Santa Claus and St. Nicholas are figures who have long been associated with Christmas. But in recent decades, a darker figure has arisen among American Christmas traditions. Krampus, a fabled ...

Krampus, as you might or might not know, is the anti-Santa, a hairy horned beast of Germanic and Eastern European origins who takes care of all the naughty children by carrying them away in his sack.

It’s the holiday season, a time when we hear a lot about warmth, charity and joy. If you’re good, maybe Saint Nick will bring you something from your wish list. But there’s also something darker that ...