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Krampus, a sort of anti-Claus, horned beast who stuffs bad children in his sack, brandishes birch branches, rattles chains and spirits away naughty kids to eat them, drown them or take them on a holiday tour of hell. Krampus has been a part of Central European, alpine folklore going back at least a millennium, and since the 17th-century Krampus traditionally accompanies St. Nicholas and angels in early December to visit households to reward children that have been good while reprimanding those who have not.