Dave Parrish
Germanic folklore tells of a horned beast who accompanies St. Nicholas, doling out punishments to bad girls and boys.
“It is an Alpine tradition in early December on the darkest nights for grown men to dress up in horns and costumes, then walk through villages sweeping in front of doors as protection against evil spirits,” says Jeremy Parker, aka Parker S. Galore, an organizer of RVA Krampusnacht, which is holding its third annual Krampus walk in Carytown on Dec. 5.
“You’ll start to see Krampus become more popular in the next few years," he says. "There are movies coming out and other major cities like New York and Los Angeles are doing Krampus walks.”
Last year’s event drew around 50 people dressed in different Krampus-inspired costumes, and more are expected this year. “Throw on some horns and a bit of makeup, and you’re in,” Parker says. Free. 6 p.m., starting outside Portrait House. Also planned is a Krampus art show, “Yuletide Monsters 2,” on Dec. 4 at Gallery5. rvakrampus.com.
