Enchanted Conversation normally now has monthly, non-themed fairy-tale-inspired fiction and poetry contests. We will resume the monthly contests in January of 2013.

But for December, there is no monthly contest. Instead, there will be a very, very EC fairy tale contest:

That’s right, instead of a regular December fairy tale contest — which will not actually be held, EC is celebrating the spirit of Krampus instead. The basics of content, etc., are the same as under the regular submission guidelines, so PLEASE check those.

But stories for the Krampus contest must feature Krampus somehow. They must be stories OR poems. No non-fiction will be accepted. Stories must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words long. Only one submission per person. The stories should reflect an understanding of Krampus lore, but he needn’t be the focal point of the story. As ever, the stories should NOT be for very young audiences, but rather well-read teens on up in age.

Five winners will be chosen and each will receive a $25 give certificate from Amazon (in US dollars only). The submission deadline is DECEMBER 13, 2012 at 11:59 p.m., EST. The winning entries will be published in December.

PLEASE FOLLOW ALL OTHER NORMAL RULES FOR SUBMITTING FOR WRITING CONTESTS LISTED UNDER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES. The rules for submitting here are pretty specific, if you aren’t a big fan of rules, this may not be the contest for you.

As always, there is NO FEE for entering this contest.

Who or What is Krampus?

Krampus has been around a very long time in countries like Austria and Germany. I guess you could say he’s a scary, devilish-looking figure who hangs with St. Nicholas and punishes bad children for the jolly old gift giver. But that’s a pretty meager description. For an in-depth look at Krampus, check out the awesome site, Krampus.com. There, you kind find absolutely everything you could want to know about Krampus and see some outstanding and disturbing old Krampus images.

For a less pro-Krampus take on St. Nicholas’s evil helper, check out The St. Nicholas Center, a far more benign destination. One thing seems pretty sure: Krampus serves Santa, meting out punishment to naughty children.

In the US, Krampus never got real traction, as we even dropped the “lump of coal” tradition for bad kids on Christmas morning. Yet, in recent years, Krampus has begun to become popular, as more Americans look for a different way to have holiday fun.

More on Krampus as the need arises, but here are some more images to inspire you. But before I go, one thing needs to be said: This Krampus contest is not about religion–for it or against it. It’s still about fairy tales.

Visit the website for details: http://www.fairytalemagazine.com/2012/10/sleighing-with-devil-very-special.html