St. Nicholas – known as Sveti Miklavž in Slovenian – is one of the three gift givers that visit Slovenian children in the month of December. But unlike Santa Claus and Grandfather Frost, St. Nick is traditionally accompanied by "parkeljni" – devil-like creatures with horns, animal fur, and red tongues.
Even though St. Nicholas’ origins are resolutely Christian – he was a 4th century saint --, his hellish companions date back to the Pagan times. Common throughout the Eastern Alps and beyond, "Parkeljni" got their name from the German word "bartl", meaning "beard". (They are now known as “Krampus” in Austria.) While St. Nicholas distributes his presents to the children, his companions scare the naughty with their masks and noise-making chains – a much scarier proposition than coal in the stockings.
The village of Podkoren in the northwestern part of the country organizes an annual celebration that hosts Parkeljni from nearby Alpine valleys. They come from Slovenia, Austria, and Italy, each determined to be scariest monster of them all. The assorted "parkeljni" entertain huge crowds with a show of fire, chains, and unearthly noise. Some women get special treatment: A gentle stroke from a scary-looking devil that shows no mercy scaring male members of the audience.
An even larger procession of "parkeljni" takes place in Goričane, not far from Ljubljana. For the past few years, a local castle has hosted a festival that attracts thousands of scary monsters from all across Central Europe – from Austria all the way to Croatia. The Goričane meet is the largest event of its kind of Slovenia.
Over the centuries, "parkeljni" have become an integral part of Slovenian culture. In the weeks before Christmas, many households even bake little breads in the shape of the monsters. When they are eaten, good finally conquers over the devil-like creatures.
