Victorian Ghost Stories for Christmas

I simply love the Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories around Christmas. There is something so wonderfully cozy about gathering with friends and family around a crackling fire on a dark winter night and telling terrifying tales to one another. In recent years there has even been a resurgence of this tradition, with people bringing back the chilling custom of sharing ghost stories around Christmastime.

Of course, I am all for this - the long, dark winter nights create an eerie atmosphere that is so well-suited for telling or reading ghost stories! It is definitely a tradition I want brought back, and there are lots of classic Victorian Christmas ghost stories available to resurrect this custom. There are also some newer spook stories that aren't from the Victorian era, but still honor the tradition of getting scared silly on Christmas Eve, so I've included them in my round-up below! Links will take you to each book's Amazon page, and some are available to read online now, so I've also included those links when applicable.

So find a comfy chair (preferably near a crackling fireplace), light some candles, brew yourself a hot cup of tea or coffee, make sure your doors and windows are locked tight, and settle in to welcome back the real spirits of Christmas in the book and story recommendations below:

Haunted Mansion Documentary "Foolish Mortals" Available Now

The limited edition DVD of Foolish Mortals, a documentary by Creepy Kingdom focusing on the fan culture surrounding the Haunted Mansion, is available now for pre-order! Plus you can save $5 by using my discount code thespookyvegan when you order HERE!

Check out the teaser below:

The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Rises from the Depths for its Darkest Season Yet

The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor returns this Thursday, September 27th with some new spooky surprises as well as some old favorites! Dark Harbor is always a fun time (I mean, just look how amazing last year was!!) and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us this year. Check out the official press release below to learn about all the exciting things to look forward to starting this week...

Check-In to the Notorious Cecil Hotel in LA - Guest Post on Spooky Little Halloween

The Cecil Hotel in DTLA
[image source]

Last year I shared the 5 Spookiest Haunts in Orange County on Spooky Little Halloween's blog as part of her Travel Tuesday summer series. This series is really neat since it features many different Halloween bloggers sharing haunted locations from all over and it is just in time for summer vacations! I participated again this year, and my contribution to Spooky Little Halloween's Travel Tuesday features another dreadful destination right in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

This time, I'm inviting you to check into the old Cecil Hotel (which is undergoing renovations and has been re-branded to Stay-on-Main to distance itself from its violent reputation). This historic landmark has a dark history filled with grisly murders, tragic deaths, and macabre mysteries, and is said to be one of the most haunted locations in LA. It has hosted serial killers (yes, plural), been the location of one of LA's most disturbing deaths in recent memory, and the dark halls have even inspired a season of American Horror Story. Check out an excerpt from my article on the Cecil below, then head to Spooky Little Halloween to read the rest of the article:

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Returns September 27th - Tickets Available Now

The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor is one of my favorite haunts here in SoCal! My first time there was just last year, but even after just one visit I couldn't wait to return! And now I only have a few more months to wait, as it will return to the infamously haunted ship (I got to explore the ship's most haunted rooms - check them out here!) on September 27th, 2018.

Read on for the official press release, which includes info on how to purchase tickets now and when all the scares will be announced:

Take a Peek Inside The Queen Mary's MOST HAUNTED Rooms

Happy Friday the 13th! I have a spooky treat for you today to celebrate!

The Queen Mary recognized as one of the most haunted locations in the world, and with its history it's not hard to see why. From a luxury cruise liner to being utilized as a troop transport ship during World War II, where she was known as "The Grey Ghost", the grand vessel has seen her share of both glamour and tragedy. Today, remnants of this past can be felt along the passages of the ship, whether in grand salons, staterooms, or in the massive boiler rooms in the belly of the vessel.

I have always been intrigued with The Queen Mary and the reported hauntings that seem so commonplace aboard the ship. I have visited the ship several times and have attended events there, but I have not specifically gone there for their ghost tours, though I have always wanted to. Well, last night in honor of Friday the 13th I had my chance as I was invited to attend a media sneak peek at The Queen Mary for the unveiling of their most haunted stateroom, B340, to the public. This stateroom had to be closed 30 years ago after excessive paranormal activity upset numerous guests. The stateroom has been closed for 30 years, but it is now open for guests to book...if they dare!

Along with being invited to step inside stateroom B340, I also got a taste of The Queen Mary's Haunted Encounters and Paranormal Investigation tours. The Haunted Encounters Tour takes you to hot spots on the ship where activity has been experienced and tells you the stories behind the ghosts. In the Paranormal Investigations tour, you actually got to go down into the bowels of the ship to conduct a paranormal investigation of your own! I'll walk you through everything I got to eerily explore below: 

Check-in to The Queen Mary’s MOST HAUNTED Cabin on Friday, April 13th - If You Dare!

I was just watching a Buzzfeed Unsolved video (see it here) where they investigate The Queen Mary and the infamous room B340 (at the time, the infamously haunted room had not seen a guest since the 1980s and was empty of furniture), and today The Queen Mary announced they are re-opening their most haunted cabin to the public! Would you dare to stay in this spooky stateroom? If so, read on to find out more from the official press release below:

Watch Now on Netflix: Veronica (2017)

Veronica just hit Netflix streaming and I had heard mostly positive buzz about this supernatural horror film, so I couldn't wait to watch it! It is directed and co-written by Paco Plaza, who is most know for his [REC] movies (he co-directed the first and second of these films with Jaume Balagueró before directing the third film solo) as well as directing the excellent The Christmas Tale segment in the Films to Keep You Awake series. I really enjoyed the [REC] films and The Christmas Tale, so I was interested to see how he would handle a more supernatural-style film.

Opening Night at The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor 2017

The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor

Last night I attended opening night of The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor 2017 (full disclosure: I was invited to attend the media preview before general admission). I had never been to Dark Harbor before, so I was excited to check it out! I had heard many good things about Dark Harbor and I was really intrigued by the numerous mazes they had aboard the ship, along with the other carnival-style areas and other mazes throughout the grounds by The Queen Mary. The Queen Mary is legendary already and full of ghost stories, and I can't think of a more perfect venue for a haunt! I couldn't wait to go aboard and visit all the spirits. I'll walk you through my night below!

5 Spooky Haunts in Orange County, California - Guest Post on Spooky Little Halloween

Spooky Little Halloween is one of my favorite Halloween blogs, so I was very excited when I was invited to write a guest post for SLH's summertime #TravelTuesday feature. I decided to stick close to home and write about five spooky haunts in Orange County, featuring historic and haunted cemeteries, a mission home to several ghosts, a creepy canyon, and the "happiest place on earth" where many choose to spend eternity.

Here's a little taste from my article:

Goth Gift Guide: Nefarious Non-Fiction for Curious Creeps

My idea of the perfect gift? BOOKS! I'd be happy buried beneath books, and while I really, really try to limit my collection these days due to space issues, I am finding it hard to resist adding the non-fiction books below to my personal Christmas wish list! There are books featuring hidden wonders from around the world, photographic collections of macabre items, recollections of 31 days of October spent in Salem, Victorian ways of death, haunted histories, personal art collections, and even a horror-inspired coloring book. These are all fairly new items, released just this year, and any of these are sure to make my fellow creeps happy!

Check out the nefarious non-fiction books I've selected for fellow spooklings below:

Watch Now on Netflix: I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House (2016)

Fair warning, most horror fans will NOT like I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House - it is extremely slow, has a very thin storyline, and it isn't structured like a traditional horror film. However, it totally nails the atmosphere and really got under my skin, which is why I have chosen to recommend it here.

The film is about a hospice nurse that moves into an old home to care for an elderly author, and realizes her books may be inspired by the house itself, which may be haunted by the ghosts of its past inhabitants.

Ghost with the Most Pizza

Last year I started making spooky-shaped pizzas and everyone went nuts for them! One of the most popular was this Ghost with the Most pizza, which is simply vegan pizza dough (I use the Trader Joe's one) rolled out and shaped into a ghost, then topped with pizza sauce and vegan mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya, but I also like Follow Your Heart's shreds). Finish it off by adding some eyes and a mouth - I used sliced olives, but you could also use sliced jalapeños, maybe some sliced tomatoes, or anything similar.

Watch Now on Netflix: Dark Summer

I have been looking forward to Paul Solet's Dark Summer for quite some time, so I was ecstatic to find it streaming on Netflix!

The film follows Daniel (Keir Gilchrist of It Follows) as he is placed on house arrest by his quietly menacing parole officer (played by the always perfect Peter Stormare) for hacking into a classmate's online accounts. He is not allowed to use any electronics that connect to the internet or log into any social media or online accounts or leave his house per the terms of his house arrest. The claustrophobic atmosphere is set from the opening scenes of Daniel's lock-down, and we feel just as trapped as he is. He also isn't allowed to have friends over, but his two best friends Abby (Stella Maeve) and Kevin (Maestro Harrell) sneak in anyway (not hard, since Daniel's parents are away on business) and bring him an old iPad he can use to get online. They also reveal that Daniel was obsessed with the classmate whose accounts he hacked - Mona Wilson (played by Grace Phipps). This obsession spilled over into hacking into every one of her online accounts, with the exception of one, which Daniel still seems obsessed with cracking. When he receives a Skype invite from Mona on his pilfered iPad, Daniel is conflicted but can't help accepting anyway. The exchange that follows sets the tone for Daniel being haunted the remainder of the film.

31 Days of Halloween: Favorite Haunted House and Ghost Movies

I love a good ghost movie, and the ghost/haunted house story is one of my favorite horror genres! I love the atmosphere of most ghost stories, the unseen or barely seen ghosts that represent the unknown, and I love how classic haunted house/ghost stories feel. I’m not a fan of the cheap jump scare that some crappy horror movies use, but I adore when ghost stories are done right. These are subtly scary, and cause dread to slowly creep up on you until you are on the edge of your seat and the slightest noise makes the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up. Even better, they make you question every creak you hear long after finishing the movie.

31 Days of Halloween: Ghostly Decor for a Haunted House Party

Ghosts in the graveyard
[image source]

Just one week to go until the best day of the year!! Are you seeking to invoke the spirits on Halloween but need a little otherworldly help to set the mood? Look no further than these haunting inspirations for ghostly decor that will surely entice apparitions and party guests alike to attend your spooky soiree.

31 Days of Halloween: The Art of Christopher McKenney

The haunting photography of Christopher McKenney is dark and surreal. I love how his images evoke conflicting reactions of both awe and repulsion. His photos deeply resonate with me, and to me speak of the impermanence of people and of life itself, and how little by little, day by day, it diminishes until there is nothing left.

31 Days of Halloween: Haunted Places in Orange County

Since I've chosen ghosts and hauntings as the overarching theme for this year’s 31 Days of Halloween, I thought it would be fun to explore some supposedly haunted locations in Orange County (virtually of course!).

I have always been fascinated with haunted locations, whether they are the typical historic haunted houses or otherwise nondescript modern structures that have perhaps witnessed tragic events. Whether you believe in haunted places or not, there are just some locations that put your nerves on end, give you the shivers, and make you feel like something unseen is watching.

31 Days of Halloween: Spooky Short - Swamp Foetus

[source]

I absolutely adore Pumpkinrot, a Halloween artist that creates some amazing props for his home haunts. He also created a haunting short film a few years ago called "Swamp Foetus". The short features some really cool puppets and props made by Pumpkinrot, and I really love its eerie atmosphere and ghostly score.

You can check out the short below, and please check out Pumpkinrot's incredible blog for Halloween treats year-round!
 

31 Days of Halloween: Halloween 2014 Events in Orange County

There are lots of eerie events and activities going on this month in Orange County that are sure to get you in the Halloween spirit! There seems to be something for everyone, from scary mazes for adults and teens, to kid-friendly pumpkin patches, to jaw-dropping Halloween displays everyone can enjoy!

I've compiled a handy list of some of the haunting happenings in Orange County and also listed a few events that will occur beyond OC since they were just too good to leave out! You can check out my list below, though please note this isn't an all-inclusive list of all Halloween events. If you have a favorite event I've left out, please let me know in the comments!

Anaheim's Halloween Parade

Join in the fun with Anaheim's Halloween parade on October 25th, 2014, which has been celebrating the season since 1924! Fantastic floats, a Miss Fall Festival competition, and lots of Halloween activities at the end of the parade route round out this fun tradition! This is a free event to attend, but any activities, games, etc. are extra.