The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year

If uve ever wondered what the Christmas song that says " Scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmas's long, long ago" was talking about, read this!!I own the book and I listened to the book being read on Audible and this is incredible! Answered a lot of my own personal questions and made Christmas just, that much more fun! My family goes "Krampusing" instead of caroling and this illuminated a lot for me. No brainer.

Fun and informative history of all the old world supernatural stories and customs that have become part of what we now know and celebrate as Christmas. Who knew that at one time the Christmas season had more witches, goblins, vampires and werewolves than Halloween! Also filled with some fun crafts and delicious sounding recipes based on early seasonal traditions.

I LOVE this book. It quaint, fun, old world and overall amazing. It takes you to a whole different place and time yet has great recipes and crafts to bring the old ways into the modern days. I love the stories in this book. It’s well writen. The cover artwork is magical. I tell myself that’s my cabin in the woods lol. Christmas is a time of giving a time of sharing and of tradition -yet has that darkness in Santa’s shadow-looming somewhere in the winter woods, on the frozen wind, in the cover of night. Something ancient, something wild and curious. I recommend being thankful for being “in” where it’s safe! Get cozy by the fire with your favorite cup of tea or hot cocoa and enjoy this book. Yes, check out of the modern Holiday sales rush- the hustle and bustle of shopping for presents just for a moment to be sent back to the Old magic of Christmas. You won’t want to leave...Amazon! PLEASE make this and audiobook!!!!!

I finally understood that part of the song, "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" when it spoke of scary ghost stories and tales of Christmases long time ago, since the only ghost story I ever heard connected with Christmas was "A Christmas Carol". Here is a collection of old myths and legends that are truly delightfully creepy, and understandable, since the Longest Night of the Year seemed to make Winter stretch interminably. Most of these tales were designed to scare children into behaving and being careful as some of the more gruesome characters were actually considered out to get them otherwise. The Norse myths also make a respectable showing here as these winter myths, many of them came from that region. Here, we have the Wild Hunt and mysterious Odin as an origin for Santa Claus and the goddess Perchta. We also find Befana, the old woman wanderer who belatedly followed the Three Kings and is forever granting small gifts to children on her journeys in the hope of one day finding the Christ Child. This is a book that takes one into the darkest part of the year, where more than Winter can send a chill down the spine.

A really interesting read about the 'darker' cultural traditions associated with European Christmases of the past (and sometimes the present, if you're not careful in NOT offending the old gods, mythic figures, faeries, gnomes and other creatures who "go bump in the winter night"!). This book - with chapters divided up into small sections - was a pleasant read a little at a time before falling asleep (nope, it didn't give me nightmares, at all!). I might have given it "5 stars" except that I found each of the little craft projects for each chapter very childish and unnecessary, though I was pleased that the author did include a 10-page bibliography of additional books for further reading that one might wish to do!

If you're looking for actual stories this book might not be for you. But, if you're looking for some interesting information about a variety of characters and their related traditions from folklore around the world then I think you will like this book. It was just what I was looking for since I enjoy researching folk and fairy tales.

"The trolls are most likely to be about on Christmas Eve, perhaps so they can admire one another's treasure hoards. This is the one night of the year that humans can take a peek at the trolls' subterranean lairs, for the hills rise up on golden pillars to reveal the glittering heaps of chalices, coins, and candelabra. The trolls are hoarders par excellence, never pawning or selling any of their loot no matter how hard times get. Because they're such terrible cooks, and too stingy to order in, trolls are always glad of a free meal on Christmas Eve. If you want to prepare dinner for a troll, you must include a generous helping of meat. A few trolls, having converted to Christianity, promised they would no longer eat human flesh, but you can hardly expect them to be vegetarians. Leave the troll's meat out in the woods, far from the house; you don't want him peering in the window when you open your Christmas presents." (p. 111)In other words, if you're looking for a book that discusses ancient lore and mythology surrounding Christmas, this isn't it. This is a practical guide for people who are into stuff like the Wiccan religion, practical advice on how to attract good spirits into your garden, what food to leave out, etc. Where her scholarship faltered, the author just freely makes stuff up.The flow of the text is frequently interrupted to show you how to make various totems and charms, and which conditions are most suitable for glimpsing ancient spirits in the forest.

From the introduction: "As you turn the pages of this book, I would like you to feel as if you are forcing open an ancient church door, to find not dusty pews, but an old-growth forest, moonlight glancing off the holly leaves as gauzy spirits dart among the boughs. I hope you, the reader, will be as surprised as I was at some of the discoveries I have made int he course of my own journey through this forest."I often wonder how customs and traditions have grown and changed over time, and so here was the book for me. This book is so full of fun discoveries—and a some crafts too (I even successfully made a couple!).

My kids and I absolutely loved this book! We tried lots of the old traditional customs in it this Christmas, great to just read as well as trying out pagan traditions!

A magical book for me. I love the Nordic and central European myths of 'Ghosts and Hobgoblins'. The Brocken (on Walpurgis Night) and Black Piet are superb. Not to be read when you're Home alone or when it's freezing. Try a background of Sibelius.

Love this book .Full of all traditional stories of past times. And alternative look at old Christmas traditions and origins

A very thorough book packed with our old Christmas and Yule tide customs many of them pagan that have been adopted later by Christians. Most importantly though this book is well written and enjoyably entertaining. A book to come back to year after year.

I haven't read it yet but the quality is great and it arrived on time