You'd Better Watch Out: Krampus Is Coming To Town

You've heard the rumor that Santa Claus will leave a lump of coal, possibly some switches, for children who rank on his 'naughty' list. But did you know that before the 20th century, old Saint Nick - that is, the European St. Nikolaus - had a devil sidekick do his dirty work?

Krampus, a furry, horned, cloven-hooved creature with a disturbingly long tongue, was in charge of filling boots with spanking switches. And if children were really bad, he'd throw them in a wheelbarrow or in a wooden basket carried on his back, or cuff them to a long chain, and haul the little brats off to torture them.