La Befana is a good witch, but what happens when there is an evil
legendary figure alongside jolly old Santa Claus? In much of eastern Europe a
demon known as Krampus serves as the bad guy in the christmas scene.
Naughty children don’t get coal
when Krampus is around, they are
stolen from their beds and taken
straight to Hades. He even carries
around a wicker basket or bag for
that purpose. But he isn’t just about
scaring children straight, his
holiday is for parents too. During
Krampusnacht (or Night of the
Krampus) People dress up as him
and walk around town, looking for
people to ‘beat’ with birch switches, another one of Krampus’s signature
items. This tradition was once restricted to Austria and Germany but Krampus
is now a rising figure in American celebrations, though it’s aimed more at
adults than small children.
In Venezuela there is a tradition
with widely unknown origins but is so
popular that even the government joins in!
Citizens of Carcas travel to the nine days
of early morning Christmas mass by way
of roller skates. That’s right roller skates.
So many people participate in this event
that the streets are often closed to allow
for safer travel. These skaters also help
wake up other residents in time for the
Mass, by pulling strings attached to sleeping people’s toes! During the night it
is customary to tie a long string to a person’s big toe and hang the end out the
window. The skaters then tug on all the strings they see to wake up the
person on the other side. Crazy yes, but hey, everybody is on time for the
service.
Christmas is a holiday celebrated round the world, and our traditions
show it. Whether you observe it by eating KFC (japan), Hiding brooms
(norway) or simply sleeping in (most american parents) Have a…
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