The Krampus is a half-goat, half-demon figure originating from Central Europe, most likely from pagan rituals. Thanks to the spread of Christianity in the area, the Krampus stuck around and became incorporated into Christmas rituals despite the Catholic church trying to eradicate him. Traditions involving Krampus are most popular in Germany and Austria, but have more recently spread to many other countries. Depictions of early practices surrounding Krampus date as far back as the thirteenth century, and Krampus traditions are still prominent today. The Krampus saw a rise in popularity around the globe after it was featured in a 2015 horror film. Along with this, our digital age of globalization allows the traditions and stories of Krampus to continue to spread rapidly. The Krampus takes on many variations of form, but the most characteristic form of Krampus is a white shaggy coat, long horns, a carved mask with exaggerated features, jingling bells, and a bundle of sticks in one hand to punish children with. Krampus and its wild personality is meant to stress the importance of discipline and also instill a good bit of fear into children.