What did Belsnickel do?
Amongst the Pennsylvania Germans, Belsnickel is the character who visits homes prior to Christmas to check up on the behavior of the children. The traditional Belsnickel showed up at houses 1–2 weeks before Christmas and often created fright because he always knew exactly which of the children misbehaved.
Is Belsnickel good or bad?
The Belsnickel would punish bad children for their previous misdeeds and reward the good children. The goal: Have a little fun at the children’s expense — maybe scare them enough to buy a few weeks of good behavior. Brouse described the tradition as “tongue-in-cheek” — it was generally meant in good fun.
What gifts does belsnickel give?
According to Christmas lore, he gives candy to good children and beats bad children with a whip. Belsnicakel is part of the Christmas lore of Germany, other German-speaking countries and the Pennsylvania Dutch, a community in the United States since the 1830s.
Why did Belsnickel turn bad?
Unfortunately for elves, if they break the five-part elves’ code, they will be cursed. Once Belsnickel demonstrated envy, lying, selfishness, viciousness, and ego, he was transformed into that which he hated most: a human. You might also recognize the New Zealand actor behind Belsnickel himself.
Why is Belsnickel angry?
In folklore, Belsnickel’s job is straightforward: he has to scare bad children into behaving and reward good children. Belsnickel’s motivation to shut down Santa’s Village, effectively ending Christmas, stems from his past. As a young elf, he saw how humans treated other elves and grew to hate them.
Who is the bad guy in The Christmas Chronicles 2?
Belsnickel
While Netflix’s 2018 holiday film, The Christmas Chronicles, didn’t have a clear antagonist—it was more about saving Christmas—the 2020 sequel pits Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) against an elfin protégé-turned-human-rival, Belsnickel (Julian Dennison).