A review by meggarr
The Dead of Winter: Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures by Sarah Clegg

dark informative medium-paced

3.25

This is a cute, informative collection detailing some of the spookier, lesser known folklore, customs, and midwinter characters associated with the Christmas season. I feel as though the subtitle “Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures” does a disservice to this book by setting the reader’s expectations toward a niche topic that is not actually at the center of this work. While the darker figures of Christmas are featured prominently, the heart of this book is more so the author’s personal and limited exploration into how several (mostly European) cultures addressed the unsettling chill and bleakness of midwinter in the past few centuries- with some creating customs which centered around livening the season with feasting, debauchery, and frivolity, while others found entertainment in lighthearted scares. Ultimately, this book falls short of being a comprehensive account of both “wicked Christmas creatures” and the darker side of the Christmas season, but is still an interesting seasonal read.