A Chilling Christmas: Uncovering the Dark Side of Winter Festivities
In Sarah Clegg's 'The Dead of Winter', a lesser-known side to Christmas is revealed, one that delves into unsettling midwinter traditions and tales that fell out of favour in Victorian times. The historian and folklorist weaves a spellbinding narrative of darkness and menace, as she unravels the threads of an ancient past.
Clegg begins her journey on a pre-dawn walk to a graveyard on Christmas Eve, recreating an old Swedish tradition called 'årsgång', or 'year walk'. This eerie ritual offers glimpses into the walker's future, along with shadowy enactments of burials. The author takes us through a labyrinth of twisted tales, from the rampaging horned figures in Salzburg on Krampus night to dawn solstice rituals at Stonehenge.
The narrator, Antonia Beamish, brings these outlandish seasonal happenings to life, infusing them with mischief and menace. As Clegg notes, "look closer" – beneath the twinkly façade of Christmas lies a world teeming with monsters. The 19th century's more subdued celebration of Saint Nicholas is but a thin veil over this darker reality.
Clegg's 'The Dead of Winter' is a masterful exploration of the macabre and unknown, casting light on forgotten traditions that have been swept under the festive rug. This haunting tale will leave you questioning the true meaning of Christmas – one that's shrouded in darkness and filled with the shadows of the past.
Duration: 4 hours 21 minutes
Available via WF Howes
In Sarah Clegg's 'The Dead of Winter', a lesser-known side to Christmas is revealed, one that delves into unsettling midwinter traditions and tales that fell out of favour in Victorian times. The historian and folklorist weaves a spellbinding narrative of darkness and menace, as she unravels the threads of an ancient past.
Clegg begins her journey on a pre-dawn walk to a graveyard on Christmas Eve, recreating an old Swedish tradition called 'årsgång', or 'year walk'. This eerie ritual offers glimpses into the walker's future, along with shadowy enactments of burials. The author takes us through a labyrinth of twisted tales, from the rampaging horned figures in Salzburg on Krampus night to dawn solstice rituals at Stonehenge.
The narrator, Antonia Beamish, brings these outlandish seasonal happenings to life, infusing them with mischief and menace. As Clegg notes, "look closer" – beneath the twinkly façade of Christmas lies a world teeming with monsters. The 19th century's more subdued celebration of Saint Nicholas is but a thin veil over this darker reality.
Clegg's 'The Dead of Winter' is a masterful exploration of the macabre and unknown, casting light on forgotten traditions that have been swept under the festive rug. This haunting tale will leave you questioning the true meaning of Christmas – one that's shrouded in darkness and filled with the shadows of the past.
Duration: 4 hours 21 minutes
Available via WF Howes
I mean, what's up with all these creepy midwinter rituals? Like, årsgång is just a weird way of saying "graveyard walk" and it's supposed to predict your future? Give me a break! And don't even get me started on Krampus - that horned guy sounds like something out of a horror movie. But hey, I guess if you're into that sorta thing... 
. I mean, who knew Christmas had so much dark history behind it? The idea of 'årsgång' or year walk is seriously creepy 
. I love how the author weaves together these old traditions with modern-day tales to create this twisted narrative. And that narration by Antonia Beamish is on point 
. It's like she's guiding you through a haunted house, but without the jump scares 
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. Not the worst day ever, but still annoying. You know what's way more annoying? Trying to make a hot chocolate with subpar cocoa powder 
. Has anyone tried that new fancy-schmancy dark roast coffee blend? I'm thinking of trying it out this weekend...
I'm really intrigued by this book, but also kinda spooked. I mean, who knew that some old winter traditions were so dark? I love how Clegg weaves these creepy tales together, it's like a puzzle and then suddenly you're in the midst of something sinister 
Just kidding (kind of). Seriously though, I'm not sure if I want to know about the "dark side" of Christmas, but if it's gonna be done by someone as talented as Sarah Clegg, I guess it's worth a read. The idea of these old midwinter traditions is actually kinda fascinating, even if they do sound a bit like something out of a horror movie. 4 hours and 21 minutes to get through? That's a whole Christmas Day's worth of reading time... 
anyway, it's like the festive vibes we have now are just a thin layer over these crazy old traditions that were way more intense back in the day 
and yeah, i can see why people might question what christmas is really about if u look past the twinkly lights 
! I love how Sarah Clegg digs into all these weird traditions that are like totally been forgotten or ridiculed over time. The idea of 'årsgång' and those horned figures from Krampus night is wild 
. If you're feelin' festive frights this holiday season, 'The Dead of Winter' is def worth a listen 
i love how it delves into the darker side of winter festivities, you know, all those creepy traditions that were forgotten or fell out of favor in Victorian times 
anyone else ever heard of 'årsgång' before? 