The Fright Before Christmas

While I love being wrapped up in the midst of fall, I think my favorite time of year is when the nights dip into the 50’s and the leaves are just starting to change. The anticipation of September is more exciting to me than spring. 🍂

While I’m doing my best to take advantage of the last few weeks in the garden (we already have a fully adult pumpkin), I’m starting to prep the nest for longer nights. I made my first spice cake this weekend and was excited to get the cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger/allspice/clove combo going. Another autumn highlight is the release of new books and this one showed up at the perfect time.

The Fright Before Christmas by Jeff Belanger (@exploringlegends) explores the folklore roots of Christmas under a darker light. It begins with a section on the roots of the holiday, including the solstice, Saturnalia, and Yule (I actually wish these were slightly longer but it provides a nice overview). From there, the author spends time with a number of holiday creatures, sharing the history of each and their evolutions over time. Highlights include Krampus, Mari Lwyd, La Befana, and Belsnickel.

A study of the Belsnickel, for example, explores his origination in the Palatinate region of Europe all the way up to his portrayal by Dwight Schrute on The Office (during which Jim remarks, “So he’s kind of like Santa. Except dirty. And worse.”).

The biggest highlight for me is probably the full-color vintage art, which is abundant throughout and great for reference.

The Fright Before Christmas releases on September 4th from @redwheelbooks/New Page Books.

I’ve been talking a bit in my stories this weekend about wanting to do a better job of mixing in upcoming releases between posts, especially since I know a lot of us are readers and get excited by new books. I’m looking forward to sharing some good ones.🌻

To learn more about me and my Appalachian folk practice, including info on folk witchcraft, mountain magic, and hearthcraft, please visit gritchenwitch.com or join my Patreon at patreon.com/gritchenwitch.

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