A special “Very Scary Christmas” Episode!
Traditional Christmas celebrations in colonial American were much different than they are today. It was a public celebration in the streets and the pubs. Few people celebrated in church and even fewer celebrated with family at home.
And for good reason. The winter nights were cold and dark. It was a time of snow, ice, and being trapped indoors with that family. The coming days – and weeks – were going to be spent around the fire, waiting for better weather to return. That fire, along with candles and oil lamps, were the only way to stay warm – and to keep away the shadows that were creeping outside your door.
This made it the perfect time for stories and storytelling, especially stories of ghosts, hauntings, spectral travelers, and the night folk. In those days, the cold winter months were considered the spookiest time of the year. It was a dark season that began with Halloween and lasted until the spring thaw. In centuries past, the holiday season was not just a time of celebration – it was a time to be afraid.