The Old Magic of Christmas:Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year
Author: Linda Raedisch
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Source: NetGalley
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The two things I find most interesting about this book is that author Linda Raedisch freely acknowledges that the relationship between Christian traditions and pagan ones is a two-way street--in other words, that there are just as many pagan practices that owe their origins to Christianity as there are Christian practices with pagan roots--and her assertion that Christmas is a time for children...that is for scaring the pants off of children. In the spirit of both of those claims, this book is filled with dozens of stories of ghosts and spirits that haunt the Christmas season, most of whom are up to no good. She brings in examples from around the world, some variations of stories I had heard before but most of them new to me, and paints a picture of Christmas as a time for holding your loved ones close while keeping a watchful eye on the things that go bump in the night. As someone who has always felt that December is the best time to read murder mysteries and ghost stories, I absolutely adored it.
For those so inclined, she even includes some ideas for holiday decorations and craft ideas to help you honour the spirits, elves, sprites and snow queens that come with the "darkest days" of season.
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