Today in Boing Boing, a story we provided about Krampusfest and the upcoming mingling of Los Angeles and Salzburg Krampus troupes.
A little quote from one of our overseas guests:
“…Zehentner is a member of one of Salzburg area’s oldest troupes, the Alt Gnigler. Mindful of traditionalist concerns, Zehentner says that with first online contact, he had misgiving about any transatlantic endeavors, wondering if Americans would “really understand our traditions—or will the Krampus be reduced to a Halloween horror figure?” Most Austrians, he says, are generally unaware of America’s love affair with the Krampus, or if they are, might expect it to result in something closer to “slasher movies than anything genuinely linked to our customs.” When he mentioned our efforts to bring the tradition to the US, most in Alt Gnigler regarded it as “madness—but in a positive way.”… More
Photo of Alt Gnigler troupe members © Foto Sulzer, Salzburg.