Yule is my favorite holiday and Krampus my favorite folkloric charter, so The Dead of Winter by Sarah Clegg is exactly up my alley. It's so informative and well researched, so if you also love history, witchcraft, and pagan folklore, pick this one up.

I didn't enjoy the footnote style of writing, it's always hard for me to follow that many footnotes and still remain invested in the texts, so I'd personally change up that writing style and include the author's personal notes within the story or not at all.

But even with that, it's a great read heading into the holiday season that gives you a little something different than jolly St. Nick and Rudolph.

I love reading about history and folklore, especially if it’s about a season or a holiday that I love. This book was on my radar wayyyyy before it was published so I had been patiently waiting for a bit.

I enjoyed reading it a lot and learning a bit more about the “old ways,” along with series of traditions and beliefs. With that being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. It’s a hybrid between memoir and non-fiction —which I love— but I did not like the author’s many asides and opinions sprinkled in as footnotes. Personal opinion: those work better as discussions on the actual text, especially since footnotes take you out of reading and it’s not as impactful, for me. Others may love it though!

As far as the book goes, I loved the breakdown of traditions and the idea of what happened in the old days. It’s always fun to look closely at what we do and believe, especially when it yields some interesting conclusions.

Needless to say, this book has me still thinking about those spooky winter nights near Christmas and the new year where you could have an unsettling visitor at your door.

As an American reader, Krampus and scary yuletide creatures are mostly foreign to me. In Dead of Winter, Sarah Clegg takes us on her winter travels through different European countries to explore the dark and threatening side of the season. In these pages, we go from the English Lord of Misrule, the horsehead-skulled Mari Lwyds in Wales, the judgy Italian witch Befana, and the punishing Germanic horned beast Krampus to the upside-down social order of the Carnival in Venice. As a folklorist, Clegg is good at exploring how these traditions started out and evolved over the centuries.

With Dead of Winter, I was struck by how different the American upbringing compared to European families over the centuries—even though many of us have ancestral ties to Europe. But if you look hard enough, North American children know the threats of bad behavior and coal in their stockings. It’s just subtler, without the parades of nightmarish creatures passing through. After reading Clegg’s book, you’ll understand hidden meanings behind some Christmas TV classics and carols. Perhaps you'll even incorporate some of these traditions, like a Krampus run, into your holiday festivities.

Thank you Algonquin Books for ARC.

Interesting and informative, and a great way to keep spooky season alive through the holidays! It's nice to get some culture besides the usual holiday cheer.

Meticulously researched and informative, The Dead of Winter: Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures by Sarah Clegg is a fascinating read that delves into traditions and folklore that are rooted in the darker history of winter traditions in Europe. Featuring witches, ghouls, monsters, and other “wicked” creatures ( Krampus, Grýla, Mari Lwyd and Père Fouettard among others) the author takes us on a journey through history tracing back to the Ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, to the Kalends of January celebrated through Late Antiquity and how several traditions have evolved.

Interspersed throughout the explorations into historical and mythical origins of said traditions and present-day customs are the author’s musings and first-hand descriptions of festivities that are held throughout different regions in Europe in the present day spanning from early December to mid-January, including the Venice Carnival, the Salzburg Krampus Run and the Stonehenge Winter Solstice to name a few, traditions such as wassails, guising and much more. The author has also included a few illustrations to accompany the text, though I do wish there were more.

Though I would have enjoyed a more detailed exploration into certain customs (and perhaps some insight into similar traditions from around the world), I found this to be an absorbing read. My favorite segments were “The Lord of Misrule,” “Monstrous Visitors”, “Punishing the Wicked” and “Old Gods.”

For those who enjoy reading books on the origins of holiday traditions and dark folklore rooted in history and myth, you won’t be disappointed!

Finally, the cover art is absolutely stunning!

Many thanks to Algonquin Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#TheDeadOfWinter
#SarahClegg

Um yes please... If you're like me and you enjoy ghost stories at Yuletide, then this book needs to be on your nightstand. By now, most of us have heard of Krampus. But that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creepy Christmas folklore and tales, and Sarah Clegg is here to tell all. I had a lot of fun dipping in and out of this book, and now I have plenty of tidbits to share during any awkward silences at holiday gatherings.

Thank you to Algonquin and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Dead Of Winter by Sarah Cleg, if you think you know all the folklore in monsters of Christmas like I thought I did read this book and you’ll learn you probably know next to nothing. She writes about monsters from all over the globe and even tries her own mystical spell to see a parade of dead people. I really enjoyed this book and read it almost in one sitting this is great for the holidays especially for those of us who still have children who have a great imagination. #NetGalley, #SarahClegg, #TheDeadOfWinter,

The Dead of Winter is a general overview of Christmas traditions and their origins. The research and time the author put into writing this book is evident and it was well written, if sometimes a little disjointed at times but overall I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you enjoy folklore, history, mythology, and seasonal traditions you're going to enjoy this book. Author Sarah Clegg traveled to multiple European countries experiencing frightening horse heads, Santa's counterpart Krampus, and more all in scary-good fun. Entertaining throughout, Clegg travels to Finland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Britain to discover the roots to Christmas traditions and how they developed over centuries. I especially appreciated the origin of guising and now understand the tradition of why carolers refusing to leave until receiving figgy pudding! I listened to this as an audio and fully enjoyed the narrator. She kept my interest throughout the story in one sitting. The author narrates the forward and the acknowledgments. Perhaps a stocking stuffer for those who enjoy the origin of the traditions we celebrate the season.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen as an ARC

A deeply interesting read that explores the darker sides of the holiday season. The tone is easy and whimsical, which feels like a story been told to you on a winter morning rather than reading a book of essays. The topics were riveting and unique, full of historical facts and humourous footnotes. A perfect read to cozy up to during winter. (Actual rating - 4.5 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for this ARC.

The Dead of Winter is a well researched look into the monsters that we associate with Christmastime. As a huge folklore horror movie fan and a practicing Pagan, I found this book eye opening and informative. I also very much enjoyed the authors personal quips in the footnotes. You will enjoy this book if you enjoy folklore and its origins, spooky Christmas stories, and smart women with academic authority.

This was fine, but not really what I was expecting. I wanted more folklore and less personal narrative, but that's ok. It was interesting and well-written, and I'm sure a lot of customers will really enjoy it!

This is the perfect book to pick up in the evening after you have finished your Christmas shopping, or come home from the office holiday party, or have iced the final cookie of your December baking. When you've had enough of the sweetness and are ready for the bite of Yuletide terror, this book will be waiting for you. Part travelogue, part bestiary, part historical walkabout, this book catapults you back and forth through time and across continents to explore the darker, more Krampus-y side of Christmas. Read it before you close your eyes so that you might dream of the Wild Hunt or Mari Lwyd.

I will start by saying that The Dead of Winter by Sarah Clegg wasn't exactly what I was expecting. And that is purely my fault since I tend to go into books blind. Even so, it was a large task to take on a huge subject matter in such a short book.

I love horror and things that tend to veer to the dark side. SO when I saw that this book was going to focus on the darker side of Christmas and winter season tales, I was excited to hear the stories and folklore associated with this time. Unfortunately, we didn't really get the tales, just the overall picture of how different celebrations have evolved and where they may have come from. This wasn't a negative thing, just not what I was expecting. I thought we would get the actual stories, but we did get snapshots which I found interesting. I liked that fact that Clegg took us on a journey through the year and started with Carnaval through Boxing Day and how there is a much darker side to all these celebrations. Dividing up the chapters by each time during the year/celebrations along with he illustrations really added to the overall effect of the book. It was laid out well and obviously took a lot of research, but it was an ambitious project that I wish included more of the actual stories.
Would I recommend? Perhaps for the true folklore/historian that also enjoys the dark side. But not for someone that thought they were getting more of the tales.