The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters, Witches, and Ghosts by Jeff Belanger
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Christmas time is truly the darkest and creepiest time of the year filled with devilish creatures lurking in the shadows waiting to get us. Best known is the Krampus who has been the subject of films and songs. There was a time in the late 1800s when people sent Krampus cards, not holiday greetings. There are other violent and dangerous monsters from all over northern climes who have been hunting naughty children for centuries. From shapeshifters to mountain trolls, to elves, to heavy-handed cohorts of Saint Nicholas, the Christmas holiday has been filled with ghosts and monsters ready to dole out punishment to those who need it.
The Fright Before Christmas will delve into the folklore of Krampus and his friends with the elf-like tomten and the goblinesque Karakoncolas. The Belsnickel is ready to hit us with his switch of sticks and Gryla may drag you back to her mountain lair. And watch out for the Yule Cat ready to pounce! These are just a few of the yuletide beasties coming for us in The Fright Before Christmas in the hope they can save us from ourselves.
The folklore roots of Christmas under its many other guises (Yule, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia) is examined in a different, darker light. The Winter Solstice is a time to be afraid. It’s the shortest day of the year. The longest night. In some parts of the world, the sun doesn’t rise at all. It’s dark, and we have to wonder if the sun will ever come back at all. Christmas has always been creepy and with The Fright Before Christmas you’ll see the other side. This is a book for everyone who loves a little darkness around the holidays.
Make this year a Creepy Christmas!
Published:
September 4, 2023
ISBN 978-1637480151
New Page Books
U.S. $22.00
200 pages
Hardcover / Full Color
What They’re Saying About THE FRIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS:
“For far too long my cohorts and helpers have been kept in the shadows of a Christmas holiday that’s grown far too focused on consumerism for my taste. Jeff Belanger’s The Fright Before Christmas tells the story of this holiday like you’ve never heard it before. These are all the tales I wish I could’ve told you while you were sitting on my knee at the mall spouting off about all the expensive gizmos and gadgets you wanted for Christmas. Forget coal and sticks in your stockings–this year I hope you get this book–if you somehow manage to survive your encounters with Krampus, Belsnickel, Grýla, Père Fouettard, and the myriad of other ghoulies and beasties who are coming for you during this dark, cold, dangerous, and most frightening time of the year. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good fright!”
-Santa Claus
Upcoming Live FRIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS Events with Jeff Belanger:
- The Fright Before Christmas with Jeff Belanger – Plainville Historical Commission – Plainville, Massachusetts – November 17, 2023 6:30PM
- The Fright Before Christmas with Jeff Belanger – Wallingford Public Library – Wallingford, Connecticut – December 7, 2023 7:00PM
- The Fright Before Christmas with Jeff Belanger – Lawrence Library – Pepperell, Massachusetts – December 12, 2023 7:00PM
- The Fright Before Christmas with Jeff Belanger – Merriam-Gilbert Public Library – West Brookfield, Massachusetts – December 14, 2023 6:30PM