19 Disturbing Pictures Of Krampus That Will Ruin Your Holidays

Silent night, scary night, Krampus creeps up to give you fright.

For those naughty boys and girls out there, Krampus is a European folklore who punishes the misbehaving youngsters on the wrong side of Santa's "naughty-or-nice" list.

Public Domain

Public Domain

Every year, hundreds of revelers around the world celebrate the arrival of Krampus by dressing as their favorite freaky demon-goat and scaring the living hell out of children.

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Members of the Koatlacker devil's association (Koatlacker Tuifl) dressed as demonic creatures take part in a Krampus procession on Dec. 4, 2011, in Prad near Merano, Italy. In the tradition, which involves elaborate masks, some of which are centuries old, the devils accompany St. Nicholas when he visits little children to determine who has been good or bad, and the tradition is still practiced in Austria, southern Germany and the South Tyrol region of northern Italy.

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Participants dressed as the Krampus creatures walk the streets during Krampus night gathering on Nov. 22, 2014, in Schladming, Austria. Krampus is a demon-like creature represented by a fearsome, hand-carved wooden mask with animal horns, a suit made from sheep or goat skin and large cow bells attached to the waist that the wearer rings by running or shaking his hips up and down. Krampus has been a part of Central European, alpine folklore going back at least a millennium, and since the 17th-century.

Dominic Ebenbichler / Reuters

A man dressed in a traditional Perchten costume and mask performs during a Perchten festival in the western Austrian village of Kappl, on Nov. 13, 2015. Each year in November and January, people in the western Austria regions dress up in Perchten (also known in some regions as Krampus or Tuifl) costumes and parade through the streets to perform a 1,500 year-old pagan ritual to disperse the ghosts of winter.

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A member of the Haiminger Krampusgruppe dressed as the Krampus creature holds a delinquent little boy whom the Krampus will take to Hell to transform him into a demon, during their annual Krampus night on Dec. 1, 2013, in Haiming, Austria.

Dominic Ebenbichler / Reuters

A man dressed in a traditional Perchten costume and mask performs during a Perchten festival in the western Austrian village of Kappl, on Nov. 13, 2015.

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A participant dressed as the Krampus creature in search of delinquent children attempts to pull away a young girl from onlookers during Krampus night on Nov. 30, 2013, in Neustift im Stubaital, Austria. Sixteen Krampus groups including over 200 Krampuses participated in the first annual Neustift event.

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A man dressed as a devil performs during a Krampus show in the southern Bohemian town of Kaplice, on Dec. 10, 2016.

Dominic Ebenbichler / Reuters

A man dressed in a traditional Perchten costume and mask performs during a Perchten festival in the western Austrian village of Kappl, on Nov. 13, 2015.

Johannes Simon / Getty Images

Revelers dressed as the Krampus creature parade through the village center during an annual "Krampus run" on Dec. 3, 2016, in Fieberbrunn, Austria. Krampus associations from across Austria and other parts of Central Europe have been taking to the streets in recent weeks in an annual tradition that has been growing in popularity in recent decades.

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Participants dressed as the Krampus creature walk the streets in search of delinquent children during Krampus night on Nov. 30, 2013 in Neustift im Stubaital, Austria.

Johannes Simon / Getty Images

Revelers dressed as the Krampus creature parade through the village center during an annual Krampus run on Dec. 3, 2016 in Fieberbrunn, Austria.

David W Cerny / Reuters

A man dressed as a devil performs during a Krampus show in the southern Bohemian town of Kaplice on Dec. 13, 2014.

David W Cerny / Reuters

A man dressed as a devil performs during a Krampus show in the southern Bohemian town of Kaplice, on Dec. 10, 2016.

Johannes Simon / Getty Images

Revelers dressed as the Krampus creature parade through the village center during an annual Krampus run on Dec. 3, 2016, in Fieberbrunn, Austria.

Dominic Ebenbichler / Reuters

A man dressed in a traditional Perchten costume and mask performs during a Perchten festival in the western Austrian village of Kappl on Nov. 13, 2015.

Uwe Lein / AP

Men wearing traditional costumes and masks, who have come from some southern German regions and Austria to Munich, try to frighten visitors of the Christkindl's market in Munich, southern Germany on Dec. 12, 2004.

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Members of the Koatlacker devil's association (Koatlacker Tuifl) dressed as demonic creatures take part in a Krampus procession on Dec. 4, 2011, in Prad near Merano, Italy.

Johannes Simon / Getty Images

Members of the Koatlacker devil's association (Koatlacker Tuifl) dressed as demonic creatures take part in a Krampus procession on Dec. 4, 2011, in Prad near Merano, Italy.

Johannes Simon / Getty Images

Members of the Koatlacker devil's association (Koatlacker Tuifl) dressed as demonic creatures take part in a Krampus procession on Dec. 4, 2011, in Prad near Merano, Italy.

Karl-josef Hildenbrand / AFP / Getty Images

A masked participant is pictured during a parade of the 'Boerwang brennt' (Boerwang burns) festival in Boerwang, Bavaria, on Nov. 22, 2014.

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Participants dressed as Krampus walk at the street during Krampus gathering on Nov. 26, 2016, in Zidlochovice (at Brno), Czech Republic.