Erin in Austria: Dezember 2005

Krampus & St. Nikolaus

Austrians really know how to do Christmas. In America, we just have Santa Claus. He comes in the middle of the night with lots of presents and fills stockings with tiny goodies. If you've been naughty all year, however, you will supposedly receive a lump of coal instead of said goodies. Everyone knows that never actually happens, though. In Austria, there are three other figures besides Santa Claus (called "Weihnachtsmann" here, or "Christmas Man"). Also, before I go on, I just want to note that this has all been explained to me in German so I could be entirely wrong. In fact, let's apply that disclaimer to this entire blogging project of mine. : ) So...there is Weihnachtsmann, then Krampus, St. Nikolaus, and Christkind. Krampus arrives every year on December 5th (yesterday) and romps through the cities and villages, punishing children who have been naughty by either scaring the poo out of them or beating them with sticks. It's actually a huge event...tons of guys dress up in very elaborate and scary costumes (see photo below) and wander around in packs, accompanied by security guards and police, starting in the late afternoon and lasting until very late at night. Everyone was out on the town and dogs were going crazy. People were shooting off popguns or something, but they were ridiculously loud since all the streets and sidewalks are so narrow here and buildings are very close together. Apparently, you actually have to be very careful if you go out by yourself very late because supposedly the Krampuses get more violent as the night goes on, especially if you're older. They're not out to really hurt people, I don't think, but they'll definitely beat you with a stick. My German teacher said that they don't usually get out of hand in Graz, but it can be utter chaos in smaller villages where there is more anonymity for Krampuses and less security.
The day after Krampus, December 6th (today!), St. Nikolaus arrives. To me, he looks like a cross between Santa Claus and one of the Three Wise Men (again, see photo below). Children clean their shoes and set them outside their doors the night of December 5th and wake up to shoes filled with tiny goodies, like nuts, sweets, and fruit (assuming they've been good children, of course). I suppose it's sort of like what we do with stockings on Christmas Eve in America. Except this way, it sort of spreads out the excitement instead of compacting it into one single day. Everyone is in ultra-Christmas-mode all month long. I must've been good this year, because I awoke to goody-filled shoes outside my door this morning! My adorable flatmate Gertrud took everyone's shoes from the front door, filled them with yummy things, and set them outside our individual doors. I'm assuming it was her, anyways...all my other roommates are nice, but somewhat worthless. It definitely made my day. Back to Austrian traditions... Christmas here is still not quite as commercialized as it is in America, although I think it is becoming moreso. People at least still place importance on the Christkind, or Christ Child. Instead of writing letters to Santa Claus, Austrian children write letters with their Christmas wishes to the Christkind and then place them outside their houses on window sills. I guess Christkind is the one who delivers them to Weichnachtsmann, because he's the one who delivers presents on Christmas Eve (not the Christkind).

I guess it's all kind of confusing if you aren't actually in the midst of it. I love it. It seems like everything in this city is devoted to Christmas right now. I'm going to Prague (Czech Republic) for four days this weekend since we get Thursday off for Immaculate Conception (yay for Catholic holidays), then I'm off to Vienna with my Austrian History class the weekend after that, and I'll only be back in Graz for a few days before I go to Vienna on the 23rd to meet my family when the arrive in Austria! I'm really excited to see the Christmas festivities in those cities. Be prepared for a ridiculous number of pictures.