Creepmas Day 13

For the last day of Creepmas we thought we'd share some holiday decorations we saw for sale recently that we thought were as creepy and sinister looking as they come. Wishing a merry Winter's Solstice and fun filled Saturnalia to all!

Creepmas Day 12: Christmas Ghost Stories

Have you ever pondered the lyric from the famous Andy Williams Christmas song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" that says "There'll be scary ghost stories"? Well it's an old tradition that goes way back even before Charles Dickens published "A Christmas Carol" in 1843, and links to pagan times and the winter solstice, when the end of the year draws near and the days grow darker, colder, and bleaker. To learn more about the origins and traditions of Christmas ghost stories see these articles:

Smithsonianmag.com: Why Do People Tell Ghost Stories on Christmas?

Theparisreview.org: Ghosts on the Nog

John Leech Illustration for "A Christmas Carol", 1843 (Public Domain)

Creepmas Day 10: La Befana

Another piece of "Creepmas" folklore, this time from Italy. La Befana, the Christmas Witch. On the evening of January 5th, Epiphany Eve, La Befana flies on a broomstick and delivers gifts to all the good little girls and boys.
More can be learned about La Befana here:
The Feast of the Epiphany and Celebration of La Befana

Painting by James Lewicki, from “The Golden Book of Christmas Tales” 1956

Creepmas Day 8

Been slacking a bit in keeping up with our 13 Days of Creepmas posts. Thought we'd share some pictures of our "Krampus on the Shelf" from Oneil FX Studios and our Funko Pop! Krampus on display in our wooden Carpathian forest.

Gruß vom Krampus

Tonight is Krampusnacht, so hopefully you haven't been naughty this year!

Why Krampus Will Drag You to Hell Tonight, According to Mythology

Creepmas Day 4: Jólakötturinn, The Yule Cat

Another bit of Icelandic Christmas folklore, the Jólakötturinn (Yule Cat) is a monstrous giant cat that will eat those who haven't gotten new clothes for Christmas. More can be learned about the Yule Cat here:
The People-Eating Yule Cat is the Best Icelandic Christmas Nightmare

Source: Redditblog.com

Creepmas Day 3: Mari Lwyd

Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare), is an old Welsh pagan winter tradition that involves a creepy horse skull on a stick adorned in bells, ribbons, and a white sheet, which is paraded around the village by a group of singing revelers going door to door. More can be learned about the Mari Lwyd here:
The terrifying and weird tradition of the Mari Lwyd which is celebrated every December

R. FIEND/CC BY-SA 3.0