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Newspaper Article Title: Bloody St. Nick By MARLENE NAANES and ANDY GELLER - EXCLUSIVE TO THE NY POST

Ho, ho . . . no!!!!!

Slay bells are ringing outside a $3 million brownstone on East 18th Street in Manhattan, where, rather than yourtypical jolly St. Nick, a skinny, bloody-bearded Santa holds a knife in his left hand and the severed head of a doll - blood gushing from its eye sockets - in the other.

This 'tis-the-season-to be-creepy display - which has drawn no small amount of community ire - can be found in thefront yard of Joel Krupnik, 58, and his wife, Mildred Castellanos, 43, who said they are protesting the commercialization of the Yule season.

In another touch of Christmas jeer, the Santa dummy is standing behind a tree whose bare branches are adorned with beheaded Barbie dolls.

"Christmas has religious origins. It's in the Bible. Santa is not in the Bible. He's not a religious symbol. Santa Claus has become a piece of Americana," Krupnik explained yesterday.

Krupnik, who dabbles in real estate, said if anyone was offended, they could simply cross the street. Some children have done just that.

Other people have called the cops - only to be told there was nothing they could do. And one woman chased Castellanos down the block, screaming epithets at her.

Outside the home - also decorated with gargoyles, lizards and dragons - there were many who accused the couple of dreaming of a fright Christmas.

"This is like a nightmare before Christmas. These people are possessed," fumed Laure Levinson, 50. "I thought it was very gory and bloody. Christmas is not supposed to be gory," said Jimmy Crevier, 9, who was passing by."It's bad," agreed Sean Conlon, 5. "Santa's face and hair are red - Santa shouldn't look like that."

His brother, Ryan, 9, chimed in, "Santa makes toys and he lives in the North Pole. He doesn't have a haunted house like that." "It's weird," said Javin Bose, 7, who lives next door.

The Krupniks, who have three children and have owned their home for 16 years, are nonpracticing Jews who don't celebrate any holidays, but like putting up decorations for them. "We definitely have holiday spirit," insisted daughter Darla, 16.

The couple introduced their kids to horror films at an early age - and Darla and her brothers, Ariel, 18, and Charleston, 20, love them.

In fact, Darla came up with the idea for the bloody Santa - basing it on the movie, "Silent Night, Deadly Night," inwhich a teenager goes on a murderous rampage dressed as Santa.

The beheaded dolls came from Castellanos, who has a collection.

Posted by: Michele at 01:12 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 461 words, total size 3 kb.

1 Well, I'm glad they've got holiday spirit... :-/

Posted by: Harvey at December 13, 2005 08:58 PM (ubhj8)

2 It may be inappropriate, but they have a good point. It's kind of funny too. You wouldn't hear all this griping about the exact same display if it were October.

Posted by: Ted at December 14, 2005 06:48 AM (blNMI)

3 Well, I guess since they're Jews, it can be forgiven that they don't actually know their history about Santa Claus who actually DID exist and was a Bishop of Myra known as St. Nicholas and is very important to Catholics and Orthodox Russians. You should read up about him. He was known to be a very generous man and his vestments were red, white and gold, and green, white and gold, just as the vestments of the clergy are today during the seasons. It's really a beautiful story that encourages people to give without expecting to receive, but if you don't know the story, of course you are going to think that it's all commercialism. Commercialism just like Christian Spirirt is something one holds in their heart, it all is how you take it. Blessings, Dianna

Posted by: Dianna at December 15, 2005 02:28 PM (GXSNL)

4 I went back to read my first line and it sounds deragatory, though it isn't meant to be. I meant it that since they are Jewish they would have had no reason to learn about the history of Santa Claus which is basically a simplified version of St. Nicholas and how the story came to be. Just to clarify.

Posted by: Dianna at December 15, 2005 06:22 PM (GXSNL)

5 To be honest, I don't find it that disturbing. There is a certain humor to it, and I can see their message. I look at it this way, if the guy down the street can decorate his house for christmas and dress as santa on Halloween, why not this?

Posted by: Contagion at December 16, 2005 07:41 PM (Q5WxB)

6 Santa Claus represents goodness, happiness and laughter. Little children are thrilled when they hear Santa is coming to town. Life is hard enough without seeing a cherished symbol bloodied and trampled upon. To see Santa murderously holding a bloody knife with a child's BLOODY HEAD in his hand is despicable! I am so upset, I can't believe this is my NY, the New York I was born in and raised in. The New York I work in and live in. What has happened here? First off, these people are the sickest and nastiest lowlifes imaginable - creatures that think they are being clever or cute... It is injurius, defaming, cruel, insulting to the highest degree, and gas has ruined my Christmas. Christmas is a very important time of the year to people throughout the world. Santa Claus is a cherished symbol of all that is good, and of love and giving. Children everywhere need Santa Claus to believe in the merriment of giving. To read the above comments is to see callousness taken to an all time low. Does the law no longer have decency? Can't these despicabe acts be stopped?

Posted by: Vivien at December 19, 2005 08:17 PM (c6QxB)

7 Funny, I complain to my family every Thanksgiving that their gas has ruined MY holiday! Small world huh? Speaking of Hallowe'en, this display is CONSERVATIVE compared to some displays of that ilk I've witnessed. This wouldn't cause one single eyelash to bat if erected in late October. Most people would probably see it as funny. And Rita? Disconnected? Dang, you ain't kidding! My HEAD is spinning! Tell me the truth -- that post IS a joke, right? 'Emence'? 'Distroy'? 'privilage'? 'neavou riche'? 'There' and 'thier' for what is properly 'there'? And the grammar itself! I laughed, I cried, I projectile vomited!

Posted by: We Don't Need No Steenking at December 24, 2005 09:25 PM (zZizN)

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