See! This Is Why I Have A Yule Protection Pumpkin On My Desk!

"I think most people consider the reality of reality TV, as they do the reality of Santa Claus."

-Robert Thompson


Fear! We all know what it's like to be afraid of something. Bees, marriage, commitment, ghosts, Income Tax Day, Election Day, crabapples, string, upholstery, ants, water, math, thimbles, nudity, sugar cookies, motor oil, flat tires, soup,but do you know what the number one scariest thing this time of year is, at least for me? Yep, you guessed it... Santa Claus! The jolly old fellow scares the elfin cookies right out of me! I have been known to walk way out of my way at the mall, during this time of year, just to avoid the Santa house. It's the weirdest thing really. I mean, I love the image of Santa, and what he stands for, I love the Coke-A-Cola Santa's most of all. I love the movie "Miracle on 34th Street," especially the 1973 TV which starred Sebastian Cabot, as old St. Nicholas. Wasn't that the best version? See, I know Santa isn't real, yet fear him I do. Of course it doesn't help that he has a evil sidekick named Krampas!

"Krampas"

KRAMPAS! YIKES! Just the name makes me tremble with dread. I came across and interesting article tonight about him, while searching through Yahoo news. It seems Krampas is still making his annual visits to small towns in Europe, as he has been for years and years, chasing away evil spirits, in the same manner as the gargoyle, always around December 6th, during the feast of St. Nicholas. Actually, it is almost always young men dressed up to resemble Krampas, but oh how scary they can be! So scary in fact, that some towns in Austria are considering the banning of Krampas impersonators, because of how bad they have frightened the young children of the villages. On the other hand, according to the article, as many as 3,000 people, including children, packed the city streets of one town, to watch the Krampas's arrival. I guess sometimes it's kinda fun to be scared. :)

Ok, I admit it. I would probably be one of those people who would be sitting in my backyard, on the dark cold night of December 6th, just awaiting for Krampas to appear. I have been known to sit in the pumpkin patch in my garden waiting for the Great Pumpkin after all. I don't know. Hmmmm.... remember last December when that weird little gargoyle thing suddenly appeared on my fence? I wrote about it here. Do you suppose a Krampas had visited me in the night? The strange little statue disappeared, as strangely as it had appeared, a couple days later. Maybe a neighborhood cat, opossum or raccoon dragged it off. Still... spooky! :)

Weird, unnamed friend.

I suppose I can use all the help I can get, in that we are coming up on the "hexed" days of December. Something strange always happens to me on December 10th, and you already know about my Christmas Eve tradition. LOL. December 10th of last year, came and went, and was relatively uneventful. Do you suppose I have my very own Krampas? Did he chase the "Curse of December 10th," away? Hmmm... maybe I should keep an eye on the back yard, and keep a trusty protection pumpkin at the front door, the back door, and on my desk, just in case a fat, white stranger tries to bring me presents.YIKES! I just love a traditional Christmas. ;)

PS If you happen to know what that strange little statue is, feel free to leave me a comment in the thread for this entry. :)

-OndineMonet
Berkeley, California
December 6th, 2006
Evening