German Christmas Character Belsnickel

German Christmas Character Belsnickel. The belsnickel is actually a character from german folklore who would make an appearance during christmas time to scare children into being good. The idea is that belsnickel is the evil counterpart, the negative, to the positive good figure of santa.

Meet belsnickel, a character rooted in german folklore and pennsylvania dutch heritage, who adds a unique flavor to the holiday tapestry. Though belsnickel doles out both presents and punishments, he’s most famous for scaring naughty kids into behaving before christmas.