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| Ghost Books! | Ghost Tours! | Ghost Hunts! | Avon Theater! | Facebook! | WELCOME TO THE NEW ISSUE OF THE NEWSLETTER!
THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE -- 14 DECEMBER 2011 Happy Haunted Holidays and welcome to a new issue of the newsletter -- our second to last edition before the end of 2011! As many of you know, we have one more issue coming -- our holiday ghosts newsletter, which returns with a new story that we started to run last year. We started our holiday ghost story newsletter many years ago and for more than a decade, offered a Civil War ghost story that took place during the holiday season. But in 2010, we introduced a new story, which we'll be bringing back next week! COMING IN EARLY 2012!
 | January 7: Night at the Original Springs Hotel
Okawville, Illinois
Join American Hauntings for of of our first "Dead of Winter" events at one of Illinois' most haunted places! A mysterious place with a history of healing springs, gangsters & ghosts! Includes overnight hotel stay, tour, ghost hunt and famous fried chicken dinner! Click Here for Reservations! | January 9: Tickets on Sale for Newsletter Subscribers ONLY for the 2012 Haunted America Conference! See the preview of the upcoming Haunted America Conference below and don't miss out on your chance to sign up early for the event and for the coveted After Hours events!
 | Early 2012: MURDERED IN THEIR BEDS -- The new book from Author Troy Taylor!
A "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" Series book about the History & Hauntings of the Villisca Ax Murders: | The small town of Villisca, Iowa received an unwelcome visitor one dark night in June 1912 and the town was touched by a horror unlike anything that it had seen before – or has seen since. Over the years, the brutal murders committed that night have earned a place in infamy and they remain the most famous in a series of murders that were committed across the prairie during that era. | But this was not the first time that the monster who committed the “Villisca Ax Murders” had tasted blood. He blazed a terrible trail across the region in the years before and after the Villisca murders, using the railroad lines to carry out his horrific deeds. This book will bring you the story of the Villisca Ax Murders, their history and the hauntings that followed, but it tells another story as well. It is a tale of madness, murder, horror and blood and the story of the “transient butcher” who wreaked havoc in the American Midwest and then vanished into history, his name and face forever unknown. Only his dark legacy lingers behind with us today and it remains a chronicle of one of the bloodiest unsolved murders sprees in our history -- and the ghosts that were left behind. |  | | | THE DARK SIDE OF THE HOLIDAYS Scared of Santa? You might have good reason to be! |  | With the snowstorms that many of us in the northern climate will be receiving soon, it’s become very apparent that winter has definitely arrived. For most people, winter means that the holiday season is upon us – family gatherings, parties, Christmas traditions, food, presents and days and nights of laughter, good tidings and cheer. For others, though, winter means nearly four long months of darkness, snow, cold and ice, a series of days and weeks huddled around the fire waiting for warmer weather to return. But what better days for ghosts? | | In the Victorian era, this was considered the spookiest time of year, beginning with Halloween and ending with the spring thaw. All of the greatest fictional ghost stories of the time were set in the gloomy winter months and during the holidays, like Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for instance. In the days before the holidays were overtaken by commercialism and organized religion, the winter solstice celebration (which modern man turned into Christmas) was a pagan festival of death, designed to celebrate the spirit world and the “death” of the earth, which would be re-born in the spring. And even traditional celebrations had some dark customs that have largely been forgotten in these modern times. | | Let’s just say that if you were ever scared of Santa Claus as a little kid – that blood-red suit with fur trim and that booming “ho-ho-ho” --- well, it might have been for a good reason! For most of us, our modern-day Santa Claus originally evolved from either the Christian legend of St. Nicholas – a charitable, 3rd century Greek Bishop who developed a reputation for miracles and secret gift-giving – or Odin, the wise old god from Greek mythology who dabbled in magic and fought battles from the back of his flying horse. Over the centuries, these two traditions intertwined and eventually took on other forms, including Britain’s Father Christmas, Pere Noel in France and the Dutch Sinterklaas, before turning into the jolly fat man that we all know and love today. (Ironically, the image of Santa that we recognized these days was largely created by the Coca-Cola company in the early 1900s. It was so embraced by the public that it's still around today) |  | | Most of these past incarnations were good-natured purveyors of cheer but lesser-known accomplices such as Germany and Austria’s Krampus and the Netherlands’ Zwart Piet (Black Peter) were certainly characters that could make you believe that might be more to Santa and his possibly sinister helpers that first meets the eye! In Holland of the 15th century, Black Peter was both Santa’s right-hand man and the epitome of the dark side of Christmas. The tall, gaunt, dark-skinned, devil-looking creature would hand out punishments to the bad children, giving them lumps of coal, beating them with sticks and stuffing them in a bag and dumping them in Spain. Black Peter is still around today but his image has lightened somewhat in modern times. The beatings and the coal are gone and he’s now seen as a cheerful, elf-like assistant to Santa. |  | Krampus, on the other hand, has origins that trace back to pagan rituals of the 17th century, although it wasn’t until the middle and late 1800s that Christmas cards in the alpine regions of Europe began to appear that were decorated with this hideous horned demon who punished children and punished women in ways that suggested it wasn’t just a spanking that they were getting for Christmas! A fusion of man and beast, Krampus is typically portrayed as having cloven hooves, a body covered in dark hair, a long tail, twisted horns sprouting from his head, and the face of a man with a long, snake-like tongue. He was a figure of evil, designed to evoke fear in disobedient children.
According to the legend, Krampus accompanied Santa on his Christmas Eve journey with sole purpose of inspiring bad children to be good. | | For some, this meant a slap or a spanking but others would be beaten mercilessly until they promised to behave. The truly wicked were locked in irons and collected in a large basket that was strapped to his back. They were either taken off into the woods to be tortured or were deposited directing into the fires of hell! Krampus is still around today, especially in Bavaria and Austria. The core of Krampus worship has been confined to the nights of December 5 or 6 (depending on the location), when young men dress up like the monster and march through the streets, tormenting the community. Not exactly the makings of a Merry Christmas, is it? So, whatever your holiday traditions are this year, keep in mind that your office Christmas party only seems like hell --- it could be a lot worse! | | | 
HAUNTED AMERICA CONFERENCE TICKETS ON SALE STARTING JANUARY 9! Have you checked out the Haunted America Conference website yet? If you haven't, take a look at the link below! Because you axed for it... we'll be returning to the haunted Lincoln Theater in Decatur, Illinois over the weekend of June 22 & 23, 2012 with a line-up of new and returning speakers, plus some brand new conference additions and new after-hours events. This is America's "Original Ghost Conference" and the biggest and best event that you'll attend next year. Take a look at the HAUNTED AMERICA CONFERENCE SITE and check out what we have coming up in 2012! * Speakers and presenters for 2012 include Troy Taylor & Rene Kruse; April Slaughter; Deonna Kelli Sayed; Beth Meyer; Curt Strutz; Rosemary Ellen Guiley; Eric Altman; Stan Courtney; Len Adams; Tiffany Smith Johnson; Dale Kaczmarek; and Ken Melvoin-Berg * New Conference additions like the new American Monster Panel -- because America isn't just haunted by ghosts! * After-Hours Events! Here's a rundown of the special conference After Hours events for 2012!
Friday Night ONLY:
Group / Gallery Psychic Session with Tiffany Smith / 9:00 PM
Join renowned psychic Tiffany Smith for a special group session exclusive to the Haunted America Conference! In a group gallery reading, Tiffany provides quick "mini" readings to active participants in the group. Those attending may ask psychic or medium type questions and get a quick, concise reading on the issue in question. These readings are provided in front of the group and observed and heard by all! It's great to see if you have never had a reading before and wonder what questions are asked of a psychic, then you can also join in on the event. Limited seating available! $25 Per Person Friday Night ONLY:
Wicked Decatur Tour with Troy Taylor / 9:30 PM
We all know that Decatur is one of the haunted cities in the Midwest, but how did it become that way? Join Troy Taylor on a special tour that uncovers all of Decatur's dark and dirty secrets and takes a trip back in time to reveal how it became known as "the second most corrupt city in Illinois"! Visit the remains of Decatur's vice districts, gambling houses and crimes scenes; our once-legal Red Light District; the infamous Levee District; and of course, the scenes of Decatur's most sensational (and usually unsolved) murders! This is not a tour for the faint of heart but a sensational look at the dark side of the city! $30 per person Saturday Night ONLY:
Haunted Decatur Tour / 7:30 PM
Travel throughout the city of Decatur in search of history, hauntings, crime scenes, scandals and spirits! Join us for a journey back into the history of one of America's most haunted towns and discover not only our favorite haunted places, but new locations of terror, infamy and spirits that have never been featured on the tours before. Popular with ghost buffs and history enthusiasts alike and includes new and favorite haunted locations! $30 per person Friday & Saturday Nights
Ghost Hunt at the Lincoln Theater / 10:30 PM on both nights!
Join us for a late night Investigation on Friday or Saturday Night at one of the most haunted places in downstate Illinois --- and America. Come along for another intense investigation of the supernaturally charged theater Lincoln Theater! We’ll spend the late night hours looking for the theater’s ghosts and we’ll also include a history of the theater as well. Is it really as haunted as many claim? Find out for yourself during what may be one of the scariest event of the entire conference! $30 Per Person Friday & Saturday Nights
Ghost Hunt at the Avon Theater / 10:30 PM on both nights!
Join us for a late night investigation on Friday or Saturday night at the nearby Avon Theater (just a few blocks from the Lincoln!), a 1916 movie house that is haunted by the ghost of its former owner. We'll spend the late night hours looking for this ghost -- and others -- and discover the strange history of the Avon. Offered for the first time during the Haunted America Conference!
$30 Per Person Friday Night ONLY:
Ghost Hunting Workshop with Dale Kaczmarek (President, Ghost Research Society) 9:00 PM
Join one of America's most respected ghost research as he returns for another Haunted America Conference workshop, this time on the wide variety of high-tech equipment that has been introduced to the world of ghost research, and how to use it. He'll be offering demonstrations and showing you the ways to collect the best evidence possible in your own investigations. Workshop will be held at the Lincoln Theater! $20 Per Person Private Readings with Renowned Psychic Ken Melvoin-Berg
Ken will be offering private readings throughout the weekend of the conference with limited spots on Friday and for Saturday afternoon. Reserve when registering for the event and we'll fill all of the spots on a first come / first served basis when possible during the conference. Book early -- as always, Ken's sessions will definitely sell out again this year! * Information about vendor spaces will also be available soon! Tickets will go on sale early for newsletter subscribers, starting on January 9, so keep an eye on future newsletters for updates! This is an event that you are NOT going to want to miss, so we'll look forward to seeing you in Decatur next June! | | This electronic message is intended for newsletter subscribers. Please note that any form of distribution, copying or use of this communication, or the information it contains, is strictly prohibited without the express permission of the sender. Any use of this communication without permission is unlawful and a violation of federal copyright standards. If you have received this communication in error, please return it to the sender. © Copyright 2011 by Troy Taylor. All Rights Reserved | | | |
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