December 5 2015: Happy Krampus day
KRAMPUS news.. The box office numbers are now coming in..
KRAMPUS is besting original box office estimates..
Tdhe Christmas nightmare film may still finish third place, but the dollar amount may be $4 to $5 mil higher than projections prior to the Friday night release.. MORE// HUNGER GAMES and GOOD DINOSAUR set to stay in the lead.. Developing//
But what is KRAMPUS.. Those who have followed my website know.. you can search the archives for stories I have done over the past several years about Krampus.. Even personal connections I have had to the longstanding myth.
When I was a children in a new closed down elementary school in Pennsylvania named Holy Spirit, we had a yearly regiment of putting out shoes in the hallway during a particular time of day and listening for bells. We were told that St. Nick would be coming around to give candy to good kids. You did not want a wooden stick, though–we were not told by teachers then that Krampus was the one who would give the sign that you were a bad child during the past year.. and later we found out that the school janitor was St Nick anyway, so the whole episode became defunct ..
But that little charade was a part of a grand tradition in some parts of the world–the first week of December is when Krampus gets his holiday. People dress up like the Christmas demon and have wild parties.. As custom in some nations, such as Austria, Romania, and Croatia, younger men will dress as Krampus and roam the street at night to play morbid tricks on children.. they will walk with rusty bells and chains.
This year, in preparation for the increasingly popular KRAMPUS and the motion picture that is being released this weekend, SMITHSONIAN ran a story worth reading about the background of Krampus.. One part in particular to know:
In fact, Krampus’ roots have nothing to do with Christmas. Instead, they date back to pre-Germanic paganism in the region. His name originates with the German krampen, which means “claw,” and tradition has it that he is the son of the Norse god of the underworld, Hel. During the 12th century, the Catholic Church attempted to banish Krampus celebrations because of his resemblance to the devil. More eradication attempts followed in 1934 at the hands of Austria’s conservative Christian Social Party. But none of it held, and Krampus emerged as a much-feared and beloved holiday force.
For some, the annual festival of child-hunting Krampus is fun—but concerns that refugees in the Alpine towns that celebrate Krampus could find the tradition frightful has prompted some towns to consider taming the horror. This year, Krampus’ scheduled arrival in the Alpine towns that celebrate him coincides with an influx of refugees from Syria and Afghanistan. Though the festival is well-loved, it gave rise to concerns that the new neighbors might be scared of the tradition and its nightmare-fueling costumes. Rather than cancelling the parade, town officials decided to educate the newcomers. The Telegraph’s Rozina Sabur writes that refugee children in Lienz were invited to a presentation where they learned about the props, costumes and customs of Krampus.
The Krampus myth will continue to receive attention.. Even if this movie underperforms (which it is not) it will be widely received for years.. It will become the newest horror/Christmas flick, ranking up with SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT and GREMLINS..
Yes indeed. Krampus isn’t going anywhere..
