The holiday season is often celebrated with traditions of joy, generosity, and storytelling, including the long-standing custom of sharing ghostly tales during Christmastime. As the classic lyric reminds us—“there’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago”— these chilling narratives have been a part of the season’s folklore for centuries. From eerie apparitions to unexplained phenomena, the season of goodwill has a darker, mysterious side woven into its history. Are they only holiday legends, or real ghosts of Christmas past? On this Friday the 13th, here 13 haunting Christmas tales as chilling as the winter air.

You know Bigfoot and Nessie, and Yeti and Dogman… but do you recall any of these 10 lesser-known cryptids? From the mysterious jungles of Southeast Asia to the depths of the Congo Basin, these bizarre and rare cryptids aren’t nearly as famous as their legendary counterparts, but they defy explanation all the same.

They say time is relative. Are space, dimension, and reality relative as well? From suddenly stepping into a time long past, to losing hours of unaccounted time, to changing locations in the blink of an eye and returning to places that no longer exist, these creepy accounts of time slips, lost time, and shifting realities may have you questioning the corporeality of our present existence.

Beaches often evoke images of relaxation and beauty, but some shorelines have darker reputations due to tragic events, shipwrecks, and mysterious disappearances, leaving behind restless spirits and eerie tales. As Memorial Day approaches in the U.S. and beachgoers prepare for their first beach excursion of the summer, you might explore these 10 haunted beaches around the world — or dive into their haunted histories and decide to plan a “staycation” instead!

Happy International Podcast Day! Every September 30 is a day to celebrate all of the awesomeness that is podcasting, and this year we’ve gotten some help from our listeners on social media to pump up our playlist. In honor of International Podcast Day 2020, here are 10 fan favorite episodes of The Confessionals to binge on this auspicious occasion!