The Victorian Christmas Season and Ghost Stories
By the mid-nineteenth century, ghost stories were a central part of the Christmas season in Britain. The genre had its own festive season, with guests at holiday parties challenging each other to tell the most chilling tales. Periodicals released during Christmas published eerie stories of hauntings and apparitions. Authors like Charles Dickens released new ghost stories every year. If Christmas was in the air, then so were ghosts. Source: llewellyn.com.
Regional Ghost Traditions in England
Today, Christmas and Halloween are clearly separated in popular culture. One is cozy and nostalgic; the other is spooky and macabre. In the 1800s, these holidays were more blended. Traditions varied by region. In the United States, Halloween became the night for frights. In England, where Halloween was less celebrated, Christmas was the season for ghost stories.
Victorian ghost stories were deeply tied to place and community. A 1894 article in the Liverpool Mercury described regional legends from Norfolk and Suffolk. These included white women haunting spots, coaches drawn by horses without heads, and headless grooms and outriders. Monstrous white dogs and footless ghosts also appeared in local tales. Villagers would gather in squire’s homes, drinking ale and sharing stories of white witches, headless horsemen, phantom coaches, and restless churchyard spirits.
A Scottish Christmas Legend
One Scottish legend, recorded by T. F. Thiselton-Dyer in The Ghost World, claims children born on Christmas can see and even command spirits. This belief might have intrigued spiritualists, who studied factors linked to mediumship. However, no evidence shows they explored this specific belief.
Phantom Bells of England
John Glyde’s The Norfolk Garland records a tradition of bells ringing underground. When churches were swallowed by earthquakes or the sea, their old bells were said to ring deep in the earth every Christmas morning. People would go outside, place their ears to the ground, and hope to hear the mysterious chimes.
This vision of phantom bells captures the spirit of Victorian Christmas. It blends mystery, nature, and ritual.
The Rise of the Victorian Christmas
By the 1800s, Christmas transformed from a modest holiday to a major cultural event. This shift was driven by the expanding Victorian middle class. Their growing interest in domestic comforts shaped modern ideas of what is cozy and homey.
As industrialization grew, people moved from rural villages to cities. They sought warmth and comfort at home after long days. The middle class embraced consumer goods. Demand surged for furnishings, décor, and toys. Christmas celebrations grew lavish. Ghost stories, too, became popular as holiday gifts.
Why Ghost Stories Flourished at Christmas
For generations, ghosts were linked to midwinter in Britain. As Christmas grew in importance, the connection between ghosts and the holiday intensified. The extravagance of Victorian Christmas celebrations fueled a craze for ghost stories.
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer suggested that Christmas was a peak time for ghost sightings. The gentry often returned to their country estates during the holiday. With the whole family gathered, ancestors might feel closer. The spirit of the past could deliver messages or warnings.
For Victorians with city homes and country estates, returning to the countryside felt like stepping back in time. Forgotten memories returned. Family traditions revived. Snow fell silently, blurring years. In the old manor, strange thoughts and memories took root. What better way to spend a long winter night than sharing ghost stories around a fire?
Why We Still Need Ghost Stories Today
Many have abandoned the tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas. While Halloween now celebrates magic and mischief, Christmas still holds a darker edge. In a season full of shopping lists and goals, ghost stories offer a memento mori—a reminder that death comes for all of us.
Charles Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ uses four ghosts to show that wealth is less important than kindness and generosity. Modern Halloween celebrations also carry this warning. People enjoy treats and decorations, but always with a sense of mortality. Humans may naturally connect revelry with death.
What Spiritualists Thought About Christmas Ghost Stories
Since spiritualists reported apparitions and studied spirit communication, it’s natural to wonder how they viewed ghost stories. No evidence shows serious spiritualists engaged in the same storytelling as other Victorians. For mediums, a ghost story felt too trivial. An apparition was a serious phenomenon, not a joke.
Yet, many spiritualists attended séances during mourning. They sought connection with lost loved ones. Christmas, a time of deep longing, likely saw an increase in séances. The holiday season naturally brings grief and a desire to reach beyond the veil.
Nineteenth-Century Classic Ghost Stories
These stories were written specifically for Christmas. They remain delightful seasonal reads:
- “A Christmas Carol” and “The Signal-Man” by Charles Dickens
- “The Old Nurse’s Story” by Elizabeth Gaskell
- “The Open Door” by Margaret Oliphant
- “Ligeia” and “Morella” by Edgar Allan Poe
- “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James
How to Revive the Tradition Today
Exploring the shadows of December can help those who grieve or have painful holiday memories. It allows them to process emotions. Even joyful revelers may feel bittersweet nostalgia. The forced cheer of holidays can feel oppressive. Acknowledging sorrow as well as joy can make the season healthier and more meaningful.
Ghost stories are the easiest tradition to revive. You can add them to any holiday. To start, watch a scary film, listen to an eerie podcast, or read an anonymous internet story. For a more authentic experience, invite friends for a holiday gathering and end with a round of ghost stories.
To tell a Victorian-style story, focus on personal experiences. Victorians shared tales rooted in real places or people. Guests often described events they personally witnessed. Others shared local legends or family stories. Many stories centered on specific locations—crossroads, old bridges, or churchyards. Think locally. Is there an abandoned house you pass daily? Tell a harrowing tale about why it’s abandoned.
Hold a Christmas Séance
Séances are often linked to Halloween. But Christmas might be the ideal time for spirit circles. Family holidays pull us back to the past. They remind us of loved ones long gone. In the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas falls in winter. Trees are bare, animals hibernate, and scenes look ghostly in long nights.
For those who have lost loved ones, holidays rooted in family and tradition can feel isolating. The grief can be overwhelming. Bereaved Victorians faced the same pain, though they lived in a culture that valued mourning. The holiday season stirs both joy and sorrow. This makes the desire for spirit communication especially strong. Hold a séance as a seasonal activity this year.
If you celebrate Yule or Hanukkah, adjust the suggestions to fit your holiday. You can also hold a séance on the solstice as a reflective practice, without linking it to a specific holiday.
Before beginning, set up a space that feels like another time. Place old family photos on a table. Add heirlooms or past Christmas gifts. Prepare holiday food or drink. Many spiritualists opened séances with hymns. Christmas is a musical holiday. Consider singing a hymn to begin your séance. Follow the séance exercise from the first chapter of Spirits, Seers & Séances—using either the solitary or group instructions based on whether you’re alone or with others.
Sources & further reading
Featured image: original publisher image. Via original publisher. Image source
