If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Tis the season to celebrate sweet little baby Jesus, but not all the Christmas characters are so cute and cuddly. In fact, some of the characters from Christmas stories around the world are straight up scary. We’ve put together the creepiest Christmas characters from different cultures across the globe.
1. Krampus
If you are a little kid in Austria, you better get your s*** together because it is about to go DOWN. You don’t just end up on the naughty list if you’ve had a questionable year because Santa travels with backup in Austria. Bad little Austrian boys and girls are threatened with a visit from the Christmas devil. Krampus travels with whips and chains, and of course, a basket on his back to gather up those who have been really bad. Young men actually do dress up like Krampus and roam the streets in Austria and Hungary terrifying small children. Way to make Christmas traumatizing, Austria!
2. Knecht Ruprecht
Krampus’ German counterpart is called Knecht Ruprecht, or “Farmhand Rupert.” Rupert likes to travel around with switches to beat all the naughty children. He asks children if they can pray. Prayer-minded kids who pass his test get sweets and nuts. Children that can’t pray might get hit with his bag full of ash.
3. La Befana
In Italy, children get presents from a creepy looking witch named la Befana. The story goes that the Vatican couldn’t find any proof of the existence of Santa Claus (cue Captain Obvious). Since the Catholic Church wasn’t too keen on kiddies getting worked up over what they deemed to be a pagan image, they came up with a substitute: an old witch. Imagine getting presents from a scary bag lady instead of jolly old St. Nick. Nice choice, Pope!
4. Caganer
Let’s just cut straight to the point- “Caganer” means “the shitter.” While most people might be familiar with nativity scenes that include Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and the three Wise Men, you get a bonus character in the manger if you’re in Spain or Italy. Caganer originated in Catalonia, but his defecating form has spread across the region. He’s usually positioned somewhere in the back of the scene, but that doesn’t really change the fact that he’s taking a crap at Jesus’ birth. The traditional caganer wears a red hat, but you can find figurines of famous politicians taking a dump as well.
5. Zwarte Piet
“Zwarte Piet” means “Black Pete” in Dutch. Black Pete is Santa’s Helper come Christmastime in the Netherlands. The creepy thing here is the undeniable politically incorrect black-face costumes that celebrators wear. Black-faced Black Pete is in charge of dancing to entertain the children. Welcome to the 21st Century, Holland. Jesus.
6. Christmas Spiders in Ukraine
Arachnophobes might want to steer clear of Ukraine during the holidays. Traditional christmas tree decorations include lots of spiders and webs. An old Ukrainian legend tells the tale of a woman that was too poor to afford Christmas decorations for her children, so she let spiders spin their webs in their tree to make things a little more festive. In the morning, the webs had turned to silver and gold.
Related Articles
christmas Posted under Lists by gotgame
Zwarte Piet actually helps Sinterklaas, not Santa Clause. Sinterklaas comes bearing gifts around the 5th and 6th december. And they don’t dance, they bring the gifts and candy and take the badly-behaving children away in their bags.
by: Louis, Dec 14th at 11:55 am
The one of obama taking a dump is weird
by: The Padrino, Dec 14th at 9:51 pm
@Louis, can’t you see the link? Sinter–>Santa
Klaas–>Clause
In fact, they are both Sint Nicolaas or St. Nicholas are actually the same. The Netherlands just got them both.
“The tradition of Saint Nicholas Day, usually on 6 December, is a festival for children in many countries in Europe related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts. The American Santa Claus, as well as the Anglo-Canadian and British Father Christmas, derive from these legends. “Santa Claus” is itself derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas.”
@Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas
by: Zeekapitein, Dec 16th at 4:17 am
Just for clarification,
Zwarte Pieten are often portrayed as mischievous but rarely a mean-spirited characters. Parents used to tell their children that if they have been good, a Zwarte Piet will bring them gifts and sweets, but if they have been bad, a Piet will scoop them up, stuff them in his huge dufflebag and spirit them away to Spain as punishment.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet)
Nowadays, most people refer that Black Peter does dance and give candy, but not in traditional lore.
by: Luna Faust, Dec 25th at 12:32 am
Louis is right, and not only the netherlands celebrate “sinterklaas”, belgium does too and the former colonies of the netherlands and the holiday is celebrated on the sixth of december not on christmas. Also, “zwarte piet” is black because he climbs down the chimney to deliver presents to the children and I don’t get why it should be a bad example, I mean it’s a black man who’s working, it goes in against the stereotypes.
by: roszten, Dec 25th at 12:26 pm
In italy “la befana” is not a substitute of Santa. Santa leaves gifts during the night of Christmas, the Befana during the night of january 6th.
by: Dave, Dec 26th at 9:26 pm
why it’s politically incorrect to have a costume with a black face??
not all the countries are racist, USA thinks it’s all about them…
it’s just tradition…
by: rodrigo, Dec 26th at 10:10 pm
I am getting annoyed by these idiots making assumptions on Xmas over the worlds.
Facts: The Dutch Sinterklaas has nothing to do with Christmas, nothing at all.
On the otherhand the way 80% of the people celibrate Xmas, has to do with the Dutch Sinterklaas (presents and so).
Please learn your history, and remember comparing Sinterklaas and Christmas is like comparing Christmas and Thanksgiving
by: Dutchie 1_1, Dec 27th at 6:27 am
Zwarte Piet is a representation of the “naughty” child. Sinter Klaas takes them away and they work in the coal factory - which is why their face is black. it is not anything to do with race.
They come back with Sinter klaas to give candy to the kids and remind them where they will end up if they are naughty.
by: ray, Dec 27th at 9:29 am
@Zeekapitein
Okay, but the period stated in the article is still christmas time, which is incorrect when talking about Sinterklaas. Santa Clause and Sinterklaas are based on the same holy person, but the days on which they deliver their gifts are significantly different.
So there. Article = wrong!
by: Pinky`, Dec 27th at 3:46 pm
Actually the reason there faces are black is because the storybgoes that they dig in the toy hills for toys and that’s why there faces are like that.. So before you write some idiotic review get with some real Dutch people and educate yourself, holland is in the 21st century is simply tradition..
by: J, Dec 27th at 4:04 pm
that one of zwarte piet isn’t right.
i’m from holland and the man is not even called santaclaus but sint nikolaas(saint nicolas). he’s the origin of santa because when americans came to holland and saw this they tought it was a cool idea and copied it. coca cola made him then look like how he looks now.
by: dry potato, Dec 31st at 5:51 pm
i dont think its right for you to say that the “black pete” tradition is “undeniable politically incorrect”, it might be here in the US, but not there… dont judge other peoples customs ( btw, i’m black…i dont see anything wrong with it)
by: chick, Jan 1st at 9:10 pm
The “zwarte piet” is not black because they are born this way, they are black because they go thrugh the chimney to deliver the gifts.
by: kees, Jan 7th at 9:34 am
Your ignorance is showing.
by: Anon, Jan 12th at 10:17 pm
Being in a coal mine or chimney also gives you gold hoop earrings and nappy hair? ‘Cmon now, the resemblance (at least in the picture above) is strikingly similar to very racist portrayals of black face.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet
by: somuchbraver, Mar 4th at 3:40 am