AMERICAN HAUNTINGS DINNER AND SPIRITS
spirits of christmas
SPIRITS OF CHRISTMAS
THE DARK SIDE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
mineral springs hotel | alton, illinois
DECEMBER 16, 2023 | 7:00 PM
$46 PER PERSON
SOLD OUT FOR 2023!
HAVE YOURSELF A SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR!
IS KRAMPUS COMING FOR YOU?
In centuries past, it was the Christmas season when families gathered around the fire to tell ghost stories about the winter ahead — when the dead returned to walk the earth. This year, join author Troy Taylor for a private dinner at the Mineral Springs and journey back in time for a holiday tradition of terror!
Discover the eerie customs of the past, the Christmas monsters that haunted the dreams of our ancestors, and ghostly tales of holiday season tragedies, murders, and disasters that have left lingering spirits behind! Want to experience something different this season? This is the event for you!
DINNER AND SPIRITS EVENTS FROM AMERICAN HAUNTINGS!
- All events held at the Mineral Springs Hotel Located at 301 East Broadway in Alton, Illinois
- Limited number of guests for each event
- Private American Hauntings ballroom for use for our event only
- American Hauntings Bookstore is located in the Ballroom so books will be available for purchase and can be autographed by Troy
- Nearby restrooms
- And if you’re coming from out of town, the nearby Best Western Premier Hotel offers American Hauntings guests an exclusive discount price! Details are sent out with your confirmation!
evening WITH THE SPIRITS OF CHRISTMAS
PRESENTED BY TROY TAYLOR
For most people, the holidays are about fun -- family gatherings, parties, Christmas traditions, food, presents, and days and nights of laughter, good tidings, and cheer. Things have changed a lot over the years, though. In the past, the winter nights were long and dark. It was a time of snow, cold, and ice and a series of days and weeks huddled around the fire waiting for warmer weather to return. Oil lamps, candles, and fireplaces were the only sources of light to keep back the encroaching shadows.
But what better days for ghosts? In the Victorian era, this was considered the spookiest time of year, beginning with Halloween and ending with the spring thaw. All of the greatest fictional ghost stories of the time were set in the gloomy winter months and during the holidays, like Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for instance.
Featuring stories from Troy’s book, ONE BLEAK MIDWINTER’S NIGHT!
Before that, winter was the season of death and a time filled with malicious spirits, demons, and other threatening entities. They had to be appeased by gifts and precautions to ward them off – like ringing bells, making noises, and burning logs in the fireplace all night. Venturing into the darkness could be a frightening experience with werewolves, trolls and monsters on the prowl.
The church later incorporated the pagan traditions into their own holiday feasts, but even so, the old pagan gods never seemed far away during the winter. This was the time of the winter solstice, a festival of death, designed to celebrate the spirit world and the “death” of the earth, which would be re-born in the spring. During the solstice, the Norse god Odin rose through the skies in a chariot pulled by two goats, distributing gifts to the Viking clans — just like Santa Claus would later do with his sleigh.
Join us for an eerie look back at Christmas traditions of the past from monsters like Krampus, the Yule Cat, Belsnickel, and Perchta to stories of murder, tragedy, and death during the holiday season that left spirits lingering behind.
This will be a holiday event like nothing you’ve experienced before and will have you looking at the season in a whole new way! Join us on this special night — and be sure to leave the lights burning when you go to bed!