The Krampus (German: [ˈkʁampʊs]) is a horned anthropomorphic figure who, in the Central and Eastern Alpine folkloric tradition, is said to accompany Saint Nicholas on visits to children during the night of 5 December (Krampusnacht; "Krampus Night"), immediately before the Feast of St. Nicholas on 6 December.

In this tradition, Saint Nicholas rewards well-behaved children with small gifts, while Krampus punishes badly behaved ones with birch rods.

Discussing his observations in 1975 while in Irdning, a small town in Styria, anthropologist John J. Honigmann wrote that: The Saint Nicholas festival we are describing incorporates cultural elements widely distributed in Europe.

Therefore a helper was assigned to St Nicholas; such as Farmhand Rupert, Schmutzli, Père Fouettard, or Zwarte Piet, who would go down the chimney or punish the naughty children.

On Christmas Eve, Krampus travels with a sack or a basket strapped to his back; this is to cart off evil children for drowning, eating, or transport to Hell.

[17] On the preceding evening of 5 December, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets.

[12] The Saint usually appears in the Eastern Rite vestments of a bishop, and he carries a golden ceremonial staff.

Unlike North American versions of Santa Claus, in these celebrations Saint Nicholas concerns himself only with the good children, while Krampus is responsible for the bad.

People would masquerade as a devilish figure known as Percht, a two-legged humanoid goat with a giraffe-like neck, wearing animal furs.

[19] People wore costumes and marched in processions known as Perchtenlaufen, which are regarded as an earlier form of the Krampus runs.

In 2013, after several Krampus runs in East Tyrol, a total of eight injured people (mostly with broken bones) were admitted to the Lienz district hospital and over 60 other patients were treated on an outpatient basis.

[24] Krampus appears in the folklore of Austria, Bavaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Northern Italy (Autonomous Province of Trento, South Tyrol, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The twigs are painted gold and displayed year-round in the house—a reminder to any child who has temporarily forgotten Krampus.

A toned-down version of Krampus is part of the popular Christmas markets in Austrian urban centres like Salzburg.

Other names include Barrel or Bartholomeus (Styria), Schmutzli (German-speaking Switzerland), Pöpel or Hüllepöpel (Würzburg), Zember (Cheb), Belzmärte and Pelzmärtel (Swabia and Franconia).

[12][28] In many parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, Krampus is described as a devil wearing a cloth sack around his waist and chains around his neck, ankles, and wrists.