Author: L. Stevens

6 Ways to Celebrate Krampusnacht

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Originally posted on Everyday Strange:
The first time I watched the 2015 film Krampus, I had a feeling the legend referenced in the film was not dreamed up by a Hollywood screenwriter. It just seemed to old world to be the product of a modern imagination. It turns out, Krampus, and the holiday dedicated to him, Krampusnatch, are part of holiday celebrations that orginate in alpine regions of Austria and Germany. Krampus is the hairy, horned companion of Saint Nicholas. Krampus is tasked with punishing misbehaving children with coal and bundles of sticks, while St. Nick rewards the well behaved ones with presents. Originally part of pagan traditions, Krampus was folded into Christian holidays and Krampusnatch is celebrated the night of December 5th, before the feast of Saint Nicholas. The characteristics of Krampus varies, but he is usually described as being hairy, with the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. He typically wears chains and bells, with a long, pointed tongue lolling out and bared fangs. For a period of time Krampusnatch celebrations were…

Strange Happenings in December

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December 1st Haints by Meghan Palmer on shelves. “Haints” is a fantastical novel that tells the story of the Whitts, a shamanistic Appalachian family, each with their own special talent, tied to their farm since time immemorial. They live a life of uneasy truce with the surrounding community. For generations, the family has been tasked with protecting the world from the threat of haints―spirits drawn to feast on the bright, delicious lure of human emotion. When the haints are called out again, the entire Whitt family must find a new weapon to restore the precarious push and pull of light and dark. The ancestral spirits, bursting from their slumber as butterflies, lead the valley in a spirit walk, where the Whitt family must find the ultimate weapon against despair. But first, the Whitts will have to conquer their own doubts and fears.” December 3rd The British black comedy Silent Night in theaters and streaming on AMC+ “A couple invite their closest friends to join their family for Christmas dinner at their idyllic home in the …