Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: panic

John Grossman included this puzzling postcard in his book Christmas Curiosities: Odd, Dark, and Forgotten Christmas (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2008), p. 110. He suggests that the actions of this mean Santa Claus derive from earlier European traditions like the Krampus , a devilish figure who punished misbehaving children and sometimes carried them away in a bag or basket (see Grossman's book for illustrations). By the early twentieth century when this German postcard was published, however, most American Santas were depicted as benevolent fellows who rewarded--not punished--children. My copy of the card is unused with no address, message, or postmark on the back.