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1. Dogs that howl on Christmas Eve will go mad before the end of the year. A candle or a lamp should be kept burning all night on Christmas Eve to avoid a death in the house in the following year.
2. Instead of water turning into wine at midnight on Christmas Eve, some hold the belief that the water in streams and wells turns into blood! Not only that, if you witness this change, you’ll die within the year!
3. A once popular parlor game gave everyone an apple after dinner, which was then cut in half across the middle to reveal the pattern of the core. If the core is star-shaped (most apples have this), the owner of the apple will see another Christmas. If the core is a different shape, the owner’s death will occur in the next twelve months! The appearance of a four-pointed cross was worst of all – although what was worse than death is never mentioned.
4. A Scandinavian belief states that it’s dangerous to go out on Christmas Eve because of the many supernatural beings that come out of their hiding places that night. Trolls, witches, goblins and ghosts roam freely, some of which are the spirits of the dead revisiting their previous homes. Gifts must be left outside – bowls of pudding and cream, clothes, tobacco and even ale – in order to appease some of these creatures. The most perilous time occurred between cock’s crow and dawn, when supernatural beings were at the peak of their power. To go outside meant risking death or being carried off by them, never to be seen again.
5. Swedish folklore puts a chilling twist on this story. On Christmas Eve, they prepare their dining room with food and ale and blazing fire – and leave it overnight to enable the spirits of the dead to celebrate. The family checks the chairs in the morning for traces of earth, proof that the dead have come calling!
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Ready for some fun? From Dec 13 - 24, it's the 1st Annual "12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop". Each blog on the list hosts a giveaway and all hosts are linked up so you can HOP from one blog to another! (You don't have to visit them all - each has their own giveaway that is separate from all others.)THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
A winner has been drawn to receive a signed copy of CHANGELING DREAM and a Dani Harper tote bag!
Thank you to everyone who dropped by. I really enjoyed the comments!
Check out the 2012 New Year's Blog Hop right here, beginning on December 30th
I don't think I'd leave a candle burning all night - the mad howling dog might knock it over and start a fire.
ReplyDeleteThose superstitions seem to all involve death. (-; Obviously the mortality rate was higher back then and there were a lot of things that have common explanation now that would have seemed to have a mysterious explanation back then.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway opportunity. These books look so good.
sophiarose1816@gmail.com
i love these ghoulish traditions. a little creepy with your christmas is fun
ReplyDeletenayjf@yahoo.com
I love all these superstitions you give us Dani. Amazing how many there are . Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. Happy Holidays.
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Thank you for the giveaway! I wonder how all of these superstitions got started? I'm glad we don't have creepy superstitions like this! brendem7@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think it's amazing how some of these traditions remind me of Halloween traditions in other cultures. They're not exactly alike, but they are very similar.
ReplyDeletevadeluna07@yahoo.com
those were cool and morbid . Thanks:)
ReplyDeleteOut of all those listed, it's the Swedish folklore that bugs me, lol! What a waste!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thank you for participating. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
S
mamaelk1113 at gmail dot com
Those are some superstitions some I never heard of!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great giveaway!
Happy Holidays to you!
GFC follower-latishajean
tishajean@ charter.net
#5 sounds similar to the Mexican day of the dead in early Nov. Just sounds like a waste of food to me.
ReplyDeleteAnne
acm05atjuno.com
#1 was particularly interesting to me. I thought a lot of them resembled Mexican traditions but it was interesting to hear about them! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
ReplyDeleteGFC follower: Kara DIDomizio
supersonic182@gmail.com
Not entering for the giveaway, just wanted to comment on the list above. My grandmother was from Barbados and she had some weird traditions she insisted we follow. We still follow a couple of them to this day and she died in 1998. The reason I'm commenting is because her #1 tradition was to leave the Christmas tree lights on all night on Christmas Eve. I never knew why but now I do. she also said that the first person to enter HER home on New Years Day had to be a male so that she would have good luck throughout the year. The last one I remember was: If you want your man to remain faithful to you, bury his underwear in the back yard. Don't tell my husband, but I did that just before he proposed to me and we've been married for over 20 years. I don't know if it was because of my grandmothers advice or I just got a GOOD man, but as far as I know, he's never been unfaithful.
ReplyDeleteHave a happy holiday
coming from irish family we had some great
ReplyDeletestory and then i herd the one when we kids about the water
desi the blonde@ msn.com
Most of these I would have thought had more to do with Halloween than Christmas. Thank you for sharing them with us.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a safe & happy holiday season!
June M.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
WOW never heard of any of them and kinda glad they all deal with death in some way and just not what I wanna think about on Christmas.
ReplyDeleteberrylicious_cutie(at)hotmail(.)com
I have never heard any of these traditions but I think I will light a candle all night long (to start a new tradition).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. Happy Holidays
wingedpersephone at gmail dot com
I've never heard of those superstitions before. Very entertaining AND creepy. The dog one really gets to me. How awful would that be!
ReplyDeleteGeishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com
I GOT BLOGGING HOP T DO THANK YOU FOR THE HOPS
ReplyDeleteDESI THE BLONDE2MSN.COM
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Krampus is the creepiest Christmas tradition, by far! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! No Krampus for you! ;-D
ailishsmom AT gmail DOT com
those are some strange traditions.. but i could see how they would come apart especially in more superstitious parts of europe.. i have to say that the Krampus pointed out is especially creepy.. and the dog thing would have guaranteed my doggy was insane.. we have a husky.. and she likes to sing and howl and talk.. pretty much nonstop.. lol
ReplyDeletealainala AT hotmail DOT ca
Well, these certainly put a "downer" on Christmas, don't they? Very strange facts indeed, and must have taken tons of research to find them. Bravo! The scariest thing I face on Christmas is my sons wrapping their own presents, although it's plenty of fun unwrapping the next day through a whole role of scotch tape per present. LOL
ReplyDeleteOH, forgot my email address: parlourlady@hotmail.com Sorry 'bout that.
ReplyDeleteYikes, I'll have to remember not to eat apples on Christmas!
ReplyDeletehhollyhal at gmail dot com
Ok those are all pretty creepy. And now Im going to be listening for dogs howling I just know it.
ReplyDeletebacchus76 at myself dot com
I will never eat an apple on Christmas Day again! That is just an awful tradition! Spending the whole next year thinking you're going to die because of what an apple told you? I think I'll pass on that one! I won't pass on the chance to win a copy of this awesome book, though! Thanks so much for the giveaway:)
ReplyDeletejwitt33 at live dot com
Thanks for the chance! I found the stories very interesting I had never heard of them.
ReplyDeletejmesparza821(at)gmail(dot)com
"A candle or a lamp should be kept burning all night on Christmas Eve to avoid a death in the house in the following year."
ReplyDeleteI do this! Lol! Not to avoid death, I was always brought up with the notion that it helps the good spirits find our house and bless us for the next year :)
Email: jesswaslike(at)msn(dot)com
I always wondered what was wrong with my doggies :)
ReplyDeletehelldog3 at aol.com
truly creepy! I actually got chills when I read about leaving things out for the dead and checking for dirt!! eww, zombie love much?
ReplyDeletemeghan_L_P at hotmail dot com
Those are really creepy. My grandmother used to say if a bird got in the house someone was going to die. It didn't just pertain to the holidays though. I thought that was creepy enough. When I was young we had a blackbird in the house and it scared me to death, well not quite, but you know what I mean. I kept expecting someone to keel over. Thank you for the excellent giveaway. I hope you have a joyous and safe holiday season.
ReplyDeleteseriousreader at live dot com
Yeah... let's not invite the dead to crawl from the grave and chill in our house while we sleep. SUPER CREEPY!!!
ReplyDeleteAmethystDaydreams at zoho dot com
I dont see how people would think about all this creepy things around such a happy holiday like Christmas. I would think that creepy myths and legends would work to be more around Halloween. Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteLadyVampire2u AT gmail DOT com
The howling dog interests me. I've had my dog for 6 years and she has NEVER howled. Now you have me worried. LOL
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays to all.
aunttackyx18 AT verizon DOT net
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I would want the dead to come a-calling no matter how much I loved them. So checking the chairs for their ghostly leftovers? Not for me.
ReplyDeletedsadler53 at yahoo dot ca
I agree with Diane, don't want corpse at my table, in the house at all. Spirits are fine, but please leave the rotting corpses in the grave.
ReplyDeleteThese are kinda creepy, but interesting still.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
"A once popular parlor game gave everyone an apple after dinner, which was then cut in half across the middle to reveal the pattern of the core." We've done this but never thought it to mean death, it was always finding love or fortune or stuff like that, I can't wait to tell everyone the alternate meanings and creep them out. LMAO
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing these...I love them! Thank you also for the giveaway. Have a safe and Merry Christmas.
cody(at)wilger(dot)com
The creepy superstitions are new to me. I'm glad I didn't know of them when I was young. I would have been freaked out for sure. I think I'll keep a light on all night this Christmas Eve just in case.
ReplyDeletenicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com
Hi Dani, Happy Holidays to you and yours. I have never heard of any superstitions regarding Christmas. The only thing that is somewhat similar: many people in the United States celebrate St Nicholas Day by putting their shoes outside their bedroom doors on the evening of December 5. St Nicholas then comes during the night. On the morning of December 6, those people will find their shoes filled with gifts and sugary treats. And of course, this was the precursor to the we stockings leave on our fireplace mantles.
ReplyDeleteccr0816@yahoo.com
Those are some creepy superstitions. I didn't realize how many there were around Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
Congratulations to DONNAS - Your name has been drawn as the winner of my giveaway! I'll be emailing you with details.
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone for the great comments and for entering!