The parade is scheduled for Thursday night in the historic King William neighborhood. It is sponsored and organized by Hermann Sons Rathskeller Bar.
SAN ANTONIO — Since the announcement of a San Antonio version of the traditional Krampus parade, multiple organizations have expressed their dismay at the event taking place.
The parade is scheduled for Thursday night in the historic King William neighborhood. It is sponsored and organized by Hermann Sons Rathskeller Bar.
KENS 5 has put together everything you need to know about the contentious holiday event.
What is a Krampus Parade?
Krampus is a mythological figure of central and eastern European folklore, often rendered has a half-goat, half-man demon, dating back to the 16th century. He is thought to be something of the “anti-Santa.” While Santa rewards children’s good behavior with gifts, Krampus punishes “bad” kids with a birch rod.
The tradition is celebrated in European towns with walking or running parades (Krampuslauf) where participants dress up like Krampus and process through neighborhood streets.
Who is putting on the event?
The event is hosted by Hermann Sons Rathskeller Bar, which is inside the historic Hermann Sons on St. Mary’s downtown. The hall is 113 years old and the bar is the oldest continuously held beer and wine license in Texas.
The building and organization celebrate and foster German culture in South Texas, hence the motivation to put on the Krampus parade.
Where and when is the parade?
The procession will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Arthouse in Blue Star (134 Blue Star) and wind through the King William neighborhood, sticking to the tradition of a walking parade. That means there won’t be floats or vehicles, with Krampuslauf coming to life with people dressed up in their version of the legendary Christmas-season imp.
Bob Crittenden, the parade’s grand marshal, said the idea came from a board member at Hermann Sons Hall who wanted to expand on the success of last year’s Krampus celebration at the hall’s Rathskeller.
Attendees are invited to watch the parade along King William Street and encouraged to join in the fun by dressing up in Krampus-themed costumes.
Who is opposed to the parade?
The event has received backlash from some local religious groups in San Antonio.
Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller released a statement saying in part:
“I am concerned about the upcoming Krampus Parade that will soon be held in the King William neighborhood and downtown…through the centuries the Catholic Church has voiced its opposition to Krampus celebrations because of his resemblance to the devil.”
Other faith leaders held a press conference Friday to denounce the parade.
The archbishop’s comments come following a group of faith leaders denouncing the parade in front of City Hall on Friday afternoon.
“This is an attack on our kids and Krampus is not welcomed in San Antonio,” said Pastor Mark Lugo of San Antonio Impact Ministries. “It’s a demon that comes in and drags naughty kids to hell.”
Organizers of the San Antonio Krampus parade say they’ve “declared this parade PG-13,” given some of the frightening nature of the figure.
Wednesday, the San Antonio Family Association released a statement, also opposing the parade. The statement reads in part, “This Krampus Parade is promoting evil through the scaring of children into submission and threats of dragging them to hell on the eve of one of Jesus’ saint’s feast day, St. Nicholas, who is more widely known as Santa Claus.”
In response to some of the backlash, the King William Association posted on Facebook Monday that King William streets are available for public use and the King William gazebo is owned and operated by the city of San Antonio. They further said, “The KWA does not have authority to deny street passage when the City has given permit approval. Parade organizers have received a parade permit from the City of San Antonio.”