Oct 11, 2024 - Things to Do
Why Krampus is hiding skulls around New Orleans
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These are some of the skulls up for grabs this year. Images: Courtesy of Krewe of Krampus
The Krewe of Krampus is back with its annual Swampus Skulls scavenger hunt.
Why it matters: Krampus is hiding about 50 custom decorated skulls in New Orleans and posting clues on this Facebook page.
The big picture: The creepy Christmas krewe is known for its custom art and sustainable throws.
- For its parade, members make lumps of coal. For Easter, they make Kreeps, aka creepy Peeps.
- In 2020, they started the Swampus Skulls scavenger hunt as something fun but safe for people to do outside, said Mike Esordi, the krewe's captain and cofounder.
- "We love seeing the photos people post when they find one," Esordi tells Axios. "The happiness is contagious."
Zoom in: Esordi sculpted the original Swampus skull.
- "I'm always surprised by the number of different things people can do starting from the same object," Krewe member William Ransom tells Axios.
What's next: The scavenger hunt lasts all month.
- The krewe will also auction several skulls to fund accessibility efforts for the Krampus NOLAuf parade, which is the largest Krampus parade in the country, Esordi says.
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