The nightmare before Christmas
No, I’m not talking about the current economic meltdown. It turns out that Bavaria has some interesting Christmas customs:
The gallery of Bavarian Christmas photos explains:
The troll-like Perchten or Krampus emerge when it gets dark. The gnarled and gruesome figures stomp through the Christmas markets of Bavaria, scaring children and sometimes even give women a spanking.
Cool! Here are two more comments from the gallery:
Viewed by light the Perchten don’t look all that scary, but some people still think their appearances may scar little children for life.
Is that the point?
The Perchten/Krampus tradition is growing more and more across the country and often is accompanied by a lot of alcohol these days.
Not a surprise, as Dave Barry would say (hat tip to his blog for the link). Be sure to look at the whole gallery; the Perchta above is one of the milder examples. ..bruce w..
Category: Humor, Main, Photography