Tag: christmas ghosts

The Tragic Tale of Danny the Ghost Boy

Alex Matsuo

CW: Child abuse, physical violence

I’ve been trying to find fresh content when it comes to Christmas ghost stories and Christmas monsters. Mostly because there’s already so much information about Krampus, Frau Perchta, Belsnickel, etc. This story was one that I heard from one of my co-workers. So, thanks for the tip, Joni!

Now in full disclosure and full transparency, I haven’t been able to find any primary source for this story. Any references that I found have come from listicles and blogs. But considering it does exist online it had to come from somewhere. I need your help in solving this Christmas mystery, especially if you’re in South Africa or you know someone from South Africa. 

I’ll be honest when I heard about Danny, I immediately thought of Danny Phantom, the cartoon from Nickelodeon. It was an awesome cartoon and I loved it.

Obsessed with Cookies

The story of Danny the Ghost Boy goes like this; Danny was a little boy (age unknown) who really enjoyed Christmas cookies. He’s a little boy, he’s a kid. That’s to be expected. He enjoys cookies, especially cookies made by grandma. Now grandma warned him not to touch or eat the cookies because some of the cookies were going to go to Santa and the rest of the cookies were going to be for Christmas, which was the next day. But Danny really wanted a Christmas cookie like really wanted it. He could not stop thinking about it. 

So, he tried to think up ways to get a cookie without anyone noticing. Finally, Danny decided to take a risk and eat up a couple of the cookies, hoping that no one would notice. But even if someone did notice, the only person he would have to face would be his grandma. She is a sweet little old lady so you know there’s nothing wrong with facing grandma and just saying sorry. I mean I will admit I’m one of those people that will ask for forgiveness instead of permission, so maybe Danny had the same mindset. It is sweet little old grandma, what harm could come? 

A Tragic End

So, Danny ate some of the cookies. When his grandma found out she was mad. I mean we are not talking like she was just disappointed in Danny not following directions. She was mad. Grandma was so mad that she grabbed a stick and started beating Danny with it. She started beating this little boy just for eating cookies. Granny beat him around his shoulders and his head and just kept hitting him with a stick.

She hit him so many times that Danny did not survive the ordeal. I told you it was dark. So yes, a little boy sneaking in some Christmas cookies managed to trigger the rage of grandma. Triggered to the point where she unalives her grandson, all for a bunch of cookies. Grandma was emotional and really stressed out and Danny taking the cookies was the last straw. 

Now for poor little Danny he did not move on to the afterlife. Instead, he stayed put as a ghost. Danny now wanders the earth during the holidays. He’s looking to haunt naughty children who may want to steal their own Christmas cookies.  He wants to haunt these naughty children so that they do not suffer the same fate as he did. Imagine being so naughty that a ghost warns you not to make the same mistake he made.

Analysis

I have some thoughts on this story like I mentioned at the beginning of the blog. There’s no primary source material for the story. At least none that I have been able to find in the time that I’ve researched this. But to be honest, the only ghost children during the holidays I could find is Ignorance and Want from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. But there are some themes here that I find interesting. Mainly Danny haunting naughty children so that they do not make the same mistake that he did. It very much reminds me of Jacob Marley and him warning scrooge to not make the same mistakes that he did, or his chains would be heavier than Marley’s.

there’s something to be said about this type of ghost story really that’s trying to teach a lesson and warn kids now during you know the holidays and everything it’s not even just during the holidays it’s not uncommon for these stories to come up as a warning to get kids to behave so it sounds like this could be south Africa’s way of scaring children into following directions. it is not that “oh you don’t want to eat Santa’s cookies and you want to be good because if not Santa will bring you coal” it’s “no if you eat the cookies your grandma could possibly unlive you” …all for cookies. That is kind of what boggles my mind too. It’s not anything about money I mean I don’t know maybe grandma really did snap when that happened to Danny.

What do you think of this story?

Feel free to share with your friends and family who also enjoy the spooky stuff especially during the holidays.

5 Christmas Ghost Stories to Make Your Holidays Spooky

Alex Matsuo1 Comment

It’s Christmas! After you’re done opening presents and enjoying a wonderful dinner, it’s time to sit down and enjoy a story. Keeping with tradition, what’s Christmas without a good ghost story session?

The Headless Horseman

via History Haunted

When I see anything to do with “Headless Horseman”, I’m immediately taken to Washington Irving’s story and images of Ichabod Crane. But this isn’t quite the same story, but it’s just as charming and spooky. Located in Suffolk, Roos Hall is reportedly one of the most haunted places in the United Kingdom. The hall dates back to the 16th century and has seen a lot of history in its time. With lots of history, come stories of ghosts and specters. Inside one of the cupboards, there are reports of the Devil’s cloven hoofprint.

There’s also a hanging tree rumored to be haunted. Also known as Nelson’s Tree, the tree was on a gibbet where multiple criminals were executed. Now to the Christmas ghost story. Every Christmas Eve, a headless horseman is seen galloping down the driveway. But that’s not all. He’s pulling a coach with four horses. The horseman and his crew rush silently towards the hall before disappearing. Why does this happen? It’s a mystery.

Brooklyn Doorbell Dasher

via The Bowery Boys

In December 1878 at 136 Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, Edward F. Smith was dealing with a strange occurrence. You can read the original story here if you have an account with the New York Times. A few weeks before Christmas, his doorbell rang. When he went to answer the door, no one was there. Sure, maybe this was a case of Edward being the victim of doorbell dash. But then the ringing happened again. Edward checked the door again…no one. The ringing continued throughout the night with the same result; no one was there. Then, the ringing escalated to banging. But no one was at the door. This continued nightly.

Edward enlisted the help of family and friends and stationed them throughout the house, trying to find the culprit. He even sprinkled ash and flour along with the doorway and the path leading up to the door. Nothing. He also called the cops, and detectives were sent to the house. The detectives were blown away by the occurrence and they came back with reinforcements the next night. That same night, a brick was thrown through the window. But again, no one was there. Even the cops stationed outside didn’t see anything. The house was also checked for wires and anything indicating fraud. Again…nothing.

Anne Boleyn

This may be one of the most heartbreaking holiday ghost sightings. We know Anne Boleyn as the second wife of Henry VIII. Even though Henry went through so much to divorce his first wife so he could marry Anne, he still had her beheaded after a whirlwind of wrong. Anne had a hard time in life, and she truly didn’t deserve what happened to her. She grew up at Hever Castle in Kent, UK, and it seems that where she was the happiest. According to legend, every Christmas Eve, the spirit of Anne Boleyn glides over the River Eden heading towards Hever Castle.

The Singing Spirit

May Yohé | Victoria & Albert Museum, Lafayette archive circa 1899

In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania there sits the Hotel Bethlehem. This is a location very familiar to paranormal investigators, as there are a number of reports of hauntings. One such story is that of May Yohé, a stage actress whose talents earned her critical acclaim around the world. She married a wealthy lord and she soon joined the British aristocracy. However, that wealthy lord went bankrupt. May’s life went down a terrible path. She eventually married an American soldier, but he too robbed her of her wealth. Throughout her life, May said that she spent some of the best days of her life in Bethlehem. Visitors at the Hotel Bethlehem have reported seeing May Yohé’s spirit next to the Christmas tree. She’s in elegant attire and is sometimes heard singing songs next to the piano.

Brown Lady of Raynham Hall

via Wikimedia Commons | Public Domain

Most paranormal investigators and researchers are familiar with the famous photos of the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall. But what many don’t know is that the ghost story tied to this photo is actually a Christmas ghost story. In the 1700s, Charles Townsend married Dorothy Walpole. They lived in wedded bliss until Charles started becoming paranoid that Dorothy was cheating on him. Instead of sorting through it like a rational human, Charles locked Dorothy away in Raynham Hall. He actually told her friends and family that she had passed away. Dorothy lived the rest of her days in captivity and secrecy. All she could do is wander the halls of her home. Since then, a woman in a brown tattered dress is seen around the hall.

The first report of the Brown Lady was in 1835 by Lucia C. Stone during Christmas time. One of the reports even said that they saw a woman with a glowing face and empty sockets where her eyes should have been.