share the Austrian local Christmas tradition
Have you been naughty this year?
Discover the Austrian tradition and Sankt Nikolaus might surprise you !
Registration link
Fill it in with your home adress in Innsbruck until Friday the 4th of December (for Santa to bring you your present).
Who is Sankt Nikolaus ?
St. Nicholas, the special children’s saint, is honored throughout Austria. It is said that God rewarded Nicholas’ generosity by allowing him to return to earth each year to bring gifts to all the good childern (erasmus students as well). St. Nicholas comes on his feast day, a special holiday apart from Christmas. Some places he comes on St. Nicholas Eve, December 5, and other places on the day itself, December 6. St. Nicholas (or Nicolo or Niklaus) is dressed as a bishop with flowing robes and a miter. He carries a big book and a bishop’s crozier. During the year angels, who sometimes come with him, write children’s good and bad deeds in this book. When children promise to be good and study hard, St. Nicholas rewards them with a treat. He may come by himself or with angel helpers and/or a Krampus.
Prevalent in Austria is Krampus, a strange and frightening creature, really an anti-St. Nicholas, who comes to warn and punish naughty children (and adults). Frequently seen with St. Nicholas. this devil figure, often in chains, is dressed in fur with a scary devil mask with horns and a long red tongue. Krampus carries a wooden stick or switches to threaten children who misbehave or do not know their lessons. Many towns and cities have Krampus parades with many young men in elaborate fur costumes and devil masks. After the parade the Krampus figures scatter and beat anyone who gets in their way. It is very frightening and even dangerous.
curious ? check this out https://www.tirol.at/.../kultur.../brauchtum/krampuslaeufe
