‘Tis the season… Wait, what did I just say?

While many might scoff at the idea of celebrating Christmas during the Halloween season, it does seem as though the holiday has been finding its way into the aisles, display cases, and advertisements of stores and retailers earlier and earlier each year. While I have seen folks on my own social media “friends lists” bemoaning that some of us were celebrating too early by posting about Halloween in late August, only to watch them also buying up the chintziest of the mass-produced “memorabilia” from stores like Wal-Mart and Spirit Halloween come mid-September, the only people that I ever see complaining about Christmas merchandise hitting stores in October is us, the truest lovers of Halloween and all that goes with it. I mean, if there can be a Christmas in July then there can be a Halloween in March, right? Why invade on our holiday?

Although the film that serves as the topic of today’s Halloween Horrors 2025 post is indeed set at Christmas, the holiday itself was not the actual theme for today’s entry. Instead, today’s theme is “Evil Puppets & Toys”, which was hidden from our contributors under the fake title of “From Satan’s Workshop”. As there were numerous films that fit the bill, I knew that our contributors would have a wide library of titles to choose from. 

Michelle Kinnison returns to the Halloween Horrors series today to demonstrate that even on “the holiest of holidays” things which seem perfectly commonplace and innocent can be hiding horrors waiting to break free. 

For this year’s choice, I asked for the “From Satan’s Workshop”. In thinking that it might have to do with the occult or somewhat the satanic side of horror. Not very close. But that’s alright, sometimes horror can be misleading. In this choice, Dustin informed me that it would deal with possessed dolls or toys and the light bulb went off. My first thought was I could write about Puppet Master or Child’s Play or even Trilogy of Terror, but all those seemed so mainstream in a sense. The ones that everyone would know and possibly write about. But I decided to do a play toward the title choice. So instead of Satan’s workshop, I’ve chosen the darker side of Santa’s Workshop by writing about Krampus.

Now for those who know about Krampus and Krampusnacht, you know it doesn’t need an introduction, but for those who don’t or have just a smidge of knowledge, allow me to indulge you.

Krampusnacht (Krampus Night), is a central to eastern Europe alpine fold tradition that is celebrated annually on December 5th, the night before the Feast of St. Nicholas or Nicholastag on December 6th. Individuals will dress as a half demon, half goat and parade through the streets, punishing badly behaved children with birch rods, while the good ones will get treats from St. Nicholas. Some say these traditions are pre-Christian and would’ve been adopted later for Santa, St. Nick to give children toys and treats for being good, eventually adding to giving coal when bad. But before that, some areas retained that the good and bad would be separated by individuals. In tradition of Krampusnacht, you leave your shoes out for either Krampus or Nicholas to see what you receive in the morning.

In the film, believing in good and the spirit of Santa and Christmas might just save you from the demons, but as we know for the Engel family, Tom and Sarah and their kids, all that can change when one member stops believing.

We open with the form of holiday cheer that most of us are used to seeing; the chaos of Black Friday sales, last minute shopping, children crying over sitting for Santa photos, the holiday play where the kids have a fight and the audience making sure they get their fill of entertainment by recording and probably posting the madness later to social media. All while the happiness of Bing singing in the background.

The family returns home after the recital and shopping chaos to Omi getting ready for Christmas, who seems to have been baking up a storm in the kitchen. Typical suburban family lifestyle with some small dysfunctions, like working through Christmas, no longer believing in Santa, to which Max still does and asserts he knows, but needs to be done for the younger kids. He asks if they’re going to be doing their tradition of wrapping and Charlie Brown, but Tom says no having the recital incident and seems to push there isn’t time anymore for things like that.  Omi, who speaks German and seems to come from the old country asks Max about his letter and having it finished, but doesn’t know how to finish it. She speaks to Max about St Nicolas and the spirit of Christmas and what it might mean to everyone along with the sacrifice, to which her face seems to go silent as if a memory of deep pain surfaced.

Beth is upstairs after arguing with her mom over the cousins and family coming, she’s talking about them being there to her boyfriend and how the lessor gene pool is showing up.  The fun begins with the house seeming to shake from the family arriving in what sounds like a large supped up truck. The other typical all-around American style family. They start piling in gifts wrapped with newspaper, a casserole handed over by one of the kids whose gaze says, no one’s home upstairs and the girls who are more on the tom boy side and are cranky their team didn’t win, but notice that Max has a letter to Santa in his pocket. Aunt Dorothy comes through the door complaining about the walkway while Linda says surprise and don’t be mad. She continues with comments about people coming to see her and needing a drink to get merry, also noticing the house decorations seem like Martha Stewart threw up on it.

Tensions seem high with the chaos of everyone arriving and continue to the dining table and dinner time with Howard Jr, chugging a liter of soda and belching, while the dad Howard exclaims that that’s his son and seems so proud of the accomplishment. Howard pokes at Tom about things he might have done in his younger years with the scouts and survival training and that he only needs a gun to protect his family. While the sisters make comments to each other about food and cleanliness, Aunt Dorothy chimes in about not having a ham and asking if they changed religion. Sarah gets up and goes to the kitchen for desserts.

The girls start poking at Max about Santa having an accident and having to eat his reindeer while Sarah has it out, slightly with Aunt Dorothy in the kitchen. Back at the table Howard talks about reindeer being sustainable meat. Beth tells Max not to start anything but the cousins keep pushing with him believing and show they have his letter and start reading it out loud. It starts off normal, but then gets into what Max has actually been feeling toward things, his sister and his parents. Max’s face gets increasingly upset as Stevie keeps reading about how their parents need help and how Howard wishes his girls were boys. Stevie gets angry and tells Max, screw you.

Max goes after Stevie for the letter and they start a fight around the table. Breaking things and throwing punches. Tom gets Max to stop, who yells that he wishes things and Christmas would’ve been like it used to be and now that he hates everyone. Sarah who just came in, doesn’t know what’s happened while everyone else just watches Max run out of the room, while Aunt Dorothy says he’s fine but should also get a prize for saying the truth out loud.

Tom comes to chat with Max about things and Max gets upset that he doesn’t understand why they’re there and why they should put up with stuff from them. Tom says maybe it’s to have them work harder for the better things but is unsure if he believes it and says it isn’t too late for the letter to be mailed. Max instead rips it up and throws it out the window to which a dark and ominous cloud and blizzard rolls in as the neighborhood goes dark.

Max wakes to the snow and a very strange snowman that suddenly appeared in their yard, he goes to find his mom and dad talking about what to do about having no power or heat and unconcerned over the snow man. A courier at the door leaves some packages that Linda signs for, remarking about an old looking Santa sack that the courier didn’t leave and asks Howard for help, while making comments about more “free shit” they get and it’s probably because their political affiliation.  Beth comes down dressed to go out because she can’t get ahold of her boyfriend. Her parents let her go check on him and see if there’s any power in the rest of the neighborhood, while Omi is making hot chocolate in the fireplace for everyone.

Beth walks through the blizzard which seems to get worse as the neighborhood gets darker. She stops to look around and seems to hear bells from a sleigh and then hears a crash to turn around and see an ominous horned creature in a cape on the roof, standing and clanking with chains as it jumps to the house across the street. She runs screaming for help and it seems to chase her with howls echoing in the background. She hides under a truck while the creature drops next to her. Walking with cloven hooves and clanking chains before what looks like flying away. But he left a gift next to Beth, a jack in the box that’s moving by itself and playing Silent Night, popping open and with a small toy creeping out of it toward her. Screams erupt and the truck shakes as it seems to attack her.

It’s getting late for Beth to return and Tom asked Howard if the Hummer could get through the snow to go and get Beth. Omi gets worried and asks Tom to stay, it’s too dangerous and they should wait until the blizzard passes, but he reassures her and leaves with Howard. When out getting to Beth the guys happen upon a snowplow in the road, abandoned but with the windshield pushed in, like something reached in and grabbed the driver. Tom sees a house broken down and a tree hanging out the window, Howard gets his guns from the truck before they head out.

Back at the house, Sarah and Linda talk about things from the past and their mom, when they notice a sound from upstairs that seems like a small animal, but unlikely in the weather. Then the house shakes like something slammed into. Omi looks up into the fireplace, as if she knows and is concerned with something coming in that way.

The guys are going through Derek’s house, looking for Beth, finding a gingerbread man stabbed to the fridge. Howard finds a crack in the fireplace and remarks about a possible leak, while seeing hoof prints in the snow, made by a goat who stands on its hind legs. They hear screaming and run out to look for Beth, when Howard is attacked by something in the snow that bites his leg and only tunnels away when Tom shoots at it. They run for the Hummer to find it destroyed and in flames. Sarah gets ready to go look for them but they bust through the door in panicked tones. Howard starts screaming about staying away from the doors and things in the snow, Tom tells him to keep quiet and not talk in front of the kids while he patches up his leg.

The parents start talking about what happened and what to do. Tom makes the decision that they all should stay and board up the house. The family fortifies the house and they all camp out in the living room. Max notes that Omi is acting weird and Tom remarks that his mother always gets that way but never wanted to share anything about it. As the family sleeps and the fire dies down, there’s noises and laughter coming from the fireplace. Slowly a hook and chains appear with bells and little gingerbread man makes an enticing gesture to Howard Jr, who’s woken up and goes for the cookie. He takes a bite. To his horror the cookie comes to life and wraps the chain around him and drags him up the fireplace. The fun of possessed goodies and toys begins.

While the family was trying to get Howard Jr out of the fire place, a log rolled out and caught the tree on fire. When distracted, Sarah loses her grip and the kid is taken. Once the fireplace gets relit by Omi, she starts to explain that it’s not just one person’s fault and that He has come for them all. Omi finally recounts her story from when she was a child, about giving up on Christmas and Santa. She explains the darker, more ancient spirit that came. The shadow of St. Nicholas… Krampus. He came to punish and take. He left her all alone as a reminder of when hope is lost and belief is forgotten and Christmas spirit dies. She shows a bell that was left behind and starts crying.

Howard starts making comments about how it’s all fake, that it’s a crock about an evil Santa. He tries to leave to see that the yard is full of snowmen and gets pulled back in and a warning from Sarah to not open the door again. While the kids sit around the fire with Omi, asking questions about being good and what to do and how it doesn’t matter, it’s what’s in your heart and what you sacrifice that counts.

Linda takes some packages upstairs to start rewrapping things for the kids, she picks up a curious package, unsure of what it is and gets interrupted by Sarah to come downstairs so the parents can make a plan to get out of the house for help. Stevie and Jordan head upstairs with each other for the bathroom when they hear a voice sounding like Beth’s, calling to them to come join her. Max gets a quick glimpse of Krampus when looking outside. Suddenly there’s screaming from upstairs and the parents are looking for the kids, when all goes quiet. They hear voices laughing and Tom, Sarah and Linda go upstairs to look. Howard stays behind but hears a noise in the kitchen that not even the dog wants to go and investigate.

When upstairs Linda notices that one of the packages is opened up and they start hearing noises in the room. There’s more noise from the kitchen, Howard finds broken dishes when he turns to hear a laugh from the gingerbread house and goes to look in a cabinet. Tom and the others see a giant monster jack in the box, eating and swallowing one of the kids when Tom starts shooting as it crawls off. Howard starts getting shot with a nail gun by evil gingerbread men. The others are attacked by an evil baby doll angel and a deranged teddy bear. A robot starts stabbing Tom, Linda is getting bit by the bear, Sarah is getting licked and hanged by the angel, the jack in the box is crawling into the vents when Linda sees that Stevie is still alive on the floor, but Linda misses getting Jordan back but gets Stevie up.

Sarah shoots the robot to Tom’s surprise and gives her a look like “you’re so hot right now”, when their victory is broken by Max’s calls. They rush downstairs to the rest of the family. All they can hear is the screams from the toy trying to find a way out, they send the dog into the vents after it, but it sounds like the dog got ate in the fight. The jack in the box busts through the ceiling falling down in front of everyone and screams at Howard, who’s told to shoot it but can’t because the angel toy swoops in after him. The bear starts to go for Omi but gets blasted by Aunt Dorothy, while the others are able to pull the angel off and throw it for Aunt Dorothy to take out. Dorothy goes to finish the job when they hear jingle bells and the toy starts clapping, the elves have arrived. They bust through the house and separate the family while chaining up Aunt Dorothy and the jack in the box, Linda asks where the baby is and sees an elf taking her out the window. Dorothy calls out that she’ll see everyone in Hell and gets sucked out the window, Howard yells about fairy tale bullshit and grabs onto what’s left of Jordan and they get sucked out the window as well. The elves taunt the rest of the family and then hear a howling from overhead and disperse quickly.

Tom reloads and says they need to head to the truck, Omi tries to restart the fire when they hear loud and heavy steps while music plays overhead. Max says that he’s there. Omi stays behind and barricades the door behind her. Tom tries to get her but Max tells him she wants to stay and face Krampus. She goes and stands in front of the fireplace which starts to split from Krampus traveling down the chimney like old St. Nick. Here emerges the beast, the shadow of Christmas, Krampus. With an old man’s sunken face and dark black holes for eyes, Omi stands her ground while he opens his sack for her to see toys inside that seem to come alive for her.

The rest are almost to the truck when there’s a noise behind them, Tom shoots at what is tunneling in the snow, turning to them saying they need to leave, shooting at the unseen around him, turning to look at his family before he’s taken by what’s in the snow. Linda is next while she’s seemingly bit in half and taken before Sarah is next. Max and Stevie are trying to start the truck before the elves come and attack, taking Stevie with them.

Max gets out trying to go after Stevie when Krampus stops in front of him, dropping a bell with his torn-up letter to Santa wrapping around it. He hears his Omi’s voice about being left behind as the last one. He trudges through the snow to screams and sees  Krampus with his minions having a ceremony with Stevie wrapped in chains. He yells, that he takes back his wish and wants his family all back and throws the bell. It sinks into the snow causing a lava filled hole to appear, to which Stevie is still being sacrificed to. Max stands up to Krampus, mouth opened and breathing menacingly while Max asks to switch places, all is quiet with the elves. Krampus takes Max’s tears and starts laughing before grabbing him and holding him above the pit. Max apologizes before he’s dropped into it.

Waking the next morning and falling out of bed, Max looks outside the window to light, it’s Christmas morning. He hears everyone downstairs in the living room, seemingly like normal but a little happier than usual. Maybe it was all just a bad dream and he gives hugs and love to everyone, until he opens a box that has a bell. The house goes quiet and we hear a repeat of things from the past, everyone sits quietly scared remembering what was happening while Santa Claus is coming to town plays on the record. The house fades to Max’s world being inside a snow globe on a shelf in Krampus’s cave, along with other houses when all the toys pop up.

A lot of this tradition really didn’t come to American culture until the 21st century, by way of German or alpine traditions and community, internet research and of course the film. It started with a post card revival with anti-Christmas alternatives and the first festivals in 2010. When the movie released it became mainstream to audiences and a part of pop culture, where the tradition of Krampus became more prominent with festivals and people dressing for the occasion. Now with the tradition gaining more steam and popularity it’s nice to see an alternative to getting coal for being bad, there’s a more sinister feeling to losing the spirit of the holidays, where things could become dire if hope is lost.

Regardless of your beliefs and upbringing, it’s always nice to have traditions and hope to keep things alive, but maybe now a little more cautious in how that belief is held. There could be more severe consequences. Happy Holidays.