The Devil in Person: Krampus Run in Seefeld

For all those (fortunate) who have never encountered the Krampus and do not know him: The Krampus is a centuries-old tradition from the Alpine region. He is the companion of St. Nicholas and is meant to be a terrifying counterpart to punish naughty children. He wears creepy furs, an intimidating mask, and always carries a switch that one would prefer not to be hit by. With his hideous appearance, he resembles the devil. The tradition of the Krampus is part of the Advent customs and varies throughout the entire Alpine region. In our area, it begins at the end of November and lasts until St. Nicholas Day.

"I remember my first Krampus day like it was today," Danny tells me. "I was 4 years old back then." And while all the other 4-year-olds were scared and wet their pants at the sight of the Krampuses, Danny was completely fascinated. Love at first sight, so to speak... with the Krampus. Right after the first Krampus run, Danny set to work creating his own costume, made of papier-mâché and with a rubber mask. "It didn't look very professional yet," he recalls. "My aunt from Carinthia sewed me a fur. It was supposed to be black, but ended up being blue. A funny Krampus, but that was my first Krampus fur anyway," he laughs. At the age of 6, he participated for the first time and has remained loyal to the tradition to this day.

"All the other kids saved up for cell phones and toys, I saved every schilling so I could buy my first wooden mask one day." At 9, it finally worked out. "I had it in bed with me for weeks because I was so happy to have it." A few years later, he got his own fur and for 12 years now, Danny has been the deputy chairman of the Pfaffenhofer Tuifl.

The Pfaffenhofer Tuifl are a particularly tradition-conscious Krampus group that invests a lot of passion and work into their masks and costumes. The masks are always made of wood and equipped with horns, and the furs must be real. The special thing: every year there are new Krampus figures. While the chairman carves the masks, the Krampuses painstakingly create many garments themselves. This craftsmanship pays off – even if I would rather not encounter the Krampus, I still admire the elaborate dresses and masks.

Here is a small selection of the Pfaffenhofer Tuifl from the years 2010 to 2018 (Warning, not for the faint of heart…):

Over 10 years ago, Danny established the Krampus run in Seefeld. "I always wanted to have a run in Seefeld that showcases the tradition as it always has been." The Krampus run is thus a race with a lot of tradition and customs, as it was always meant to be. Shows, artificial performances, and alcohol among the Krampuses before the race are an absolute no-go. "We only invite groups that we know personally and with whom we are friends." Even those who are afraid of the Krampus should not miss this.

"Children should still have a little fear of the Krampus by the end of November," Danny tells me in conclusion. "When parents say: Watch out for what you do, or the Krampus will take you away!, children should be a bit scared, just like we were in the past." Therefore, the Krampus run is certainly not for the faint of heart (like mine...) and anxious souls should admire the spectacle from the third row. We look forward to bringing traditions back to life with events like the Krampus run every year and maintaining age-old customs from the region.