As most people are no doubt aware, many of North America's Christmas traditions have been imported from other countries, and many of them have pre-Christian, pagan sources. In fact, the whole idea of having a winter celebration involving the exchange of gifts and the lighting of a festively decorated tree pre-dates the establishment of Christmas, dating back to festivals such as the Germanic Yule and the Roman Saturnalia.

Not all of those Old World traditions made it to modern North America, though. For instance, when's the last time you or your neighbours included a shaggy, horned demon in your holiday festivities? The demon in question (pictured above) is called Krampus, and in some Alpine countries he is considered a traditional companion of St. Nicholas. While St. Nick rewards children for good behaviour, the job of Krampus is to keep them in line with the threat of a birching.

In the Austrian ski resort of Schladming, Krampus fans gather every December to dress in carved masks and goat-hair costumes, wearing cowbells to warn of their approach. According to Wikipedia, "They are typically young men in their teens and early twenties and are generally intoxicated. They roam the streets of this typically quiet town and hit people with their switches. It is not considered wise for young women to go out on this night, as they are popular targets."

Click here and here for some photos that will keep you up at night.