When the sun goes down and the Christmas tree is lit up, countless “devils” will walk, run, and dance in the streets of Brno. Photo: Pixabay
At Pochod čertů Brno [“Devil’s Parade Brno”], bystanders might get scared; long-horned “devils” wearing animal skins will parade tonight at 8-9 pm at Zelný trh.
Pochod čertů Brno is inspired by annual Krampus run in Vienna and other Austrian and German cities. A creature named Krampus, a “half-goat, half-demon”, is a cloven-hooved companion of Saint Nicholas that appears during the Christmas season.
The Czech version of the story goes like this: “čert” is the devilish sidekick of Saint Nicholas, and his duties include throwing naughty kids into a sack on his back, beating them, and carrying them off into the night. In the Czech Republic, Saint Nicholas and “čert” are accompanied by an angel.
Tonight, Austrian Krampuses and čerti from the art groups Umteufln, Molochs Brut, Woidviertla Höhln Teifln, Silent Hell Devils, Axberger Burgteufel, and Czech group Krampus & Hexe Praha will frighten the misbehaving children in Brno.
People dressing up as Krampus use carved wooden masks, animal skins and tie bells onto their garbs so that people can hear sounds coming from the darkness.
Nowadays, Krampus march, parade, or run is celebrated in many cities and Brno is no exception.
Find more information about the event on the official website or on the Facebook page of the event.
Date and time: November 24, from 8 pm to 9 pm
Place: Zelný trh
Admission: free
