Mischievous spirits take to local streets

By P.D. Hancock

Special to the Alpine Mountaineer

You could hear the bells way before you could see them. On Dec. 2, a motley crew of Yuletide monsters sauntered down Lake Drive.

This Krampus run was organized by Ty Holifield, a transplant from Alabama who appreciates our Alpine home for its similarity to its European counterpart. He wants to put Crestline on the map for having a Krampus run each year.

Krampus – a horned, anthropomorphic figure in Central and Eastern Alpine folklore scares children who have misbehaved – as seen in the Crestline Krampus run. (Photos courtesy of P.D. Hancock)

Krampus and the many other “monsters” in attendance, such as Frau Perchta and Mari Lwyd, all stem from pagan traditions in the Alpine regions of Europe. Once considered Winter Solstice entities with a wide range of backgrounds, the contemporary creatures we now know were altered by the Catholic Church in medieval times in an attempt to demonize local folklore.

Holifield notes that these beings represent the lineage of paganism that is still woven into the holiday season.

“This little Krampus Krawl has only gotten more popular and more support every year!” Holifield said. “This year was made even better by some of the guys from the Krampus Los Angeles troupe coming up for a visit and to run with us.”

Keep your eyes peeled next year at around the first weekend of December to enjoy this cavalcade of mischievous spirits.