PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK in your social media so others who loves strange and macabre stories can listen too! https://weirddarkness.com/true-stories-kids-vs-burglars-at-christmas/IN THIS EPISODE: ‘Tis the season for not only reindeer, grinches and magical snowmen but also fearless children, negligent parents and dumb thieves. “Home Alone” may be the first Christmas movie that comes to mind upon hearing that description, but it turns out there’s a long and storied tradition of true stories of children left alone around the holidays matching wits against would-be robbers. (Home Alone) *** What would you think if you received a Christmas card in the mail that had a picture of a dead bird on the cover? Not very festive, is it? But that’s not what people believed in the past. For a while, a dead bird was synonymous with saying “Merry Christmas!” (Merry Christmas, Here’s a Dead Bird) *** A woman leaves her family to go Christmas shopping at the last minute… and disappears forever. (Mom Vanishes While Christmas Shopping) *** Christmas fun isn’t all about Santa, his reindeer, and a magical snowman come to life thanks to a hat. There are some downright terrifying yuletide monsters that might make you want to stay behind locked doors this year. (Creepy Christmas Characters) *** (Originally aired December 22, 2021)SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“Merry Christmas, Here’s a Dead Bird” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9b4f73“Creepy Christmas Characters” by Molly Mahan for Ranker: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8mf9e9, and Karen Anne for German Girl In America: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckjs6r6“Mom Vanishes While Christmas Shopping” by Chrissy Stockton for Thought Catalog: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckpe5n5“True Stories of Kids Home Alone At Christmas” from Second Glance History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/25uum6xj, “Home Alone” theme by John WilliamsVisit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsorsJoin the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateAdvertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =OTHER PODCASTS I HOST…Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =https://weirddarkness.com/true-stories-kids-vs-burglars-at-christmas/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast