Despite being in the middle of the war, British and German soldiers on Christmas Day 1914 sang carols together, exchanged gifts, and even played a soccer game. This spontaneous truce was driven by a desire for peace and camaraderie during the holiday, as well as a lack of official ceasefire from their governments.
The Los Feliz mansion, where Dr. Harold Perilson murdered his wife and attempted to kill his children before committing suicide, remained largely untouched for over 50 years. The house was sold, but the new owners used it only for storage, preserving the original family's belongings as a haunting time capsule.
Glamour, a Swedish herdsman, ignored local superstitions and traditions on Christmas Eve, leading to his mysterious death. His body was found swollen and blue, and he became a terrifying undead creature, haunting the countryside and eventually cursing the hero Grettir with nyctophobia.
The Warminster Thing was a series of unexplained events in 1964, including strange noises and UFO sightings, that terrorized the small English town of Warminster. Residents reported hearing loud, vibrating sounds and seeing unidentified flying objects, sparking national and international interest in the phenomenon.
In earlier traditions, Santa Claus was not solely benevolent. He carried switches to punish naughty children, and in some stories, he even kidnapped them, similar to his demon-familiar Krampus. This dual nature of giving gifts and doling out punishment was a way to instill fear and obedience in children.
Alice Elizabeth Carter disappeared on the evening after her wedding in 1916. She was last seen leaving her mother's home without her hat and coat, and her body was later found in the Thames. The case remains a mystery, with no clear explanation for her disappearance or death.
Dr. Harold Perilson's murder-suicide was likely driven by financial stress and mental instability. He had invested heavily in a failed medical invention and suffered from multiple suicide attempts. His wife had even considered having him committed to a psychiatric facility, suggesting growing mental health issues.
Chance Wackerhagen and his father, Lee Dubb Wackerhagen, disappeared after Latricia White was murdered on December 27, 1993. Their whereabouts remain unknown, and the case has led to speculation that they may have been victims of foul play themselves.
Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate)Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream)Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV)IN THIS EPISODE: Despite being in the middle of the first World War, on Christmas Day, 1914 British and German soldiers sang carols together, exchanged gifts with the enemy combatants, and supposedly even played a soccer game against each other in order to celebrate the holiday. (The Great War’s Christmas Truce) *** The case was so mysterious it was even featured on TV’s “Unsolved Mysteries” and “America’s Most Wanted”: who committed the Christmas murder of Latricia White? And what happened to Lee and Chance Wackerhagen? (An Unsolved Christmas Murder Mystery) *** We’re so used to seeing old St. Nick showing up with a big bag of toys for the kiddies – but what if he arrived with another bag full of switches for your parents to use the whole year through if you were on his naughty list? We’ll look back at when Santa wasn’t purely jolly and jovial, and when he arrived to dole out both presents and punishment! (Santa’s Naughty List) *** The Los Feliz murder mansion became the site of a horrifying and sad Christmas tragedy for one California family. (Christmas At The Los Feliz Murder Mansion) *** A haunting holiday mystery took place in England in 1916 when a young bride simply disappeared without a trace. (The Vanishing Christmas Bride) *** A man tries to take on supernatural forces – and ends up as an undead creature who appears as a terrifying Yuletide spirit. (A Living Dead Yule Haunting) *** (Originally aired December 14, 2021)SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“A Living Dead Yule Haunting” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/39y7ubu5)“The Great War’s Christmas Truce” by Erin Kelly for All That’s Interesting: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ytv6zdy2)“Santa’s Naughty List” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yc5cszy7)“Christmas At The Los Feliz Murder Mansion” by Colleen Conroy for Ranker’s Unspeakable Times:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p99t2kw)“An Unsolved Christmas Murder Mystery” from Mystery Confidential: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/pzzyfatw)“Have Yourself a Flying Saucer Christmas” by Beth Colman for Mental Floss: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ycxv3w49)“The Vanishing Christmas Bride” from Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3nkcxes4)Visit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsors)Join the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate)Advertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t)), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ)) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu)), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7)), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8)) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =OTHER PODCASTS I HOST…Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymag)Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrors)Retro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradio)Church of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =https://weirddarkness.com/living-dead-yule-haunting/)