1. Krampus
Krampus has a name that sounds like a German metal band and an appearance that could have been dreamed up by Guillermo Del Toro. Hes a folk-tale character, prominent in the Alpine countries and he comes out during the Christmas season to punish all the kids who have been naughty instead of nice. He basically does Santas dirty work. The name derives from the word claw and apparently, if youre really really naughty the demon will take you in his sack and bring you to his lair where I presume hell eat you or imprison you or at least make you never want to tell a fib or steal a lollipop ever again. Due to the sinister side of Krampus the Austrian government has strongly discouraged people from celebrating him. In the 1950s they even distributed pamphlets that warned against him, emphasizing his unsuitability as a Christmas figure. However, hes come back into fashion and is now widely celebrated. Salzburg in Austria has over 180 Krampus Clubs and locals engage in a Krampuslauf which is a procession of people dressed in demonic costume roaring, rattling, rioting and frightening kids and adults alike. The event happens on the aptly titled Kramusnacht which is on the eve of St. Nicholas day: December 5th. This creepy Christmas tradition has caught on in other parts of Europe such as Finland and France and is also celebrated by several American cities. See the link below of an example of a Krampus procession. http://youtu.be/WLnl5ZWG4tg