R: Give Krampus the Naughty List

Children who have behaved themselves look forward to receiving gifts from Saint Nicholas for Christmas. Rotten children, on the other hand, fear punishment from Krampus. Yes, this horned, half-goat, half-demon creature torments the bad kids hoping to scare them into being good. Alpine folklore holds that St. Nicholas Day is December 6th and the pair visit little ones on the eve of December 5th. So if the kids on the nice list receive presents while those on the naughty list receive coal, or worse, a visit from Krampus, the question of whether or not we give Krampus the naughty list is the crux of this debate.

To give the naughty list to Krampus would represent a more disciplinarian parenting style. It may be the holiday season, but children should be held accountable for their actions. Rewarding them regardless of how they behave communicates the wrong message. A visit from Krampus or getting coal in their stockings would teach bad children that their actions have consequences. Parents spoil their children too often. There may be a greater temptation to do so around Christmas, yet, because of this cultural expectation that everyone receives gifts, it will be an even more powerful lesson for young ones. This is what it means to treat childrearing and morality seriously.

Those in the negative who would withhold the naughty list from Krampus favor a more forgiving approach to parenting. A lighter touch is more conducive to the inculcation of virtue. Children will not reform themselves after receiving a visit from Krampus. They will only resent their parents who tipped him off. The coal in their stockings will be a lasting reminder of their parents’ cruelty. The work of teaching your kids right from wrong and compelling them to virtue takes place throughout the entire year, not just in the months leading up to the holidays. For this reason, it is worth letting even the kids at the top of the naughty list experience a nice Christmas. After all, isn’t a part of the reason for the season peace and goodwill toward all? 

Are those who actually give their children coal overly harsh? Or are forgiving parents just soft? Should we promote the story of Krampus? Do the concepts “nice” and “naughty” play into the consumerism that has come to dominate Christmas?