The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night & more

About this event

Delve into the ancient spiritual origins and lesser-known histories of European midwinter festivities. Followed by Q&A. Step into midwinter and discover Christmas in a new light - not only a Christian holiday, but as a festival shaped by ancient rituals of darkness, light, and rebirth. This workshop uncovers lesser-known histories including the story of St Lucy, the Christian martyr, bringer of light and healer of sight, who brings the warmth of family love to the winter solstice (along with spiced buns). We’ll trace connections to Roman festivals like Kalends, Saturnalia and Sol Invictus, where feasting, misrule, and the promise of the returning sun shaped our modern celebrations. We’ll explore Christmas’ shadowy figures - the fairies, demons, and witches - and uncover Father Christmas’s forgotten, darker side. Finally, we’ll learn why Twelfth Night, once called Mischief Night, featured the witch Befana flying across Milan and the Wild Hunt gathered in the skies over Britain. Join us for a journey into the magical, mysterious heart of midwinter - where light and darkness meet, and Christmas reveals its ancient, mysterious origins. Workshop highlights: Discover the rich history of folklore surrounding Christmas and midwinter Discuss the influence of ancient non-Christian festivals on the development of traditions associated with Christmas Explore a world of characters from lesser-known fairies and demons to Father Christmas himself Understand how the celebration of Christmas is significant not just within the Christian faith but as a wider midwinter festival celebrated for centuries Stream Opens at 7pm AEDT, Talk Starts 7:05pm! Diane Purkiss is Professor of English at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Keble College. She has published on witchcraft, fairies, and also on the English Civil War, the occasion of England's biggest witchhunt. She has been in more than a dozen television documentaries; she even has an IMdb entry and a Wikipedia page… She has spoken to general audiences at numerous literary festivals and to many local history societies.