Krampusnacht 2023: Date, History and How to celebrate it

Krampusnacht brings Halloween fun before Christmas. Great idea to reuse Halloween decorations.

Krampusnacht 2023: Krampusnacht is celebrated on December 5 in Germany, Europe, and Australia. The night before St. Nicholas, people dress as Krampus and hunt mischievous youngsters around the streets. Following his departure, the Krampus gives the youngsters bundles of “ruten,” twigs, to remind them of him. This festival is growing in popularity in America because it catches some of the Halloween excitement and spookiness before Christmas.

Krampusnacht history

Every December 5, the night before St. Nicholas Day, Krampusnacht is celebrated. This holiday is predominantly celebrated in Germany, Austria, Croatia, and other European countries. Krampusnacht has gained in popularity in North America and Australia.

Krampusnacht honors the supposed half-man, half-goat fiend Krampus. Hairy, with enormous horns, goat-like cloven hooves, red eyes, and fangs. Krampus portrayals differ by region. Some Krampuses wear chains, and costumed persons thrash around in them for maximum effect. The chains symbolize Jesus Christ tying the Devil in Christian mythology.

The Krampus swats naughty youngsters with bundles of ‘ruten’ or twigs. These packages are given to families during celebrations to remind children of the Krampus and behave. In Krampusnacht countries, St. Nicholas offers children gifts, but if they misbehave, the Krampus takes them and gives them coal and ruten. On December 5, men dress as Krampus, consume booze, and rejoice in the streets.

Krampus’ roots are unknown, but horned demons are pre-Christian. Pagan entities may have been included into seasonal practices to celebrate Christmas.

Krampusnacht activities

Offer schnapps.

Man in Krampus attire goes door-to-door creating noise. It’s customary to give them schnapps before they continue, so set some out!

Dress as Krampus.

What better way to celebrate Krampusnacht than as Krampus? Scare misbehaving kids on the street in your best devil outfit.

Party in costumes

Throw a costume party on December 5 with your buddies. Everyone can dress as Krampus, and the best outfit wins “Krampus of the Year.”

5 mind-blowing facts

Krampus means ‘claw’.

Krampus comes from the Germanic word ‘krampen’, meaning claw, and relates to its terrifying aspect.

Names for Krampus cards

Krampus-themed Christmas cards are called Krampuskarten.

St. Nicholas brings Krampus.

On Krampusnacht, the night before St. Nicholas’ Feast, certain regions’ Krampus visits homes with St. Nicholas.

The Krampus stays two weeks.

This is a formal festival, but the Krampus roams the streets for two weeks in December.

Krampus in popular media

Since Krampusnacht is becoming more popular, t

he Krampus has appeared in greeting cards, movies, and video games.

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Why We Love This day

We love scary things.

Krampusnacht brings Halloween fun before Christmas. Great idea to reuse Halloween decorations.

We enjoy folklore celebrations

Modern Krampusnacht celebrates pre-Christian Alpine folk traditions. We love the nostalgia.

A pleasant, merry holiday

We can best engage more people in Krampusnacht by celebrating it ourselves. Prepare your best costumes and join the fun.

KRAMPUSNACHT DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	December 5	Tuesday
2024	December 5	Thursday
2025	December 5	Friday
2026	December 5	Saturday
2027	December 5	Sunday

Farheen Ashraf

Farheen Ashraf is a History graduate. She writes on a variety of topics, including business, entertainment, laws, poetry, stories, travel, and more. Her passion for writing has led her to explore a variety of genres.