So tell me, were you good this year? Because if NOT

the Krampus is gonna 'getcha' tomorrow. I will have photos, so that you can tremble in pure fear next time December fifth comes around. It is about local traditions, and the Krampus is really bad.

They have these really HUGE devil wooden masks on, and they run through the city, with switches, and hit the BAD children. (Not hard, it is a token thing. And yes, I got hit by one..... once.) I have this video footage of a kid about five years old who thought they were so COOL, he ran out and jumped up and hugged the absolutely ugliest one. Must have been an imp from hell, or he had wonderful parents, hey.

And on the sixth, St. Nicholas comes, and gives presents to the GOOD children. I have seen this with my own eyes, often, and before I had the punch. Yes.

They do not do Santa Claus here. Well ok, the retailers do nowadays, heinous. It was always: 'the Christ Child left those for you under the tree.' And on Christmas Eve, the young children get distracted by a relative who takes them out to the movies, or a walk, they come back, the door opens, and there is this wonderful tree with real candles burning, and presents beneath. That is so magical....

My mother always went off the charts for concern, after I sent her a photo of my first tree with all the candles burning. Being a half-breed, I comprimised. First we lit the candles. For like about fifteen minutes. And then we turned on the lights. White ones. It was always a problem with design. But I made it work.

So happy Advent. And if you really really want a chuckle, go over to YouTube and put David Sedaris in your google window. And call up 'Six to Eight Black Men' It is a reading in three parts, and hilarious about Christmas in the Netherlands. The title is a little misleading. Cullture clash, hey. I really wish they would re-post his piece about being an elf in Macy's... Really funny. link here

Take care, gonna go hunt the Krampusses tomorrow. Skeeery.

Update. I played this for my ex, shut in that wreck of an apartment. Via computer to telephone. And he told me that Saint Nick, in his childhood days when the Nazis were in power, were frightening to him. St. Nicholas hit children, and they were afraid of them both So David Sedaris wasn't being just 'funny'. It is factually based. I am not sure why everyone gets it wrong.

How sad.