We’ve all heard of the Spirit of Christmas, and of the ghost of Christmas Past, but did you know that telling ghost stories at Christmas was once a beloved tradition? That’s right Ebenezer Scrooge was not the first to fall asleep with apparitions haunting his dreams. In fact the traditions of telling darker stories of death, places, and people that are no longer with us dates back hundreds of years to Pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice. In honor of this tradition we have some excerpts of spooky stories for you to read in preparation of the darkest day of the year, if you would like to read the full story simply click on the title for the free ebook.

The Kit-Bag by Algernon Blackwood

Murder, Lawers, and Christmas. What more could you ask for in a scary story?

“In the sitting-room, however, he was not pleased to hear again that stealthy tread upon the stairs, and to realize that it was much closer than before, as well as unmistakably real. And this time he got up and went out to see who it could be creeping about on the upper staircase at so late an hour. But the sound ceased; there was no one visible on the stairs. He went to the floor below, not without trepidation, and turned on the electric light to make sure that no one was hiding in the empty rooms of the unoccupied suite. There was not a stick of furniture large enough to hide a dog. Then he called over the banisters to Mrs Monks, but there was no answer, and his voice echoed down into the dark vault of the house, and was lost in the roar of the gale that howled outside. Everyone was in bed and asleep–everyone except himself and the owner of this soft and stealthy tread.”

Smee by A.M Burrage

Spiked Eggnog and Hide and seek in an old mansion gone wrong.

“Just for a moment there was an uncomfortable something in the air. A cold finger seemed to touch us all. For that moment we all felt that something odd and unpleasant had just happened – and was likely to happen again.”

Christmas Re-union by Sir Andrew Caldecott 

Is Santa a spirit, or just a slighted relative? This story is the last in the Not Exactly Ghosts collection.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, goodnight!

Let not darkness you affright.

Aught of evil here today

Santa Claus now bears away.

At this point, with sudden dramatic effect, he clicked off the electric light switch by the door; and, by the time Dreyton had groped his way to it in the darkness and turned it on again, the parlour-maid (who was awaiting Love’s departure in the hall) had let both him and Father Christmas out into the street.”