After the spooky Halloween festivities in October, it seems that the following holidays are all focused on happiness and cheer.

If you do research, you will find that is not always the case. You will find that every holiday has a dark side. Valentine's Day is not

all kissy-faced love. It was originally violence, blood sacrifice, and eventually the execution

of two men both named Valentine. Should I even mention the Cupid, who is a prankster, naughty and reckless homewrecker?

Then there is St. Patrick's Day.

This holiday's namesake may or may not have been a saint,

but one of the most popular and celebrated symbols of the Holy Day is the leprechaun.

Leprechauns were cranky souls known for their trickery, which they used to protect their treasure.

Tricksters and naughty creatures have nothing on the hoofed half-man, half-goat devil that is said to be the shadow of St. Nick. If you lose your Christmas

cheer or become greedier than giving, it may not be Santa that comes down your chimney on Christmas

Eve. Welcome to Freaky Folklore, the podcast where we discover the horrifying legends across the world,

and tell terrifying tales of monsters both ancient and modern.

This week we are discussing the dark and vengeful Christmas legend of Crampus.

Be good little boys and girls, or coal in your stocking will be the least of your worries.

This show is part of the Eriecast Podcast Network.

Find more terrifying tales at eeriecast.com, and be sure to follow us on Spotify or your favorite podcasting service.

You can leave an honest review on iTunes too.

The more we get, the more we grow, and hopefully the more monsters we can't explore.

If you would like to submit an encounter or suggestions for future episodes,

you can email them to

Carmen Carion at g-mail.com. That is, C-A-R-M-A-R-I-O-N at g-mail.com. You can also follow me on

Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for information on future episodes.

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