The Political Orphanage host Andrew Heaton talks with historian and journalist Jeff Belanger– the author of The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters. Jeff joins to discuss the history of Christmas, and why we put trees in our living room to celebrate Jesus. You can listen to the interview here: https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/the-original-war-on-christmas
Creaking Door Paranormal Radio IS ON THE AIR! For your Holiday enjoyment, Tim Ellis and Brad Blair welcome Jeff Belanger inside The Creaking Door for a Creepy Christmas Special! You can hear the episode here: https://creakingdoorparanormal.transistor.fm/episodes/cdpr-jeff-belanger-christmas-episode-december-2024
WXXI News, Rochester, New York’s NPR station asked the question: Why are we still interested in centuries-old myths? Host Evan Dawson interviews Jeff about Krampus, The Fright Before Christmas, and other holiday myths and legends on his Connections program. You can hear the interview here: https://www.wxxinews.org/show/connections/2024-12-12/why-are-we-interested-in-centuries-old-myths
On November 15th Amazon Studios is releasing the new holiday movie Red One that features Krampus! I’m thrilled anytime Krampus gets some mainstream spotlight. The premise is that Santa goes missing and Krampus took him. If you read my The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters book, then you know Santa and Krampus were never enemies, however, I get for the sake of the story St. Nick needs a nemesis. I can’t wait for the lively discussions this film will start. If Hollywood only knew about the myriad other monsters and ghosts lurking in December’s shadows they might have a whole movie franchise on their hands! Red One stars Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Liu, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, J. K. Simmons, Nick Kroll, and Kristofer Hivju. It’s directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Chris Morgan, from an original story by Hiram Garcia. You can watch the trailer here:
Jeff Belanger joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath on the radio to discuss the weird. Hallmark cards and Coca-Cola ads tend to dwell on the happy and cheerful side of Christmas. But there’s always been a dark side. The fear of St. Nick putting coal in stockings for misbehaving and even creepier, the old man watching you day and night, tracking your misdeeds. If you dig deeper into tradition, it’s darker still. The original St. Nick had an enforcer to take care of the bad kids: Krampus, a terrifying horned Christmas devil who whips misbehaving children before carrying them off to hell. And that’s not the only creepy holiday tradition out there. GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath spoke with local author and folklore expert Jeff Belanger, who dives into the legend of Krampus and other frightening Christmas characters in his newest book, “The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters.” You can listen to the segment and read the transcript here: https://www.wgbh.org/culture/books/2023-12-22/folklore-expert-explores-the-legend-of-krampus-and-holiday-monsters-in-the-fright-before-christmas
The ladies of That Witch Life podcast talk about holiday trials and tribulations of the past and rituals for the solstice season. They then welcome Jeff Belanger to talk about all things Krampus and other Yuletide monsters! You can hear the episode below: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-220-krampus-and-other-yuletide-monsters-with/id1460743150?i=1000638895801
A special Christmas Jim Harold‘s Campfire featuring KRAMPUS! We feature some NEW holiday Campfire stories, some classics and a special interview with Jeff Belanger on Krampus and other Christmas monsters. Krampus and Haunted Christmas Stories – Jim Harold’s Campfire 633 Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Jeff Belanger is not only an amazing storyteller, but he’s also an amazing writer and researcher of myth and lore. Plus- he’s an adventurer who has seen unbelievable sights and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro. The host of New England Legends joins us tonight to tell us the dark side of the holiday season with stories from his newest book The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters, Witches, and Ghosts. Watch the interview below:
Renowned “Ghost Adventures” writer, Ghostvillage.com founder, “30 Odd Minutes” host, “New England Legends” producer, televised historian, legend-tripper, adventurer, ghost hunter, bestselling author, lecturer, broadcaster, JEFF BELANGER, will be on-air live with The Ghost Host Sophia Temperilli on LiveParanormal.com / GhostHunting.com, SATURDAY 11/4/23, 12pm PST, 3pm EST, 8pm primetime U.K. GMT!! You can hear the replay here:
The Fright Before Christmas Explores the Dark Side of America’s Biggest Holiday Jeff Belanger’s new book is the first to tell the frightening and monster-and ghost-filled story of Christmas through millenia of history, folklore, and legends. NEWBURYPORT, MA, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 — Red Wheel/Weiser, LCC today announced the publication of Jeff Belanger’s latest book, The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters. After hanging up outdoor decorations at his home one cold December morning, Belanger grew frustrated with his frigid fingers and half-working strings of holiday lights and began asking himself questions: Why do we put wreaths on our doors? Why the lights? Why the Christmas tree? Why Santa? Why do we expend so much money and stress on this one day? How did we get to this point of commercialism and humbug-iness? “Those questions led me down a deep and dark rabbit hole that took me through many countries, times, and cultures,” said Fright Before Christmas author Jeff Belanger. “The origins of this holiday are anchored to the Winter Solstice—a dark, cold, and dangerous time of year depending on where you live. In that icy darkness, monsters and ghosts are hunting us. Throughout my 25-year career, people have mostly known me as a Halloween person. I’m here to tell you that Halloween is the second-most frightening holiday behind Christmas.” From the Winter Solstice to Saturnalia to Yule to Christmas, Belanger’s book traces the origins, customs, and monsters of the yuletide season. Austria’s Krampus may be the most well-known of the monsters, but it turns out Saint Nicholas has many other cohorts. Germany’s Belsnickel is coming to whip naughty children before the holidays, Grýla from Iceland is descending the mountains to devour lost kids, Père Fouettard from France is coming to beat the bad out of little brats, and the shape-shifting Karakoncolos from Bulgaria is trying to get into your home just to name a few. Almost every European country has its own version of these monsters and ghosts who are ultimately trying to save us from ruin. In addition to illustrating the monsters and ghosts of the holidays, The Fright Before Christmas explores Christianity’s long-standing war on Christmas, plus the timeline and origins of Santa Claus. “If you need someone to show you the Christmas spirit, who better than an author best known for ghosts and the paranormal?” said Michael Pye, Associate Publisher at Red Wheel/Weiser. “One of my favorite movies is Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. There’s a long debate as to whether it’s a Halloween story or Christmas story. Those of us who love it are happy to watch from October through January. I’m shelving my copy of The Fright Before Christmas right next to that movie.” The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters is Belanger’s 16th published book. It’s now available as a full-color hardcover book, e-book, and audiobook narrated by the author. Belanger will also be providing a series of live multi-media programs based on his new book for libraries, theaters, corporations, and other venues in the coming months. Visit his Web site for a complete listing. # # # About Jeff Belanger Jeff Belanger (jeffbelanger.com) is an author, adventurer, journalist, and one of the most visible explorers of the unexplained. He is also the Emmy-nominated host, writer, and producer of the New England Legends series on PBS and the weekly New England Legends podcast. He’s been a guest on hundreds of television and radio networks and programs, including History, Travel Channel, Biography Channel, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, BBC, and Coast to Coast AM. Jeff lives near Boston, Massachusetts. About Red Wheel/Weiser Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC (RWW) is an independent publisher specializing in “Books to Live By.” The company’s books serve to expand the mind, heal the body, and nurture the spirit. Imprints include: Weiser Books, the premier publisher of occult and esoterica since 1957, and New Page Books, offering well-researched books on Alternative History, Paranormal, UFOs, Ancient Mysteries, and Unexplained Phenomena. RWW is also a full-service distributor for select independent publishers.
