Krampus characters parade, on St Nicholas' day in Castelrotto, Italy stock photo
{"Image ImageDescription": "Castelrotto, Italiy - December 7, 2013:  Every year, on the St Nicholas? day in December, in Northern Italy and Austria (and other places in North Europe) the people celebrate the Krampus night, a pagan tradition with a very ancient origin typical of the Alps area, in relation with the winter solstice. In that night people dress up wooden masks with animal horns and clothes made by animal skin, named Krampus. They go on the streets terrorizing adults and children. In that tradition the Krampus punish the naughty children swatting them with wooden stick and rusty chains before dragging them in baskets to a fiery place below. Santa Claus and the Halloween traditions come from Krampus tradition.", "Image Copyright": "dario_tommaseo"}