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Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has become a holiday classic, making it easy to forget how unusual it is for a Christmas tale to feature ghosts and supernatural themes. In the Victorian era, sharing ghost stories on Christmas Eve was a popular pastime, and A Christmas Carol was just one of many such eerie narratives. These tales, steeped in the supernatural and surreal, are best enjoyed with a glass of eggnog and the warmth of a crackling fire.
10. ‘The Stalls of Barchester’ by M.R. James
M.R. James stands out as one of the most renowned Victorian authors of Christmas ghost stories. A scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, he dedicated much of his free time to studying medieval manuscripts, an interest that deeply influenced his writing. His Christmas Eve readings were a cherished tradition, where he unveiled new stories to an intimate audience by the glow of a dying fire. This custom lives on through the BBC series A Ghost Story for Christmas, which adapted James’s “The Stalls of Barchester” for television.
“The Stalls of Barchester” opens with an obituary for Dr. Haynes, which appears ordinary at first. However, the narrator quickly shifts focus to his own work cataloguing manuscripts at the university Dr. Haynes was associated with. While sorting through dusty papers, he discovers a sealed box containing documents tied to the deceased. Intrigued, he takes them home to examine further.
Amid the usual letters and journal entries, the narrator uncovers a tale about the tragic death of the archdeacon of Barchester Cathedral. The man had accidentally slipped and tumbled down the stairs, with his maid being accused of neglecting to replace a missing stair rod. Following this, Haynes assumed the role of archdeacon and discovered that the cathedral’s daily operations had been severely neglected for quite some time.
Alongside introducing essential reforms, Haynes also delved into the history of three peculiar carved figures in the archdeacon’s office: a cat, a regal figure with horns and pointed ears, and a monk whose cord belt is gripped by a hidden hand beneath carved drapes. He further learned that the wood for these carvings originated from a grove of trees, including one known as the Hanging Oak.
As the narrative unfolds, Haynes’s diary entries grow increasingly grim and frantic. The narrator discloses that Haynes had begun to believe the carvings possessed a life of their own. He started hearing voices, spotting ghostly cats in his home, and experiencing mysterious knocks when alone. The narrator also uncovers payments made to the maid who had been dismissed by the previous archdeacon. Haynes’s guilt becomes evident, and it is revealed that he met his end in the same manner as his predecessor, with the added detail of unexplained facial wounds suggesting an animal attack.
The narrator continues his investigation, searching for the now-missing carved figures from the church. However, he only manages to find remnants of one carving—a handwritten curse hidden within one of the statues—warning that anyone with bloodstained hands who touches it will face dire consequences.
9. Ghosts And Family Legends: A Volume For Christmas by Catherine Crowe
In 1858, Catherine Crowe penned a collection of ghost stories shared by friends and family during the previous Christmas. Gathered around the fireplace, prompted by somber news, they contemplated the idea that life holds more than what meets the eye. Their conversations drifted not only to the supernatural but also to family and loved ones, as they agreed to share tales of how the paranormal had impacted their lives.
Miss P. kicked off the storytelling on the first evening, recounting the tale of her former fiancé. A military officer, he was stationed in the West Indies, postponing their wedding. During their time apart, Miss P. took a nap one evening and was awakened by the apparition of her “Captain” at her door. He pulled up a chair, sat beside her, and conversed for about half an hour before glancing at his watch and announcing it was time to leave. When her family rushed to console the distraught Miss P., they found the chair exactly where his ghost had supposedly placed it. A month later, she received news of his death, which had occurred on the very day he had appeared to her.
Other narratives delve into the uncanny spiritual bonds that families often share, a connection that feels especially poignant during Christmas. Another guest shared the story of her maid, Rachel, who saw the ghost of her sister only to discover she had passed away that same night. The storytelling spanned eight evenings, featuring accounts of spectral cats, mysterious dogs, prophetic dreams, and eerie encounters with travelers.
The collection also includes letters that reveal Crowe’s inspiration for writing these Christmas tales. Her grandfather had passed away on Christmas Eve, and she had heard rumors that the new owners of his house frequently experienced ghostly disturbances.
8. ‘The Curse of the Catafalques’ by F. Anstey
In F. Anstey’s “Curse of the Catafalques,” the narrator, an orphan sent to Australia, is returning to London to prove his worth to his remaining family. On the voyage back, he meets his bunkmate, a young man traveling to London after the death of his elderly aunt. The aunt’s will had provided for her daughter and stipulated the terms of her marriage to the man now sharing the narrator’s cabin.
However, there’s a terrifying condition—one so dreadful that the young man prefers to fake his own death rather than face it, even though it means forfeiting wealth, land, and marriage to a baronet. He persuades the narrator to deliver news of his death to his betrothed, freeing himself from the ordeal and allowing him to vanish before the ship departs.
During the journey to England, the narrator contemplates the situation and decides to assume his acquaintance’s identity. He arrives at Parson’s Green, the home of his supposed fiancée, in the bleak midwinter. Welcomed into a gloomy and somber household by an equally cheerless family, he pushes aside his unease, lured by the promise of wealth. On Christmas Eve, he is led to the “Gray Chamber” to fulfill his part of the agreement—a detail he had overlooked before signing.
Ultimately, it is disclosed that an ancient ancestor cursed the family, meaning the narrator will not only inherit wealth but also a fearsome, vengeful supernatural entity. Each prospective suitor must face the beast, which then decides whether to depart forever, breaking the curse, or claim another victim. Despite the narrator’s efforts to reveal his deceit, he is bound to his promise.
As he sits in dread, recalling every ghostly tale he’s ever heard, carolers outside ironically sing “God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen.” His resolve to wish the so-called “Curse” a Merry Christmas vanishes when he sees red light creeping under the chamber door and hears roaring laughter from beyond. Overcome with fear, he flees as the door begins to open.
7. ‘A Strange Christmas Game’ by Mrs. J.H. Riddel
The prolific Mrs. J.H. Riddell (also known as Charlotte Riddell, author of over 40 novels) recounts the story of John Lester in the 1868 Christmas issue of London Society.
John inherits a country estate in Bedfordshire. Its previous owner, Jeremy Lester, vanished mysteriously on a Christmas Eve, leaving behind unanswered questions. Paul Lester, who briefly resided there, eventually closed the estate and passed it to John. Rumors of the house being haunted spread, but even ghostly tales couldn’t deter someone from accepting a free country estate.
The caretaker—one of many over the years—insists that the oak parlor is haunted, the very room where Jeremy Lester was last seen on that fateful Christmas Eve. Determined to uncover the truth, John and his sister Clare decide to stay awake on this Christmas Eve, hoping to either debunk or confirm the rumors. Late that night, Clare summons John with urgent news.
“They are in the oak parlor,” Clare whispers.
As they tiptoe downstairs, they discover Jeremy seated in the oak parlor, playing cribbage with a finely dressed stranger, appearing exactly as he did 41 years ago when he disappeared. They watch as the stranger declares victory, prompting Jeremy to fetch rapiers and challenge the stranger to a duel. John and Clare follow them to the garden, witnessing Jeremy’s death by the sword’s blade.
The body is discovered, and the murderer is identified—an elderly man long connected to Jeremy’s disappearance. Not only is he the killer, but he is also the one who falsely claimed Jeremy had left the house earlier than he actually did.
6. ‘The Kit-Bag’ by Algernon Blackwood
Blackwood’s 1908 story appeared in the Pall Mall Magazine, a chilling narrative about a young man desperate to escape reality during the Christmas season.
A murder trial at the Old Bailey concludes with the conviction of John Turk, a pale, dark-haired killer who dismembered his victims and concealed them with lime. The verdict allows Turk’s lawyer, Johnson, to plan a getaway to the Alps for Christmas, seeking refuge from London’s gloom and the haunting memory of Turk’s face from the trial. Johnson borrows a kit-bag from a colleague and returns home to prepare for his trip.
The bag arrives shortly after he does, and he begins packing for his holiday. As night deepens, his senses betray him—he hears footsteps outside and sees the outline of a face in the folds of the worn bag. The footsteps grow louder, and he realizes he’s not alone. The pale face reappears in the shadows, and when he opens the kit-bag again, he notices it’s not just dirty—it’s stained with blood. The lights flicker out, and when Johnson restores them, the murderer stands before him, demanding the kit-bag he used to hide his victims.
Johnson awakens the next morning downstairs. His landlady informs him that someone is at the door. A servant arrives with the correct kit-bag, apologizing profusely for the mix-up. Johnson had been mistakenly sent the bag from the trial. The servant hesitantly adds that Turk took his own life the previous night and requested to be buried in the same bag he used for his victims.
5. The Haunted House by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens, renowned for his supernatural Christmas tales, wasn’t necessarily a believer in the paranormal. Alongside five other contributors, he wrote The Haunted House as a counterpoint to the ghostly themes in his other works. Instead of traditional specters, the hauntings in this story stem from a more terrifying source: the real world.
Dickens opens the narrative, which also features contributions from Elizabeth Gaskell, Wilkie Collins, Adelaide Anne Proctor, George Augustus Sala, and Hesba Stretton.
In Dickens’s opening story, the narrator meets a man on a train who claims to have received spiritual insights from figures like Socrates, Galileo, and Pythagoras. Inspired, the narrator resolves to join his friends in spending a night in a haunted house and sharing their experiences the next morning. He locates a house, confirmed by the landlord to be haunted, and on Twelfth Night, the group draws lots for bedrooms and prepares for the night.
The first tale, by Hesba Stretton, is titled “The Ghost in the Clock Room.” It begins with the assertion that the spirit inhabiting the clock room is undeniably real. The couple who stayed in the room recount the story told by the ghost they encountered.
The ghost was once a young woman named Stella, an orphan raised by her older sister, Barbara, who was determined to arrange Stella’s marriage. Barbara advises Stella to suppress her lively personality and choose a suitable partner, leading Stella to select the somber Martin Fraser.
Stella visits Martin’s home under the pretense of using his telescope. Instead of meeting Martin first, she encounters a peculiar, childlike woman whose unsettling behavior grows increasingly alarming. When Stella meets Martin’s father, he explains that the child is a distant relative and the family’s heir.
Stella’s visits become frequent, but when Martin reciprocates her initial intentions, she feels guilty for not disclosing her true motives. She believes she has deceived the Frasers. However, after spending a solitary Christmas reflecting on her mother’s lost love—a love once pledged to Martin’s father but never fulfilled—Stella resolves to avoid the same fate.
4. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Set in an appropriately eerie old house on a suitably chilling Christmas Eve, The Turn of the Screw begins with the hiring of a new governess for Miles and Flora. However, the job comes with a peculiar condition: the governess must handle all issues independently, as the children’s guardian, their uncle, is not to be disturbed under any circumstances.
Initially, everything seems fine, but the governess soon spots a mysterious man observing her and the children. When she sees him peering through a window, she describes him to the housekeeper, who identifies him as Peter Quint, a former employee of the house who had passed away. Later, the governess encounters the ghostly figure of a woman, whom the housekeeper recognizes as Miss Jessel, Peter’s lover and the previous governess, who had died under mysterious circumstances a year earlier.
No one else can see these apparitions, but after the governess confronts her predecessor, she becomes convinced the ghosts are targeting the children. The story is laced with suggestions of abuse and occult practices, leaving the governess certain that the children—and their souls—are at risk.
The governess resolves to shield her young charges from the unseen ghosts. However, the situation escalates when Flora has a hysterical breakdown after the governess insists Miss Jessel is coming for her. While the housekeeper takes Flora to safety—whether from the current or former governess remains unclear—Miles is left with the unreliable narrator, whose sanity is questionable, and the boy meets a tragic end.
3. ‘Markheim’ by Robert Louis Stevenson
On Christmas Day, Markheim enters an antique shop, pretending to search for a gift for his sweetheart. Offended when the dealer suggests only a simple mirror, Markheim proceeds with his true intention, killing the dealer with a single strike before ascending the stairs to find the money.
As he ascends the stairs, Markheim is already tormented by his actions. He hears footsteps in the rain outside and feels a presence. Upon entering the study, he searches for the correct lock to open the cabinet. His fears are confirmed when someone opens the door. The figure—neither earthly nor divine, Markheim thinks—peers in, asking if he had been summoned. The being smiles, inquires if Markheim is searching for money, and warns him that the maid is returning, making it unwise for him to be found in the house with a corpse.
Markheim is understandably terrified. When the stranger claims to know his soul and offers to reveal the money’s location in exchange for a Christmas gift, Markheim is nearly overcome with panic.
Despite this, Markheim tries to take the moral high ground, declaring this crime his last, regardless of how dire his poverty becomes. The stranger recounts Markheim’s past misdeeds, illustrating his descent into darkness and his inevitable path to damnation. When the maid returns, the stranger suggests a simple solution: kill her too. This would allow Markheim to plunder the house and escape his poverty-driven depravity. The stranger presents him with a choice, and Markheim, at the demonic figure’s urging, approaches the door.
“You had better go for the police,” he says. “I have killed your master.”
2. ‘A Kidnapped Santa Claus’ by L. Frank Baum
The tale begins with a depiction of the Laughing Valley, where Santa and his workers thrive in joy. However, as expected from L. Frank Baum, the story takes a dark turn with the introduction of envious demons residing in a mountain across the valley.
The five demons—Selfishness, Envy, Hatred, Malice, and Repentance (lurking in the back)—despise Santa for spreading happiness. Their caves, interconnected and growing emptier due to Santa’s generosity, leave even Repentance idle, with fewer children to guide away from darkness.
Selfishness approaches Santa, urging him to hoard the toys, but Santa refuses, embodying selflessness. Envy tries next, attempting to make Santa jealous of modern toy shops, but Santa remains content with his annual gift-giving. Hatred then tells Santa about children who no longer believe in him, but Santa remains unfazed, stating their disbelief harms only themselves.
Frustrated, the demons kidnap Santa on Christmas Eve, tying him up and dragging him to their mountain lair. Santa’s hidden helpers, unaware of his disappearance, attempt to deliver the gifts but fail miserably. As Christmas Day arrives, the demons hope the children’s disappointment will drive them into their caves.
The Demon of Repentance, however, feels remorse for his actions. He allows Santa into his cave and helps him escape. Just in time, Santa encounters an army of immortals coming to his rescue. Instead of seeking revenge, Santa and his helpers correct the mistakes made during the night. The demons are left to fume, realizing they might as well take Christmas Day off.
1. ‘Between The Lights’ by E.F. Benson
Christmas at the Chandler house was filled with billiards, badminton, hide-and-seek, croquet, and ghost stories by the fire as night fell. When the host promises a story that captures the horror of childhood nightmares, expectations for a truly chilling tale are heightened.
The host recalls last Christmas, an unusually warm holiday, when some of the guests now listening to his story were playing croquet. As they played on the lawn, he sat and observed the festivities. Then, he saw something he prayed was unrelated to any of his guests.
The lawn appeared to shrink, the sky darkened, and the lone blooming dahlia transformed into flickering firelight. A room materialized around him, circular and reeking of what he described as “a human menagerie.” Shadowy figures gathered around what had been the dahlia, chattering and gesturing toward the narrator, an unwelcome observer who shouldn’t have been there.
The vision vanished as quickly as it appeared, and he was back watching his friends and family play croquet. Yet, the lingering stench and unease haunted him, leaving him with sudden bouts of melancholy in the following months. When he shared this with his wife and doctor, they dismissed it with laughter.
Months later, the narrator went on a hunting trip to Scotland, venturing into the wild mountains in search of deer. On a calm and successful day, his guide warned of an approaching storm and urged a quick retreat—but not by the easiest path. Choosing a different route, the narrator soon found himself enveloped in rising sea mist.
They pressed on, but the guide fled in terror. With his guide gone, the narrator’s fear dissipated until he stumbled into the same foul enclosure he had experienced the previous Christmas. This time, a small man advanced toward him, prompting the narrator to flee. Suddenly, he was back on the Scottish mountainside, later falling ill with pneumonia.
He acknowledges there are many possible explanations but offers none himself.
