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ENTITY shares why "Krampus" will give you nightmares.Men in Krampus costumes for processional in Thumersbach, Austria

When you hear the term “Christmas,” images of sugarplum fairies and presents under the tree might first come to mind. However, there’s a dark, creepy side of Christmas – beyond the old children’s movie, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” – that you probably haven’t heard about before. Krampus is known as the “Christmas Devil,” the sinister counterpart to the kindly St. Nicholas. And Krampus even has his own feature film.

So what’s the real story behind Santa’s evil twin?

Krampus is a half-goat, half-demon from a centuries-old tradition in Germany, though he is now celebrated in Austria, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic as well. This shadow of Christmas boasts large horns, dark hair and fangs, and he comes bearing something… but it certainly isn’t gifts.

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The mythical beast, who is dressed in chains (not unlike Jacob Marley from “A Christmas Carol”) as well as Christmas bells, carries a bundle of birch sticks that he uses against naughty children.

A photo posted by Krampus (@krampusfilm) on

National Geographic reports that his name is derived from the German word krampen, which means “claw.” He is said to be the son of Hel, who is the ruler of the realm of the dead in Norse mythology.

So he’s a creepy goatish demon. What’s the big deal – and what can Krampus do?

Well, first off, forget the presents. Krampus is the counterpart to St. Nicholas, swatting bad children and taking them to his lair. He arrives much earlier than Santa, coming into town on Krampusnacht – also known as Krampus Night – on December 5.

Other regions in Germany, France, and the Netherlands have their own iterations of the devilish figure, such as Belsnickel, which was portrayed by Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) on an episode of the NBC comedy “The Office.”

People still dress up as Krampus in Austria and Germany to scare children on Krampus Night. There is also an adults-only Krampuslauf, or Krampus Run, in which men don frightening costumes as they take on a bar crawl of sorts.

Stephen Nissenbaum, author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated “The Battle for Christmas,” says that Krampuslauf harkens back to the old tradition of Christmas, before the holiday became commercialized and focused on children.

He revealed that in the 1800s, Christmas was not quite the sweet, family holiday that we now know and love. “It was a holiday that was characterized by boisterous revelry. It was sort of like a combination of Halloween and New Year’s Eve and Mardi Gras,” Nissenbaum explained.

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Early celebrations of the holiday involved people in costumes who went door to door asking for alcohol, and caused trouble if they did not get it. Sound familiar? Nissenbaum pointed out that a watered-down version of this tradition can now be seen in how kids trick-or-treat for Halloween.

Matthew Souzis, who runs krampus.com, agreed, comparing Krampusnacht to “a sort of cross between Halloween and Christmas.” The website organizes a series of events across the country to celebrate the anti-St. Nicholas, such as the Los Angeles Krampuslauf at Art Walk.

When you’re looking at Christmas lights or enjoying hot cacao while watching “Elf” with friends and family, Halloween is probably the furthest holiday from your mind. However, Krampus is a reminder of how much holidays can, and have, changed throughout history. Who knows? Maybe one hundred years from now, Santa’s robotic counterpart will be dominating the show.

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