Nobody is quite sure when ghost stories first became associated with Christmas time.

Some people actually believe that the tradition is older than Christmas itself.

Before Christmas was a holiday, the dramatic people of Europe celebrated a festival called

Yule, which came at the end of the year.

During the longest darkest nights of the year, it was thought that the barrier between

our world and the afterlife became thinner and ghosts were more likely to appear on Earth.

This led to all kinds of stories about ghosts being told.

Eventually, many Yule traditions were incorporated into Christmas, including ghost stories.

In 1863, Charles Dickens published his famous novel, A Christmas Carol.

The book was a huge hit and helped reignite people's love for the Christmas season.

It also helped to associate the season with ghosts, like those that visited mean old

screws to help him mend his ways.

After that, ghost stories became a beloved part of Christmas in England.

Families would gather around the fire and read stories to scare and thrill one another.

Some people read stories written by popular authors of the day, while others came up with

their own.

Yet others told stories that had been passed down in their families for generations.

Stories that might have come from reality.

Today, you're going to hear some scary stories.

Scary stories told by myself, my wife, and my father.

Scary stories that are personal experiences and stories that stem from the Bible.

It's the happiest season of all.

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