Krampus is coming! And I hope you haven’t been naughty this year because if you have…you’re in for a shock on the night of December 5!
While Krampus feels like a new holiday tradition catching on and growing in popularity in the United States, he’s actually one of the oldest folklore tales out there. Let’s start with the basics:
Krampus is a half-goat, half-demon being whose story originated in Austria and spread to other central European countries like Czech, Slovenia and Hungary, to name a few. If Saint Nicholas was Europe’s jolly good-doer of a saint rewarding well-behaved children…Krampus was his total and complete opposite – he was the holiday season’s devil.
The story goes that on December 5, the night before Saint Nicholas arrives (better known as Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night), Krampus would troll the villages for bad little boys and girls. Each one he caught would either be beaten with the birch branch he carries, taken back to his lair and tortured, drowned in a nearby river or, worst of all, taken straight to hell for the devil himself to deal with.
The origins of Krampus’ story, however, have little to do with Christmas. From pagan tradition, he was said to be the son of Hel, the Norse god of the underworld. Sometime during the 17th century, he was linked to Saint Nicholas and the two have been entwined ever since. Before that, however, he was so closely linked to the devil that Krampus was banished several times by churches and even governments.
Just the kind of guy you want to celebrate this holiday season, right? If so, you’re in luck because I have a 20-song playlist of Krampus tunes just for you!
Krampus is Coming | A Holiday Playlist
And just in case Spotify is not your preferred method for streaming music, here is the complete playlist so you can create it yourself:

So now I have to ask…
Which Krampus song is your favorite?
I’m partial to the Rusty Cage and Coral Bells tunes.
Happy haunting,


Amber
I’m really digging the instrumental track by Idlehands! So good.
Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween
I like that one a lot too!
Jennifer
The Feast of a Krampus by S. J. Tucker, highly recommend this song.
Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! Can’t wait to give it a listen.
Chelsea Celaya
I did not realize there were so many Krampus songs out there. @____@ This will come in handy this coming Christmas!
Candace Jedrowicz
I love #5,8,12 and 20! Spooky, spooky fun!