event, shoot Michael an email and let him know!