The Dead of Winter

Name: The Dead of Winter
Price: 34.99 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9781803511535

The Demons, Witches and Ghosts of Christmas

Sarah Clegg

$34.99

Hardback

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English

Granta Books
04 November 2025

Social & cultural history; Religion & beliefs; Folklore, myths & legends; Social & cultural anthropology

As winter comes and the hours of darkness overtake the light, we seek out warmth, good food, and good company. But beneath the jollity and bright enchantment of the festive season, there lurks a darker mood - one that has found expression over the centuries in a host of strange and unsettling traditions and lore.

Here, Sarah Clegg takes us on a journey through midwinter to explore the lesser-known Christmas traditions, from English mummers plays and Austrian Krampus runs, to modern pagan rituals at Stonehenge and the night in Finland when a young girl is crowned with candles as St Lucy - a martyred Christian girl who also appears as a witch leading a procession of the dead. At wassails and hoodenings and winter gatherings, attended by ghastly, grinning horses, snatching monsters and mysterious visitors, we discover how these traditions originated and how they changed through the centuries, and we ask ourselves: if we can't keep the darkness entirely at bay, might it be fun to let a little in?

By: Sarah Clegg
Imprint: Granta Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm,
ISBN: 9781803511535
ISBN 10: 1803511532
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 04 November 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

SARAH CLEGG has a PhD in ancient history from the University of Cambridge. Her first book, Woman's Lore, was shortlisted for the HWA Non-Fiction Crown. She is a former bookseller and now works in publishing.

Reviews for The Dead of Winter: The Demons, Witches and Ghosts of Christmas

This is a lively, moving, thoughtful and erudite survey of the more disturbing aspects of the modern world's most important festival. It is probably the best, and certainly the most accessible -- Ronald Hutton