Krampus and St. Nicholas visit Austria Club Christmas celebration

From left, Shoreline residents Martin Kral, Bob Otto
and Maureen O'Neill

Shoreline residents Martin Kral, Bob Otto, and Maureen O'Neill (l to r) served as 'special guests' at the Austria Club of Washington's Christmas celebration, held on Sunday in the rustic Benson Barn, North Bend. More than 85 guests, including a dozen children, were entertained by a trio from the Alpenfolk Band musicians. The event - open to club members and guests - offered a potluck, desserts, free beverages, and plenty of Glühwein.

The Austria Club celebrates its 38th anniversary here in our area. Headquartered in the downtown German House, the club offers a cultural experience and several festivals (Viennese Ball in the Nile Golf Clubhouse, a Maifest with live entertainment at the Benson Barn, an annual Oktoberfest, regular Stammtisch social gatherings in different restaurants and pubs, plus several meetings at the German House). The club also has many English-speaking members from several countries, so most of the conversation is in English; however, the German and Austrian heritage is celebrated to maintain roots to the homeland.

A note about customs: the fellow on the left is Krampus, a devil-like being who accompanies the saintly Nikolaus (or Nikolo) on the eve of St. Nicholas (6 December). Krampus is the one that unruly or misbehaving children is turned over to punish, once the all-knowing Nikolaus has determined that some punishment must be meted out. As you can tell, the Santas of today link back to the traditional St. Nicholas, but his attendants have been turned into benign elves in American lore. In Central Europe, however, the tradition is highly celebrated and found all over the countryside today.