EASTON, Pa. — Santa's sinister sidekick is coming to spread some creepy, Christmas cheer.
While you may not want to sit on his lap, Krampus, who sports huge horns and a demonic smile, will offer celebrators plenty of yuletide photo opportunities at 6 p.m. Saturday, at Angel's House of Design and Houseplanted, 428-430 Northampton St. in Easton.
Tickets cost $10 at the door.
Later that evening, a more macabre holiday experience will occur at a Krampus-themed party for the over-21 crowd at Lafayette Bar, 15 N. Fourth St.
Krampus is a creature of old Germanic folklore who is half-goat and half-demon. Krampus is known in different cultures but is most associated with traditions in Germany and Austria, specifically in the Alpine region.
His legend, which dates to the 1600s, has been revitalized in recent years thanks to a 2015 movie of the same name that delves into Krampus' origins and shows what happens to disobedient children he encounters.
"I think what makes Krampus fun today is that it leans into a creepy Christmas, which is becoming really popular."Annemarie Dralus, owner of Angel's House of Design
Spoiler alert: It's a lot scarier than St. Nick's offering of a lump of coal.
"I think what makes Krampus fun today is that it leans into a creepy Christmas, which is becoming really popular," said Angel's House of Design owner Annemarie Dralus, an organizer of Saturday's event.
"Even in 2022 when [the film] 'Violent Night' came out on Christmas Day, people wanted to see Santa [portrayed] in a different way.
"The other thing that I find really interesting is that Santa Claus has a naughty list, but Krampus, in the way the folklore describes, he's coming, and he's going to steal the kids and do bad things if these kids misbehave.
"So I think that kind of, like, it's something that today's society enjoys hearing a little bit about that."
Elaborate Krampuses
Dralus said she first witnessed Krampus's rise in popularity last year when she attended the Black Forest Krampusnacht Festival in Lehighton, Carbon County.
That's an annual event held in early December that mirrors the German tradition involving people dressing up as the creature and chasing others through the streets.
"I couldn't believe how many people had dressed up, number one, and then how good the costumes were."Annemarie Dralus, owner of Angel's House of Design
"I have family members who are German, so I knew of the lore, but I didn't know there was a whole subculture of people who like to dress up like Krampus," Dralus said.
"I couldn't believe how many people had dressed up, number one, and then how good the costumes were. They were so elaborate and so detailed."
Dralus, a fashion and costume designer, teamed up with one of the local Krampusnacht Festival's organizers to bring Krampus, an actor in costume, to her recently opened shop.
The festival organizers also run the Facebook group, Krampus, Lehigh Valley PA.
In her shop, Dralus sells unique creations and costumes that may appeal to Krampus fans.
"Sometimes I design things that are completely out of the realm," she said. "There is a dress in the window that almost looks like a sophisticated Tinkerbell-inspired holiday dress.
"But I would say my core aesthetic happens to be gothic and alternative."
Starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, visitors to the shop can sip on free samples of boilo, a drink made with herbs and honey and which links to the coal regions of Pennsylvania.
At 4 p.m. the Merry Flute Follies will perform a spin on holiday classics.
Then when darkness falls, Krampus will enter the store from 6 to 8 p.m.
There, he will sit near a makeshift throne filled with lush greenery designed by Alyssa Higgins, owner of Houseplanted, which shares store space with Angel's House of Design.
Photos with Krampus cost $5.
The event at the store will serve as a pre-party for Coven, a 21-and-older monthly dance party hosted by DJ Brad Scott that is centered around the goth/alternative lifestyle.
After hours with Krampus at Coven
The Coven: Krampus night will take place from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Lafayette Bar.
It will feature mixed sets by Scott, Miami-based DJ Blood Orchid and Philadelphia-based Baby Berlin.
Dralus plans to attend, in the spirit of community.
"The idea of the Coven pre-party is to give people an opportunity to shop and meet people who are going to be at Coven, so that they don't feel that they don't know anyone when they show up. I feel like the community is just really looking for ways to get together since COVID. People are really craving community."Angel's House of Design's owner, Annemarie Dralus
"I always have sales the days when Brad [Scott] has Coven nights because often my clothes are what people would wear in a goth crowd," Dralus said.
"The idea of the Coven pre-party is to give people an opportunity to shop and meet people who are going to be at Coven, so that they don't feel that they don't know anyone when they show up.
"I feel like the community is just really looking for ways to get together since COVID. People are really craving community."
Attendees to the party also can enter a Krampus-inspired costume contest for the grand prize of free admission to Coven for one year.
Dralus holds monthly events at the store, including a tarot card reading scheduled Jan. 12.
For more information on the Krampus event and store hours, go to the Angels House of Design website.
