By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
For several years in a row, a Krampus walk celebrating the European tradition of Krampusnacht has taken place in Crestline. This event traditionally takes place on Dec. 5, the night before the feast of St. Nicholas. This year the Krampus walk took place in Crestline on Saturday, Dec. 7.
During a Krampus walk, those who are participating dress up as Krampus and parade through the streets drawing attention to themselves to encourage good behavior of others, a tradition traceable to early Europe.
Krampus is a horned, half-demon, half-goat figure, wearing a goat hair suit, who punishes children who misbehave. This is in comparison to St. Nicholas who rewards good children. All of these characters have traditional connections to the Christmas season in European folk stories and mythology.
The Crestline Krampus walk has been organized for the last few years by Ty Holifield. The first year, in 2016, he walked through town by himself in his costume as Krampus. Since then, he has encouraged his friends and others of like minds to join in the revelry with him.
“This year had the most involvement and best reception so far. Most of the spectators loved and respected it,” said Holifield.
Frau Perchata walking down Lake Drive during the 2024 Krampus walk. (Photo by Rhea-Frances Tetley)
These European, Alpine and Bavarian traditions feature characters similar to Krampus. Other helpers in the Krampus walk wear horns and masks or wear costumes of other dark folk European folk characters such as Frau Perchata who was a Christmas goddess of Austria and southern Germany origin. She travels with her arrows and sickle. For those who are good she arrives as a beautiful woman who gives them gifts; if bad, she arrives as an old hag to punish the children. She is associated with the feast of the epiphany which is also known as the 12th day of Christmas aka Three Kings Day. Other characters include the Yule Cat, who is from Icelandic folk yore, and the Yule Lads who are mischievous and leave potatoes in the shoes of children who have been bad the previous year.
Another character, Mari Lwyd, is a tradition from South Wales and is represented by a person carrying a horse’s skull. They traditionally ask through song for entry into homes where they are given food and drink; this has been pointed to as the beginnings of Christmas carolers going home-to-home, around Christmas time, singing for refreshments.
These folk tales were used to encourage or scare children into having good behavior. All of those characters had representatives in this year’s Krampus walk.
The Krampus walk was a group of about 30, which was loosely organized through a Facebook page. They began their walk at around 3 p.m. from the San Marzano Club on Fern, walking down Lake Drive to the Crestline Switzerland monuments, just a block from Lake Gregory. These costumed revelers walked through the Lake Gregory Village business district of Crestline banging drums and ringing bells and engaging loudly with those people driving down the street, attracting attention to themselves, and thus encouraging everyone to have good behavior this time of year.
At the end of the walk, they took photos of themselves in their makeup and costumes as a group and then disbursed to the Bear Claw to continue their revelry.
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