The Old Magic of Christmas

This was included with audible, so I decided to give it a go for the holiday season.

Honestly, I’m not really even sure how to rate or review this as it’s doing several things at once. It’s both informational/educational, while being historical of course, then it’s the mix of folklore/mythology/and a bit of fantasy, and then it’s also part recipe/baking book?

With that being said, with this book’s hand in several baskets, this was still a really great bit of info on the history of Christmas. From paganism and the Christian events that began to overshadow the old holidays, to the different iterations of Santa and his helpers. (And the different iterations of those that weren’t his helpers…IE Krampus). Just a really great job of laying out the different winter holidays and their traditions around the world.

In that sense, I suppose to succeeds in what it sets out to do, so 4/5* as somethings lost their flow a bit.

Let us sit by the fire and tell dark stories about what most of us consider the most joyful night of the year. As I'm writing my review, I notice that the calendar shows 21/12, the longest night of the year, the first day of the Winter Solstice. It is a funny coincidence, since this book is a little treasure of information not about the fairy lights, the carols and the joy of our nowadays Christmas, but about the darkness, the superstitions, the evil spirits that are lurking in the dark corners of our households, during the days of the Yule.

Our journey takes us to Scandinavia, to the Nordic lands, full of mystery and fascinating traditions deriving from the exciting Viking culture. We move on to the beautiful countries of the Baltic Sea, we visit Poland, the Czech Republic, we make a stop to Germany- a Christmas destination out of a fairytale- and the Netherlands. We pass through France, heading South, to Spain and Portugal and then, to Italy where we are expecting our presents from Befana, and we are ready to face the Kalikantzaroi of my homeland, Greece. We learn the dark origins of many well- known and well-loved Christmas traditions, customs that will never look the same to me after reading this book. And all the time, I couldn't help but wonder on the similarities between cultures that are so far away and so different from each other.

I don't care about labels, I could care less whether it is Neo-pagan or Old-pagan book. Whether it is New Age or Old Age or I-don't- know-what -you- mean Age. It is a fine book to accompany you while you're sitting somewhere warm, with a cup of hot chocolate, by the Christmas tree. Choose a few magical pieces by Wardruna as a soundtrack and try to resist looking over your (left) shoulder. You never know...