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Photos: Krampus comes to Market Square

Andrew Russell
| Wednesday, December 6, 2017 4:30 a.m.
Andrew Russell | Tribune-Review
Karcyn Hartman, of East Deer hugs Krampus, played by Shawn Lowry of Mt. Pleasant, as Hartman's brother, Killian Hartman looks on during the second annual Krampusnacht in Market Square’s “Christmas Village,” Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2015. Krampus is a mythic figure known to appear on Dec. 5, acting as an anti-Santa, punishing the naughty and sparing the nice.
Downtown's Market Square was filled Tuesday night with holiday revelers at the second annual Krampusnacht where they celebrated an obscure Christmas-themed character from German folklore who's known to dole out more punishment than presents.

People gathered at the “Christmas Village” to observe Krampus, a mythic cloven-footed figure known to appear on Dec. 5 while acting as an anti-Santa, punishing the naughty and sparing the nice.

Krampus is said to carry bundles of birch branches to whip the bad children and a basket or sack to carry away the worst.

The event featured photo ops with Krampus himself, a Krampus inspired pub crawl and a performance by the Krampus band, “Sleigher.”

Andrew Russell is a Tribune-Review photographer.


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