Krampus belongs to an Alpine Advent tradition in which a frightening companion accompanies Saint Nicholas. Regional tourism records these house visits from the seventeenth century: Saint Nicholas brought gifts, while the masked companions represented reprimand and disorder. Groups known as Passen preserve distinctive local practices, costumes and carefully carved masks rather than performing one uniform spectacle across the whole region.

Public runs bring ringing cowbells, fur costumes and horned masks into streets and market settings. Their modern schedules differ between Salzburg neighbourhoods and surrounding towns. Perchten traditions have their own seasonal associations and should not simply be treated as another name for Krampus. Seeing a specifically identified run, with its organiser’s explanation, gives the spectacle cultural context. It also avoids the mistaken idea that every Salzburg visitor on 5 December will encounter the same parade.