Back in Victorian times, people practiced strong Christmas traditions, including telling ghost stories. Charles Dickens wrote the most famous Christmas ghost story of all time and I like to celebrate it every year.
Ebenezer Scrooge was a crusty old mean rich white guy who liked to take out his selfish grievances out of the lowest and poorest of society, which included his own employees. The ghost of Scrooge’s former business partner Jacob Marley shows up one night with a warning for old miser, change your wicked ways or suffer eternity in chains just like him.
Happy October! It’s been a busy summer. I admit that keeping up with a blog this year has been challenging. On one hand I love it, I love sharing Halloween haiku and other spooky stuff, but truth is I simply don’t have the time to blog like I used to.
I did make time to visit Disneyland recently for some Fall fun.
I also know times are tough and depressing. It’s not going to get better anytime soon, we need Halloween! We need to celebrate our culture and traditions more than ever and we need to make new memories! Good memories! You never know when that may be the only thing you have. So after careful consideration, I will again be celebrating all 31 days of Halloween this year.
There will be two themes this month, Haunted Halloween and Halloween Happy. Americans are a haunted people, but we all deserve life. Halloween is for everyone. Full stop. The holiday combines both ancient pagan and religious ceremonies. The original purpose was to chase away the demons and bad ghosts that crossed over the spirit realm because of the thin veil between the living and the spirit world.
Don’t let anyone tell you how to do Halloween. Decorate or not. Wear a costume or not. We can be scary and sweet. We can be spooky and cute. Let the teenagers trick or treat. Kids collecting candy are too occupied to do anything else. I truly believe Halloween makes people happy. It’s about community. We need our communities more than ever. It’s the only thing that can save America now.
Be sure to check back every day this October for cool, fun, and inspirational Halloween, horror, and haiku.
HALLOWEEN SCHEDULE 2025
Monday Macabre
Every Monday, I’ll be posting a brand new Halloween Haiku, honoring the theme of Haunted Halloween.
Trick or Treat Tuesdays
Check in on Tuesdays for some online fun. I’ve got treats and I’ve got tricks.
Wicked Art Wednesdays
Every Wednesday, I’ll showcase the amazing and unique talents of Halloween artists from around the globe.
Timeless Thursdays
Every Thursday, let’s travel back in time and revisit some of the greatest Halloween music ever made on the corporeal plane.
Friday Fright Nightcaps
Bubble bubble, drink away trouble, it’s the return of Friday Fright Nightcaps!
Sinister Saturdays
Decadent desserts from the darkside. I’m not much of a cook, so this could get truly evil.
Spooky Sundays
Spooky Sundays are for reading, relaxing, and recharging our brooms.
Happy March! Today’s full moon is a Worm Moon, a blood moon, and there’s been no shortage of bad blood around here. I admit to being on a rampage of sorts lately. Who needs horror movies when you can turn on CNN!
While the misery is palpable, I must remember to lean on my love for Halloween, horror, and haiku to save me from the insanity. I’m committed to creating my art every full moon and on special occasions, like St. Patrick’s Day coming up on March 17th.
March is my favorite non-Ber month. It’s a magical month full of mystery, fun, and my favorite mythological supernatural creatures of all time, such as the frightening Dullahan aka the Headless Horseman, mischievous leprechauns, enchanted fairies, scary or not, and of course, the wailing banshee, a ghastly female entity known to roam the countrysides of Ireland whose cries serve as warnings for legendary families of impending death and doom.
It seems those keening spectres have made their way to America. Will anyone listen?
disturb the silence warnings of death and mayhem when the banshees cry
Hello! Today is Shop Small Business Saturday. This new annual tradition of supporting the mom and pop local businesses in your own town follows Black Friday every year. Today, I’m celebrating the last day of November with one of my favorite small businesses.
Backstitch Bruja
It’s been a joy to watch Yvette’s business grow from a small online shop into a real brick and mortar store in San Dimas, CA. This busy entrepreneur still makes time to travel around to Halloween and horror conventions and spooky events around the SoCal area. Follow her on Instagram for details on appearances.
This is just a small taste of what’s offered up this Creepmas season. It seems that everything pictured is still in stock, but merch moves quickly at Backstitch Bruja.
But don’t fret if something sells out. If you can be patient, get yourself a Backstitch Bruja giftcard. They usually restock.
I always love March because it gives me a chance to mention my favorite spooky creature, the headless horseman. You mean the guy from that story with Ichabod? Yes, that guy! The Legend of Sleepy Hollow written by Washington Irving was most likely inspired by the legendary Dullahan, a menacing spectre of Irish lore, that travels the countrysides of Ireland and Scotland, collecting souls of the recently departed.
The Dullahan is a demonic fairy or wicked hobgoblin, often accompanied by a wailing banshee, and typically depicted riding a black horse, carrying his head under one arm and a whip made of boney human spine in the hand of the other. When the Dullahan calls out your name, death is nigh. It’s also said that just hearing or seeing the Dullahan is an omen that a death in the family is immenient.
Sometimes, the headless horseman is drives a silent black carriage, known as the coiste bodhar (Ireland) or the hell wain (Scotland), which is led by six black horses and emerges out of nowhere from the dark night sky. Legend says once the death coach sets out, it can never return empty, but if you carry even a single gold coin in your pocket, you have nothing to fear, for supposedly, any item made of real gold can send the Dullahan away. However, if you steal the entire pot of fairies’ gold, well…look to the skies.
Of all the Irish legends, the story of the Dullahan is by far the scariest, again, inspiring the legendary Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow and countless other stories, books, movies, comics, video games, you name it. There are four movies featuring the Dullahan or coiste bodhar, the banshee, and other creatures that I absolutely adore and highly recommend. Be sure to move these into your queue:
Walt Disney’s Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, 1949
Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, 1999
Darby O’Gill and the Little People
The Phantom Carriage, 1921 (silent)
St Patrick’s day may have past, but we can keep the mythical stories of Irish folklore alive all year long.
Happy Friday! Christmas Day is three days away and whether you’re done shopping or just getting started, you need some good movies to take your mind off the stress of the horrordays! You gotta hand it to Santa and Krampus, these two guys are quite decisive about that naughty and nice list. You’re on one or the other, but never both! So, to celebrate Creepmas, and, in keeping with our Merry & Fright theme of traditional Christmas with spooky vibes, I compiled a list of holiday horror where we can cheer on the good guys and the bad guys who get chopped up into tiny pieces!
Nightmare Before Christmas Gremlins Krampus Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale Deadly Games A Christmas Horror Story Silent Night, Deadly Night Black Christmas (1974 version)
If you’re looking for great books to gift your spooky loved ones this season, keep reading!
Most of these suggested books I own myself or totally plan on buying. I love classic horror by all the greats and I’m also proud to support indie writers and I hope you will too. I’ve marked the ones available in digital format that make great last-minute gifts or stocking stuffers.
Best Indie Urban Paranormal so real you might go looking for these people and places series:
Consumia’s Spiritual Emporium, Book I of the Omnist Series by Rob Weldon* – $6, $16, $26; Digital, paperback, hardback and other formats available via Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Best Monster Fantasy Turned into a Video Game and Hit TV Show Series:
Blood of Elves, Book I of the Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski* – $9, $12, $25, $60; Digital, paperback, hardback and other formats available (Complete Boxset shown in image below) via Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Best Steamy Indie Paranormal Romance:
Hex and the Single Witch by Roxanne Rhoads – $12 paperback via Amazon
Best Indie Fantasy-Horror-SciFi:
Cast a Cold Eye by Derryl Murphy and William Shunn* – $2, $35 Kindle and hardback via Amazon
Best Classic Halloween Story:
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury* $5, $15; Digital, paperback, hardback and other formats available via Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Best Fun-Sized Stories to get you into the Halloween spirit:
We Bleed Orange & Black: 31 Fun Sized Tales for Halloween by Jeff Carter* – $7 paperback via Amazon
Best Comprehensive Halloween History book I can’t wait to own:
The Better Days Books Vintage Halloween Reader by Various authors – $23 paperback via Amazon
Best and Fastest Way to Understanding Halloween Folklore and Traditions:
Creating Your Vintage Hallowe’en: The folklore, traditions, and some crafty makes by Marion Paull – $15 hardback via Amazon
Best Compact Taschen Icons Picturebook:
Halloween: Vintage Holiday Graphics Edited by Jim Heimann, Forward by Steven Heller – $17 paperback via Thriftbooks
Most Comprehensive, Deluxe Hardback Halloween Picturebook Collection:
Vintage Hallowe’en: Tricks, Treats & Traditions by Robert Pandis – $75 hardback
This sought after vintage Halloween picturebook is typically sold out, but I included it here because sometimes you can find it selling on secondhand markets online.
Best Someday I’m gonna own that Book:
Dracula,1897, 1st edition by Bram Stoker – $200-37,000
If you ever come across an ugly little book that looks like this, keep it!!!
*Makes a great last-minute gift or stocking stuffer!
Halloween Horror Haiku 
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