The fragrance of birch and holiday greens inspire Old World holiday wonder with spicy cinnamon in this tribute to the Krampus for bit of playful mischief.

Artisan holiday edition handcrafted soap made with gentle exfoliating and skin balancing green clay, activated charcoal, and vitamin C-rich rosehips.

Known to roam the streets in search of naughty children to punish, the Krampus whips disobedient children with a handful of birch sticks - carrying the worst of them off to the underworld in the basket on his back.

In Germanic folklore, the kind and gentle St. Nicholas has a devilish companion who helps to sort out the good and disobedient children.

Krampusnacht is celebrated on December 5th when people dress in horned goat-like costumes with hand-carved wooden masks featuring menacing faces and long tongues. They fill the narrow streets of old cities with clanging from the large cowbells they wear as they gather for a Krampuslauf parade of revelry and mayhem through the towns, frightening, shoving and beating bystanders.

Krampus is said to have roots in Norse Mythology as the the son of Hel, the goddess of Death. Others believe he has a longer tradition as a figure in Alpine folklore from the 16th century. He was later added into the Christian tradition in Germany- first appearing on Germanic holiday greeting cards in the 1800s.

The Krampus has seen a rise in popularity in recent years, with many people in the U.S. adding him to their holiday celebrations. Perhaps his growing popularity is because we are craving the authenticity of folklore in response to consumerist takeover of our sacred holiday traditions. His presence acts as a counterweight to the saccharine holiday season, or a cathartic expression of balance in a world that feels so out of control.