Near the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), in Germany, Krampusnacht is a festival of merriment and fright.
Though ill-behaved children are punished by the Krampus, good ones are visited by him alongside Saint Nick. The running of the demigod Krampus aims to frighten children into good behavior.

In Scotland, the burryman is an pagan figure who dons a complete suit of burs and flowers collected locally.
Holding two flowered staffs and supported by two men, he makes his rounds, accepting whiskey in exchange for luck and chasing away malevolent spirits.

Nuuttipukki, is a Finnish Yule festival which features strange shamans hidden behind masks and outlandish outfits.
Unless this mischievous goat-Santa figure receives gifts of food and liquor, he brings misfortune to the village instead of luck.

The celebration of dziady śmigustne, in Poland, celebrants are covered by straw and cloth, and masked mouths blow on horns while using an enormous syringe to spray water, primarily on women.
It is supposed to drive away malevolent spirits and ensure fertility in women and the Earth.

The rich Pagan tradition of Kukeri overtakes the seemingly deep-rooted Orthodox Christianity.
Of Thracian origin, these elaborate and often furry costumes with masks cover the bodies of paraders representing the divinity of Kukeri, a fertility symbol for women and crops.

In Romania, the new year brings the festival of the stag and goat, accompanied by a master. Both costumed individuals dance along the village before dying and eventually becoming resurrected.
Both symbolic and lively, this is one Romania’s many obscure masked traditions.