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Haunted Christmas
In plenty of time for the holidays, here is a gathering of thirty tales of ghosts, hauntings, and other paranormal happenings purported to have taken place on or around Christmas, or that are otherwise related to this holiday. By a long-time believer in the paranormal who in the introduction tells the story of her own Christmas ghost, Haunted Christmas includes stories such HAUNTED BETHLEHEM ― Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is famous for haunted locales such as the Hotel Bethlehem, the first house built in the town, in 1741. There, guests have come to expect visits from several spirits. Predictably, things heat up at Christmas―after all, this is Bethlehem. THE DEATH COACH OF CHRISTMAS―One Christmas Eve in Ireland many years ago, young Nora Mahoney was returning from the bogs when an invisible something suddenly rushed past her with the sound of grinding wheels and thundering horses' hooves. Had Nora encountered the “death coach” of Irish legend?
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
8 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Mary Beth Crain
22 books2 followersMary Beth Crain is the author of Haunted U.S. Battlefields. Her other books include the Los Angeles Times best-selling memoir A Widow, A Chihuahua, and Harry Truman and Guardian Angels
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 30, 2021
good read, some really interesting stories about ghosts and spirits. sometimes i wish i could go and see these for myself.
October 8, 2023
I could not get into this book at all, so dull and boring.
December 31, 2018
This was a great book and I was all set to give it 5 stars, because the stories told and the writing used to convey them were all excellent.
I withheld a star because of a couple of things.
For instance, one fact was not checked and it’s a repeat of misinformation. It was in Chapter 20 Haunted Christmas Trees about the Whaley House being listed by the U.S. Department of Commerce as an authentic haunted house. Nope. False. There is no government list of authentic haunted places.
Also, Chapter 24 The Death Coach of Christmas is a good tale but...if no one has ever laid eyes on it, how do they know it’s pulled by headless horses?
There was also something in the retelling if the Epworth Rectory Haunting in Chapter 19 that didn’t make sense but I can’t find the exact passage.
Other than a few spots that were strict retellings of long-handed down tales, I did enjoy the book. It was a fun read during the holidays. Even with a few inaccuracies, I’d make it an annual Christmas reading tradition just because I like the author’s “voice” so much.
I withheld a star because of a couple of things.
For instance, one fact was not checked and it’s a repeat of misinformation. It was in Chapter 20 Haunted Christmas Trees about the Whaley House being listed by the U.S. Department of Commerce as an authentic haunted house. Nope. False. There is no government list of authentic haunted places.
Also, Chapter 24 The Death Coach of Christmas is a good tale but...if no one has ever laid eyes on it, how do they know it’s pulled by headless horses?
There was also something in the retelling if the Epworth Rectory Haunting in Chapter 19 that didn’t make sense but I can’t find the exact passage.
Other than a few spots that were strict retellings of long-handed down tales, I did enjoy the book. It was a fun read during the holidays. Even with a few inaccuracies, I’d make it an annual Christmas reading tradition just because I like the author’s “voice” so much.
August 25, 2019
Haunted Christmas is a collection of 30 tales of hauntings with a holiday tie-in. At first glance, I was thinking this was a mix of fictional ghost stories, but it's actually a little book of paranormal history. One essay discusses the little known Gothic roots of Christmas, making it surprisingly similar to Halloween or Day of the Dead celebrations (case in point: the ghost story written into Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol). Crain also takes readers on a tour through famously haunted towns and B & Bs across North America and Europe (mostly England, but a few in other places as well). My favorites were the story involving King George IV at Raynham Hall, the Appalachian story "The Girl Who Turned Into A Christmas Star", and the features on Anne Boleyn and Emily Bronte.
The story of "The Haunted Bed" has spoilers for Emile Zola's THERESE RAQUIN.
The story of "The Haunted Bed" has spoilers for Emile Zola's THERESE RAQUIN.
December 14, 2024
This was alright. A lot of historical paranormal incidents that occurred around Christmas time. I enjoyed it and learned about a lot of new haunting I had never heard of. I made it to about the 75% mark and then skimmed around to chapters that interested me. I did not finish the book 100% but I did enjoy it
September 26, 2024
Not really what I thought I would be getting. I was expecting a bit more actual Christmas stuff but was treated to a bit of a history of holiday time paranormal experiences. It wasn't bad but just wasn't too thrilling.
January 19, 2021
Not what I thought it was going to be
February 7, 2017
I have loved ghost stories ever since I was a little girl. When I saw this book filled with Christmas related spooky stories, I just had to read it. I'm glad I did!
I was familiar with some of the stories (the Bell Witch, The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, Anne Boleyn's ghost), but some were completely new to me (the sinking of the Christmas tree ship, Epworth Rectory, the death coach). The 30 tales are varied. Some are from modern times, others from centuries ago. The book includes tales from all over the world - Ireland, Canada, the United States, Germany, France, England, Scandinavia, and other countries. All are well-written and spooky, but not too scary. A middle grade age child should be able to read this book without being overly frightened. I also enjoyed the introduction where Mary Beth Crain tells a supernatural tale of her own. And the first chapter explains the ghostly history of the holiday season. Some of the stories are frightening, but some are also tales of blessings and unexplained miracles that occurred at Christmastime.
At 195 pages, this book is a quick read. It was perfect entertainment for me on a cold, rainy winter afternoon! The cover art is great!
Mary Beth Crain is also the author of several other books including Haunted U.S. Battlefields, Haunted Pet Stories, and a memoir, A Widow, A Chihuahua, and Harry Truman. I will definitely read more of her work. This book was a fun, spooky read!
I was familiar with some of the stories (the Bell Witch, The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, Anne Boleyn's ghost), but some were completely new to me (the sinking of the Christmas tree ship, Epworth Rectory, the death coach). The 30 tales are varied. Some are from modern times, others from centuries ago. The book includes tales from all over the world - Ireland, Canada, the United States, Germany, France, England, Scandinavia, and other countries. All are well-written and spooky, but not too scary. A middle grade age child should be able to read this book without being overly frightened. I also enjoyed the introduction where Mary Beth Crain tells a supernatural tale of her own. And the first chapter explains the ghostly history of the holiday season. Some of the stories are frightening, but some are also tales of blessings and unexplained miracles that occurred at Christmastime.
At 195 pages, this book is a quick read. It was perfect entertainment for me on a cold, rainy winter afternoon! The cover art is great!
Mary Beth Crain is also the author of several other books including Haunted U.S. Battlefields, Haunted Pet Stories, and a memoir, A Widow, A Chihuahua, and Harry Truman. I will definitely read more of her work. This book was a fun, spooky read!
December 9, 2012
I love books with true stories of the paranormal and I was happy to find one that centered around paranormal happenings that occur around Christmastime.
The book starts off with the author telling her own story, which happened around Christmas one year and then, she explains the history of Christmas, which I found fascinating.
The first story in the book happens in my state of Pennsylvania. It's about the hotel in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The book has many interesting stories, including a chapter on people's sighting of Santa. I found that chapter very interesting.
Overall, I really liked the book. I think it's one of the best paranormal books I've read this year.
The book starts off with the author telling her own story, which happened around Christmas one year and then, she explains the history of Christmas, which I found fascinating.
The first story in the book happens in my state of Pennsylvania. It's about the hotel in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The book has many interesting stories, including a chapter on people's sighting of Santa. I found that chapter very interesting.
Overall, I really liked the book. I think it's one of the best paranormal books I've read this year.
December 8, 2016
I found this at the Green Free Library in Wellsboro, PA. I finished reading it while elevated my broken foot. It is a good collection of true ghost stories set at Christmas time. I enjoyed reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews