Every year around this time, I remember the days Sarah and I were in Berlin doing a winter tour. We strolled through the Christmas market of Marlene Dietrichplatz and all of a sudden these crazy demon weirdos came and hit sarah....actually, they beat her.
In old-school German folklore (Bavarian really), Krampus, dude from St. Nicks entourage, comes to beat bad kids. He's the yang to Santas Ying. Santa gives presents to good kids and Krampus to beatings to bad kids. Naughty kids, prepare to get your ass beat. Traditionally depicted with huge horns, a black mane, talon-like claws (Krampus comes from the Old German for "claw"), and wielding chains and a birch rod, Santa's enforcer beat, whipped and shamed bad children. Sometimes, Krampus went so far as to shove his victims into a sack and throw that into a river. He seemed also to have a particular penchant for birching young, pretty virgins.
Sarah started crying. I wanted to get Kamal to beat him up. It was frightening. Actually frightening.
Then we went to the Grand Hyatt for lunch, had Chestnut soup and listened to Mariah Carey's "Oh Holy Night".
Awww, Christmas.
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