Christmas Hauntings: The Tradition Behind the Terror
Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories
Darren Marlar
4.6 • 4K Ratings
🗓️ 16 December 2025
⏱️ 85 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
IN THIS EPISODE: Earlier this month I shared some true reports of people seeing Kris Kringle – or what appeared to be Kris Kringle – in real life. But there are many more of those strange sightings to share! (More Real Santa Sightings) *** Christmas has been celebrated for centuries, and gift-giving has been around in America since well before the Civil War. But how we celebrate and what we give changes depending on the time. We’ll take a look at what Christmas was like for American pioneers in the 1800s. (Christmas in The Old West) *** At a Christmas party the revelers heard a horrifying scream from outside. They rushed out to hear the screams were coming from the sky, at least above the rooftops. But how could that be? It was then that they learned Oliver Lerch had disappeared – never to be seen again. (The Christmas Disappearance of Oliver Lerch) *** Nothing says Christmas like a poisonous weed! Well… you explain mistletoe! We’ll look at why we’re supposed to kiss under this deadly plant during the holidays. (A Kiss Under the Mistletoe) *** A horrible fire breaks out at an Oklahoma school during the holidays of 1924 – and the ghosts of the children still linger at the site. (Ghosts of the Babbs Switch School Christmas Fire) *** You might be celebrating Christmas like a viking and not even realize it. From the holiday ham to the evergreen in your living room, we’ll look at how the pagan celebration of Yule influenced modern Christmas traditions. (How To Celebrate Christmas Like a Viking) *** Kids in America anxiously await the arrival of Santa Claus bounding down the chimney with gifts and candy for the good little boys and girls. But that’s America. What comes down the chimney of Irish and Scottish kids may not be so jolly, plump, and loving. Some Gaelic children have to watch out for the Bodach. (Beware the Bodach at Christmas) *** It’s something we’re trying to revive here on Weird Darkness… the lost tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas. (The Lost Tradition of Telling Ghost Stories) *** (Originally aired December 16, 2021)
SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
“The Lost Tradition of Christmas Ghost Stories” from Conspiracy Journal: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/36dxj4kt, Sally O’Reilly for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2mfh29mk, YourGhostStories.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p93r34c, LiveAbout.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/539cmfv6
“The Christmas Disappearance of Oliver Lerch” from AnomalyInfo.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/59t2mysv
“How To Celebrate Christmas Like a Viking” by Morgan Dunn for All That’s Interesting: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p88mev7
“More Real Santa Sightings” by Rob Schwarz for Stranger Dimensions: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yvdt2ww6
“Ghosts of the Babbs Switch School Christmas Fire” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/dnmhehha
“Beware the Bodach at Christmas” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p85afxx
“Christmas in The Old West” by Kathy Weiser for Legends of America: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bddzbyfk
“A Kiss Under the Mistletoe” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2jv3u98a
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https://weirddarkness.com/ChristmasGhostStories
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasGhostStories #TrueScaryStories #HolidayHorror #VictorianGhostStories #ParanormalStories #YuletideHorror #GhostStories #ChristmasTradition #HauntedChristmas
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | From Weirdo Family Member Kristen Harrison. |
| 0:06.1 | December 26, 2020. |
| 0:09.6 | My son had been put to bed and it was mom time. |
| 0:13.5 | I had parboiled myself in a bubble bath hotter and was feeling very relaxed, except for |
| 0:19.4 | a niggling feeling that something wasn't quite right. |
| 0:23.1 | I figured it must be the beginnings of hunger touching my body. |
| 0:27.0 | I made my way to the kitchen, where I was met by my rotund feline. |
| 0:31.5 | He made it loudly known that he was in need of sustenance, despite having half a bowl full |
| 0:36.1 | of kibble at his disposal. |
| 0:38.5 | Acknowledging his need, I put on hold my own desire for chocolate milk and cookies, |
| 0:43.3 | so as to eat my forbidden snack without the curious eyes of a small child hungrily begging for |
| 0:48.7 | a morsel. |
| 0:50.0 | When I say, morsel, I mean every crumb and drop of delectable delicacies in my possession. |
| 0:56.3 | I intended to follow my voracious pet to his feeding station when I was stopped by a sensation |
| 1:02.3 | of someone, some thing, being present besides my cat and myself. |
| 1:09.4 | I glanced at my furry friend, and he was staring intently at a location in my home |
| 1:14.3 | in a manner I've never seen him express. |
| 1:17.3 | He's a very laid-back cat, so for him to be arching his back with his ears pinned to his |
| 1:22.6 | head and growling was unheard of. |
| 1:25.8 | At this moment I slowly made my way to the light switch to illuminate |
| 1:29.1 | the area at which he was glaring. Once the lights were on, there was nothing. I felt a feeling |
| 1:35.4 | of cold dread seep through me as he began to slowly stalk whatever he saw. |
... |
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