The wind is howling just outside your window. The bitter cold seeps in from under the door. The season’s formidable storms are coming…and so is the Wild Hunt. Be ye witch or be ye familiar, you may choose to partake in this festive procession and join your infernal comrades amidst the storm. ...
When the bell tolls, Krampus runs down your street. He knows you’ve been a naughty child and he’s ready to pop you into his pack and give your bottom a smack. Heard of him? Interest in the Christmas Devil known as Krampus is growing worldwide. In light of this particularly unruly ...
You walk through your city and hear wild laughter and singing coming from every street. The scent of bay laurel, spruce and fir envelopes you. You notice the evergreen garlands draped over every threshold and wall of the city. The entire neighborhood is lit up and an unshakeable feeling of joy, ...
Out of all the things I associate with the Christmas and Winter holidays, a pickle wasn’t one of them. Until last year when I was given a glass ornament for the Yule tree in the shape of a pickle. And yes, like you, I definitely scrunched my eyebrows a bit and wrinkled my nose. Why is ...
There are literally hundreds of different Christmas beings and spirits all over the world. Most notably, Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas and his helpers. Sometimes he’s accompanied by elves or his wife Mrs. Claus, and sometimes his sidekicks are a little more terrifying like the Christmas ...
Some of my favorite things during the holidays give a nod to the past. Bobbing for apples is one of the old-timey Halloween customs that most of us have no idea where it originated. In this Samhain article, we’ll talk about the history and origins of bobbing for apples, why apples were a ...
A shrill neigh fills the air around you. A thick green mist envelopes you and blurs your vision of the path before you. You only had to make it down to the water and back home with a bucket full. But now it’s too late. The dangerous creature your mother and grandmother warned you about is ...
In the late nineties, stories were raging in the American South about a creature that attacked livestock and drank blood. At the time, living in the North, I didn’t worry about it too much. Even though we indeed lived on a livestock farm. Sure the stories were creepy, but I didn’t ...
Few African mythical figures have crossed oceans and not only survived the centuries but have thrived and evolved like ANANSI. He’s the archetypical trickster. A spider god. And a hero to African peoples across the globe. Known by a dozen or more names, Anansi’s origins are strong ...
As a child, I was obsessed with fairy tales and nursery rhymes. They took me out of this world and into a realm of magic and fantasy. Into a world where witches existed…both good and bad. As I grew older, I realized there are witches in fairy tales for a few reasons. One, because they ...