Columbia Krampuslauf

Is it Krampuses or Krampi?

That was the question plaguing the Krampuses/Krampi walking from the state house to Art Bar on Tuesday night in Columbia, SC. Dressed with different characteristics of Krampus, a goat-devil anti-Santa who scares, kidnaps and punishes bad children, revelers celebrated Krampusnacht in the capital city with their yearly trek from the seat of state power to watering holes in the Vista.

Here, they provided a public service to bar patrons who wished to atone for their sins. Usually, this involved some type of gentle lashing with a rod or whip. According to organizers, Columbia hosts the longest running Krampuslauf (Krampus parade) on the U.S. east coast.

The most common sin revelers atoned for, was “unpure thoughts,” while the youngest participant, a child, sought atonement for stepping on her friend’s face.

Photos Copyright 2022 Sean Rayford. All rights reserved.

About the author: Sean Rayford is a photojournalist covering North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and anywhere that hurricanes go. He is a 2001 graduate of the University of South Carolina.

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