Krampus

The most common depiction of the Krampus is that it resembles something Devil-like (similar to The Devil in Abrahamic religions), goat-like (similar to the mythical demon Baphomet), or satyr-like (possibly similar to Pan, the Greek god of wilderness and rustic music) with more fur in his body. As a colleague of Saint Nick, Krampus is essentially the anti-Santa Claus in that he brings suffering and torture to naughty children whereas Santa brings gifts. Most versions of the Krampus depicts the Krampus almost as a Knight Templar character who would severely beat children into obedience, or, in some versions, outright kills the child. Krampus may even go as far as to kidnap the child and put them into a sack and take them back to his lair to devour them. Or, he simply takes them to the underworld. One of his main discipline tools includes birch sticks that he could use to swat children with.

It is customary to offer a Krampus schnapps referred to as a "Krampuslauf", a strong distilled fruit brandy. These runs may include Perchten, similarly wild pagan spirits of Germanic folklore and sometimes female in representation, although the Perchten are properly associated with the period between the winter solstice and January 6.