A regular Yule tradition for us now is to attend the Krampus Parade and Ball in Toronto. A group of us get all dressed up and freeze our butts off outside in minus temperatures all so we can chant Hail Krampus! while walking down a busy Toronto street late at night. We started with a short parade and then a concert with some local entertainers and bands. Squid Lid was the headliner for the evening at the Opera House. I have to say that the parade was a bit of a let down compared to last year. We did a pub crawl instead last year which a lot more fun.
Who is Krampus? The Christmas Devil Krampus is described as a half goat and half demon spirit who travels with Saint Nickolas on Dec 5 (known as Krapusnacht) to determine whether children have been naughty or nice. If found to be on the naughty list. Krampus might beat the children with his twigs or kidnap them and steal them away to the underworld in his bag. He is much like the pied piper leading the naughty children away to their demise sometimes. He is basically a dark fairytale meant to warn children to behave correctly. He is believed to be a remnant left over from pre-christian times and definitely looks like the Pagan Horned God of the witches.
My hubby and I decided to make it a special event by staying in Toronto for the weekend. We stayed at The Broadview Hotel which is a historic Victorian hotel built in 1893. It has recently undergone a modern facelift and looks beautiful with amazing views from the bar on the 7th floor. We went in to the city early so we could check into the hotel and have a few drinks at the bar.
The following day we went to the Christmas Market at the Distillery District. There is a traditional German Christmas market every year complete with carolers and an outdoor market. I picked up a few ornaments and some treats at the market. We had a great time at both the concert and the market so hopefully we can go again next year and keep the tradition going.
A photo from last years parade:
