Vintage Greeting Cards from Krampus

Hello boils and ghouls! Though the happy holidays may be here, that does not mean that all is filled with merriness and cheer. December 5th marks the pagan holiday Krampusnacht! For those of you who haven’t heard of Krampusnacht, it is the night before Saint Nicholas Day where the demonic creature Krampus comes and takes naughty children to hell. Okay, so that sounds a little morbid, but it’s actually a rising phenomenon in pop culture. Krampus, a sort of anti-Santa Claus, was a well-known mythological creature back in the day, and now has made a huge comeback. Whether it’s a more traditional European celebration of guys and gals dressed as the creature running around the streets or the American spin on him, such as his strange cameos on The Colbert Reportand The Venture Bros., the Krampus fad seems here to stay. Back in the mid-1800s, it was customary to send out greeting cards from Krampus “signed” by the being with “Gruss vom Krampus.” The cards serve as fun and eerie reminders that instead of Santa doling out coal, Krampus is there to take disobedient kids (and sometimes their parents) on a midnight journey through hell. So sit back, and take a look at some of these amazingly creepy vintage greeting cards from Krampus and enjoy this strange, mysterious December holiday.

Gruss vom Krampus!