A01=Sarah Clegg
almanac
Author_Sarah Clegg
british mythology
Category=JBGB
Category=JHMC
Category=NHTB
christmas gift
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
folk horror
folklore
halloween book
krampus
mythos
robert macfarlane
ronald hutton book
solstice rituals
storyland
Product details
- ISBN 9781803513706
- Dimensions: 129 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 23 Oct 2025
- Publisher: Granta Books
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE MONTH
A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
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?
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.
