These days, it’s hard to make it through December in the U.S. without encountering Krampus. Hairy, scary, hoofed, and horned, the devilish character is wildly popular from coast to coast. Across the country, hundreds of events feature Krampus, including parades, “runs,” Christmas markets, and even mall photo-ops. Books, magazines, movies, and comics highlight his history and his adventures. But American Krampus is entirely a 21st century phenomenon. As recently as 2000, the Library of Congress had not a single book about Krampus in English. So just who is Krampus, and where does he come from? We’ll take a look at the medieval origins and modern development of Krampus in this blog.
As the Veterans History Project celebrates its 25th anniversary, Director Monica Mohindra reflects on the Project’s mission to preserve and share the firsthand stories of U.S. veterans. This post introduces a 25-part blog series honoring veterans, past leaders and the collective effort that has built a national archive of more than 120,000 personal narratives.
Readers are encouraged to take a virtual road trip through AFC's digital collections in celebration of National Road Trip Day, observed on the Friday before the Memorial Day Weekend.
