In Austria and parts of Germany, Saint Nicholas, who visits on 6 December, is traditionally accompanied by the Krampus. While Saint Nicholas rewards well-behaved children with gifts, those who ...

Krampus was also banned by the fascists — specifically, the 1932 far-right Dollfuss regime in Austria, which included the Fatherland’s Front and the Christian Social Party).

In Austria, December is a time for festive events and frights. Young men walk around dressed up as the Krampus, a devil-demon creature equipped with cowbells and rods, scaring adults and children.