Looking back over my old posts, I find it hard to believe I never shared with you a book that I love to re-read every winter- The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year by Linda Raedisch.
Krampus may have been the biggest hit of Creepy Christmas in the last few years, but there are so many more dark characters to learn about. In twelve chapters (I doubt that's a coincidence) Raedisch examines witches, elves, trolls, vampires, and werewolves that all have a place in the folklore of winter.
This work of nonfiction is an overview of the many pagan traditions and magical creatures of winter that were occasionally adopted by Christian religions.
Within the pages you'll meet La Bafana from Italy, Frau Perchta of Germany, the Yule Cat and the Yule Goat, and the mischievous Yule Lads among many others. Each chapter ends with a few craft or baking projects you can try that honors the characters of that chapter.
There is a great deal of information in this book and sometimes I feel I would like more details on certain figures. It moves fairly quickly from one tradition and country to another, but that just makes me want to do more research.
At the end of the book you'll find a calendar of days, a glossary for terms that may be new to you, and a bibliography for further research. Every time I re-read the book I find something new. This is a book you'll want to keep in your library to extend the Halloween spirit.
