Christmas frights date back far longer than a measly little Elf on a Shelf. Myriads of creatures highlighted during the Christmas month hide in the shadows, observing the actions of little children. To do harm or hurt isn’t missing out on a trinket or gadget, but leaves you with scars or worse. So, as December holidays approach, look back on the previous year.
Are you on the nice list, or the naughty list? Your fate depends on it!
On the eve of December 5th, hope you don’t hear the chains rattling and the bells tolling; for if you do, Krampus is upon you.
With vicious fangs and a long, forked tongue, Krampus roams the roads and enters the homes of naughty children. He beats them with birch rod sticks and smacks them with heavy chains as punishment for their misbehavior. And for those truly wicked, he stuffs them in his basket and drags them kicking and screaming into the Underworld.
Krampus plays a major role in the balance of scales and in order to appreciate him, we’ll need to understand the origins of Saint Nicholas to ensure fairness and equality.
Nicholas of Myra was born in the 4th century near modern day Turkey. He was a pious man and placed candy and other goodies in the shoes of well-behaved children on the evening of December 5th.
But like every yin, there must be a yang. It’s the concept of, as above, so below. For every good, there must be a bad—and that’s where Krampus comes in.
While Saint [coined originally by the people of Europe, not the Church] Nicholas was giving treats to the good children of the land, Krampus was torturing the bad children with birch rods and chains, or worse, an eternal trip to his mountain lair.
This does not mean Krampus was evil; instead, he followed the rules of justice. While Saint Nicholas rewarded the good, Krampus left the innocents alone and only tormented the misbehaved; hence, the yin and yang concept.
As we make choices, we weigh the scales of repercussion and rationale. Who will this decision hurt; who will it help? Will this choice make a positive or negative difference? What are the consequences of my actions? Thoughts layer on top of each other and no matter how quiet our intent, hidden figures observe our acts and thoughts. Creatures like Krampus, or Saints like Nicholas, hear our desires and secretly keep track of our wicked or angelic ways.
A lot of times, fear is the guiding factor when we make a choice. Rather than face the fear we’ve created from the depth of our minds, we may choose to flee from it. That too, is a decision.
So, I’ll ask once again—are you on the nice list, or the naughty one?