It was a controversial scene on Kaua‘i: In the center of Rice Street, the main thoroughfare in the heart of Lihu‘e, horned characters in red capes and fur lurched atop a parade float devoted to Krampus, a demon of the forest who in some Alpine villages is no less a Christmas-season icon than Santa Claus himself. 

In Bavarian folklore, Krampus punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime, whipping them with branches. In some fables, he is said to eat naughty children or pull them down into hell. 

The Krampus float that appeared in Kaua‘i’s Lights on Rice parade on Dec. 5 has caused an uproar, leaving some spectators calling it a symbol of Satanic worship and float participants scrambling to explain.

The Rotary Club of Kaua‘i, which organizes the annual parade, has neither defended nor condemned the float’s inclusion in what is one of the largest community events on the island each year.

On social media, debate over the Christmas parade float — which featured people on roller skates in antlers, dragon masks and jester suits, as well as a live band playing rock and pop hits from the 1990s and 2000s — has unleashed high emotions.

“Dude, my 2 year old daughter was terrified,” reads a comment on a Facebook post about the float on the Kauai Now Rants and Raves page.

“Pure Evil!” another comment reads. “We rebuke these evil things in JESUS’ name. Amen.”

“No matter how you put it,” one commenter wrote, “he’s a demonic figure and should have never been allowed in the parade.”

“I actually enjoyed the Krampus float,” another commenter wrote. “Reminder to kids that they need to behave if they want Santa to visit and NOT Krampus lol.”

“A lot of people clutching their pearls over another culture’s tradition while we joyfully watch the Grinch,” read another comment.

The creator of the float, a 45-year-old South Shore resident, said he knew some people might misinterpret the Krampus imagery or even disapprove of a mythical demon riding in the family-oriented parade. But he never imagined how it would play out in the streets.  

He asked Civil Beat to withhold his name out of fear for his safety and the safety of other participants who say they’ve received a barrage of online threats since the parade. (Read Civil Beat’s policy on anonymous sources here.)

“I knew that some people would not understand or like what I was doing,” the float creator told Civil Beat. “I didn’t think I would have to clear the air and say this float was not about Satan or demon-worshipping.” 

As the float entered the parade route, some in the crowd cheered. Others wore shocked looks on their faces. Some children cried. One disapproving spectator pelted a float participant with an empty can of beer. Another ran ahead of the float, frantically warning parents to shield their children’s eyes. 

The police got involved when a man tried to halt the float by standing in the street in front of it. A cop who was trying to mediate the situation asked float organizers if they would agree to amend their creative vision by removing children on the float from a cage-like apparatus.

The float organizers agreed. But the spectator who requested the change continued to stand in the way of the parade route, forcing the float driver to peel off into a parking lot. The float eventually rejoined the parade.

Kaua‘i Police Department spokeswoman Tiana Victorino said she could not confirm the details of the incident but said no one filed a police report.

Tom Lodico, the Rotary Club of Kaua‘i secretary, said the Krampus-themed float was surprising but would not say whether he approved of it.

“We don’t take any kind of stance on that theme,” he said. “There’s only one person I know who had a problem with it, and the police helped us out.”

Jim Mayfield, the club’s president-elect, said the group has received at least one complaint about the Krampus float.

After the parade, spectators approached the cast of the Krampus float and asked questions about the float’s meaning. Children played in the steam emanating from the float’s cauldron. The vibe wasn’t hostile, float participants say. People seemed curious to learn about a different Christmas tradition.

The parade included about 3,000 participants and drew an all-time high of more than 10,000 spectators, according to estimates from Rotary Club board members.

Popular float themes included The Nutcracker, a Christmas train and Santa’s sleigh. Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, Kauai Ohana Federal Credit Union and the Rice Street Business Association are on a long list of event sponsors.

The man who built the Krampus float and conceived of its theme said his childhood Christmases included lore about the half-goat, half-demon character. The parade fell on Dec. 5, which, in some European regions, is Krampusnacht, or Krampus night, an occasion marked by costumed parades. It is said that Krampus visits naughty children on that night and punishes them for poor behavior.

“We don’t like to do the inflatable Yoda with a Christmas hat on,” the man behind the Krampus float explained. “All the floats play the same music and look the same and we didn’t want to be boring.”

He knew the Krampus theme might ruffle feathers. In a text message to float participants, he said, “Try to dress Krampus, not Satan.” 

“We weren’t hurting anybody, we were just doing a Christmas tradition that was a little bit different than what everyone else was doing,” he said. “We’re not sorry for making the float.”

Civil Beat’s reporting on Kauaʻi is supported in part by a grant from the G. N. Wilcox Trust.