Santa's Austrian Name: A Christmas Mystery Unveiled

In Austria, Santa Claus is not a traditional figure. Instead, children believe that it is the Christkind (Christ Child) who delivers presents on Christmas Eve. However, Saint Nicholas and Krampus visit on December 6th, with Saint Nicholas rewarding well-behaved children with gifts, and Krampus – a beast-like creature – punishing the naughty ones.

Santa Claus is not traditional in Austria

In Austria, St. Nicholas and Krampus visit on the 6th of December. St. Nicholas rewards well-behaved children with small gifts of sweets, such as nuts, mandarins, or chocolate. Krampus, a beast-like figure, accompanies St. Nicholas and punishes naughty children with his rod. Krampus parades have become especially popular on the evening of the 5th of December, where people dress up as Krampus, roam the town, and make a lot of noise to scare spectators.

The Austrian Christmas season starts long before Christmas Eve, with the country being known globally for its many Christmas markets. The biggest Christkindlmarkt in Austria is the one in front of Vienna's city hall, surrounded by a vast ice skating wonderland. Austrian Christmas markets are filled with stalls selling comforting spiked punch and mulled wine, as well as traditional Austrian savory dishes and desserts.

Austrians celebrate the Christkind (Christ Child)

The Christkind is not the only gift-giver in Austria. St. Nicholas (or Nikolo) and Krampus visit on December 6th. St. Nicholas rewards well-behaved children with small gifts, while Krampus, a beast-like figure, punishes naughty children with a rod. Krampus parades have become popular on the evening of December 5th, with people dressing up as Krampus and roaming the town.

Austria is known for its Christmas markets, the biggest of which is held in front of Vienna's city hall. Here, visitors can enjoy mulled wine, sweet treats, and traditional Austrian dishes.

St. Nicholas visits Austrian children on December 6th

St. Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture. He is said to bring gifts to children during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve. The popular conception of Santa Claus originates from folklore traditions surrounding the 4th-century Christian bishop Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children.

In Austria, St. Nicholas (along with Krampus) visits children on December 6th. If a child has been good all year, St. Nicholas will reward them with small gifts, usually chocolate and peanuts. However, if a child has been bad, they will be visited by Krampus, a beast-like helper with a rod who accompanies St. Nicholas. Krampus parades, where people dress up as Krampus and roam the town, have become especially popular on the evening of December 5th, the night before St. Nicholas comes.

The tradition of St. Nicholas bringing gifts to children on December 6th is not unique to Austria. In some European countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, St. Nicholas or a similar figure is also celebrated as a gift-bringer on this day. In Germany, children put out boots to receive small gifts like chocolate, while in the Netherlands, Sinterklaas and his helper Zwarte Piet deliver presents to children on December 6th.

While St. Nicholas visits Austrian children on December 6th, it is the Christkind (Christ Child) who brings presents on Christmas Eve (December 24th) in Austria. The Christkind is often pictured as a child with blonde locks, wings, and a halo, and children listen for the ringing of a bell to signal that they can enter the room and discover their gifts.

St. Nicholas is accompanied by Krampus, a beast-like helper

In Austria, St. Nicholas (or Nikolo) visits children on December 6th, rewarding the well-behaved with gifts of chocolate and nuts. He is accompanied by Krampus, a beast-like helper who punishes naughty children with a rod. Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure, usually brown or black, with one goat-like hoofed foot and one human foot. He is covered in hair and has a long tongue, which is sometimes snake-like and sometimes dragon-like. He is often depicted carrying chains, which are thought to symbolise the binding of the Devil by the Christian Church.

The tradition of St. Nicholas being accompanied by Krampus dates back to the 17th century. St. Nicholas, being a saint, was not believed to mete out punishments, so a helper was assigned to him. Krampus serves this role, and is also accompanied by other beastly companions in some smaller, more isolated Austrian villages. These include the antlered "wild man" figures, known as Schabmänner or Rauhen.

Krampus parades have become increasingly popular in Austria, particularly on the evening of December 5th, when people dress up as Krampus, roaming towns to scare spectators.

St. Nicholas rewards good children with gifts, while Krampus punishes the badly behaved

In Austria, St. Nicholas (or Nikolo) and Christkind (Christ Child) bring gifts to children. St. Nicholas visits on the night of December 5th, or Krampusnacht ("Krampus Night"), with his beast-like helper, Krampus. Saint Nicholas rewards well-behaved children with small gifts of sweets like nuts, mandarins, or chocolate. Krampus, on the other hand, is a horned, anthropomorphic figure covered in black hair who punishes naughty children with a rod or birch branches. Together, they embody the dual nature of reward for good behaviour and punishment for bad.

The tradition of St. Nicholas and Krampus has its roots in Central and Eastern Alpine folklore. St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, became popular in Germany in the 11th century and is known for his generosity and secret gift-giving. Krampus, believed to be derived from a pagan supernatural figure, was paired with St. Nicholas in the 17th century to serve as his helper. This pairing allowed St. Nicholas, as a saint, to maintain his saintly behaviour and not have to deliver punishments himself.

In the lead-up to St. Nicholas's feast day on December 6th, Krampus parades or "Krampuslaufs" have become especially popular. People dress up as Krampus, roam the town, and make a lot of noise, scaring spectators. This tradition was prohibited in the 1930s but has seen a resurgence in recent decades.

While St. Nicholas and Krampus visit on December 5th and 6th, Christkind brings gifts on Christmas Eve (December 24th) in Austria. Children believe in the Christkind, often pictured as a child with blonde locks, wings, and a halo, rather than Santa Claus.

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