Krampus, Shmutzli, and St. Nick

November 26, 2012 — 2 Comments

The 6 of December is St Nicholas Day. In Europe the popular Krampus, also known as Shmutzli in Switzerland, is St. Nick’s full time side kick. In Austria Krampus is much more popular than the saint, representing old time winter. I have been in Vienna on Krampus night, when people dressed more or less like gorillas run around with big sticks frightening pedestrians. I also saw 6 Krampuses on Austrian television creating a hexagon with the big sticks and circle dancing. The Euros are not afraid to link the ancient religions to the present day. In fact, that is what makes them Euros. They may not know the enitre history of traditional local customs, but they have an strong affinity with preservation of  provincial attitudes and ancient practices. The ancestors make them do it.

In Switzerland Santa is paid by neighbors to come to your house and scare you on Dec. 6.  Your parents give him alcohol and tell him all about your worst behavior.  Shmutzli is with him carrying a sack of ashes.  My friend Edith lived at the end of Santa’s route in her village, so he was pretty schnockered on schnapps by the time he arrived at her home.  She remembers he smelled like alcohol and pretended to put her in his sack to haul her away from home for bad behavior, of which he knew every detail.  She was really scared of St. Nick.  During the three weeks between 6 Dec. and 25 Dec. the kids conspicuously make efforts to amend the problem disobedience chastised by St Nick that frightening night.  On Dec. 25 the baby Jesus will fly through the window to leave oranges and walnuts to well reformed children.  The customs vary from place to place, with the Swiss love of regional tradition and language.  What is the same about all the places I have visited during the dead of winter in Europe is a community effort to scare away the winter blues and share light.  They still have plenty of real fires on the streets roasting real chestnuts and warming up the spiced hot wine they serve in seasonal huts set up for the purpose.  These pop up specialty bars often sell a regional specialty they make each year at the time.  There is a big effort to create warmth outdoors with food, alcohol, festivals, fires and lights.  These efforts are less personal and more spread across the community, with less focus on the large material haul (or obligation if you are the parent), more on the party atmosphere shared with neighbors.

We Americans may be overlooking some important lessons about stress, greed, and balance that Krampus represents.  By teaching kids that a never ending stream of new material objects flowing steadily, but gushing and flooding the world in December, is the key to satisfaction and fulfillment we may be creating a new kind of Christmas monster.  I am in favor of importing Shmutzli to the US, as a new superhero action figure and video game.