Ghosts of Christmas Past

Feel the dark magic of Yuletide

Nothing said “Christmas” in Victorian England like sitting around the fire telling ghost stories. But how did this tradition come to be? Was it all the work of Charles Dickens – or are there perhaps other factors that lend a ghostly magic to this darkest time of the year? Delve into the spooky side of Christmas folklore with Boroughs of the Dead and find out!

This special holiday tour will reveal the connections between “Christmas Ghosts” and New York City (whose patron saint is none other than St. Nicholas himself)! Discover the holiday’s connections to the Dutch colonists and, later, German immigrant communities. Marvel at the terrifying aspects of Yuletide folklore, replete with witches, werewolves, trolls and other monsters. Find out which famous New Yorker utilized Santa Claus as psychological warfare during the Civil War. Uncover the ways Washington Irving, John Pintard (a founder of the New-York Historical Society) and Clement Clarke Moore, all members of New York City’s 19th century “Knickerbocker” elite, changed the way we envision Christmas… and may have even influenced Dickens himself. And, because this is a Boroughs of the Dead tour, we’ll share some of our favorite local ghost stories with you in the true old Victorian tradition.

On Ghosts of Christmas Past feel the dark magic of Yuletide as we regale you with tales of ghosts, goblins, trolls, and spirits, and discover the truly tumultuous history of Christmas on this enchantingly unconventional holiday tour. Perfect for those who love the holidays, hate the holidays, or just want to add a dash of delicious fear to all that enforced cheer!

Folklore, Holidays, Myths