This Month in History - The Birth of Fiorello H. LaGuardia
In the month of December, on the 11th, in 1882 future New York City mayor, Fiorello H. LaGuardia was born. His first name meant, 'the little flower' in Italian, which became his nickname. He was born to Italian immigrant parents in Greenwich Village, NY. Shortly after his birth, Fiorello's father enlisted in the army and the family left for various Army posts. From a young age Fiorello was interested in politics, becoming New York City's 99th mayor in 1934, serving three terms. Prior to that, he had served several terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Although LaGuardia was a lifelong Republican, he was a progressive reformer who often ran on 'Fusion' tickets. He was supported by the American Labor Party and other leftist groups. LaGuardia successfully dismantled the powerful Tammany Hall political machine, replacing patronage jobs with a merit-based civil service system. During the Great Depression, Fiorello forged a close partnership with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, securing New Deal funding to revitalize New York City's economy and infrastructure. His massive infrastructure projects included the construction of the airport that bears his name, as well as the Triborough Bridge, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and many parks and playgrounds. LaGuardia also unified the city's transit system, built low-cost public housing and modernized the police force. Fiorello H. LaGuardia is commonly regarded by historians and scholars as the greatest mayor in New York City's history.
Haunted Christmas Markets
For those of us that like the creepy, Christmas is a time for ghost stories. This is also a time of markets and Europe is world famous for their Christmas markets. We thought it would be interesting to wander some of these markets and find out if anything is haunting them. While we didn't find any direct hauntings specific to these markets, there are buildings and locations near these markets that have spirits and legends connected to them. On this episode, we explore the history and nearby hauntings of several of the Christmas markets throughout Europe.
Christmas had been on the brink of extinction due to the zeal of the Puritans and many credit Dickens and A Christmas Carol along with several other works by different authors for saving Christmas. A Christmas Carol reminded people of traditions that had been important to them in the past. Included in this was the tradition during the Victorian Era of telling ghost stories during the Christmas season. The practice actually goes back much further than the Victorian Era, but it was during that era that it became most popular. Dickens edited journals that specialized in ghost stories and while he didn't profess to believe in ghosts, he knew that people were very keen on them. So it made sense that his story of redemption at Christmas would contain the supernatural element of ghosts. And it also makes sense that ghost stories would pop up during the Winter because this is the time of the year when darkness takes over and the veil is thinner. British humorist Jerome K. Jerome wrote, “Whenever five or six English-speaking people meet round a fire on Christmas Eve, they start telling each other ghost stories. Nothing satisfies us on Christmas Eve, but to hear each other tell authentic anecdotes about specters.”
History of Christmas Markets: Christmas Markets in Europe really got their start with open air Winter Markets, usually held in December, that featured meat, bread and things that would be more scarce through the rest of the winter. Duke Albrecht of Vienna authorized these 14-day fairs in 1296. There wasn't anything religious about these fairs. The Striezelmarkt (Street zel market) that started in 1434 is considered the first true Christmas market. This started under Friedrich II in Dresden and was held the Monday before Christmas. This mostly facilitated the sell of meat for the Christmas meal, which would be breaking the fasting period of Advent. This has grown to 240 stands today and most Christmas Markets have more than just food. There are handcrafts and toys and live entertainment with music and dance. When the markets opened in countries like Austria and Germany, they were called Christkindlmarket, which means Christ child market. The first of these was in Nuremburg in 1628. The markets continued to spread with German-speaking people into the countries of France and Italy.
Prague Christmas Market
Prague has two sites for Christmas markets: Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, which are a five minute walk from each other. The squares comes alive with lights, traditional music and enormous Christmas trees and one of the specialties that can be found at various booths is trdelnik (Turtudneek), which is a traditional Czech chimney cake. This is also known as a spit cake, which is made from layers of dough wrapped around a stick that is baked and topped with a sugar and walnut mix. And just for a little synchronicity, this is also a traditional Moravian dish. The shopping and food booths are festively decorated wooden huts. Some of the unique foods available are carp fries, grilled klobasa (sausages), ham roasting on spits, smoked meat dumplings, local cheeses and Czech Christmas fish soup made from carp, vegetables, cream and brandy. The Christmas market runs from November 29 to January 6th in 2025.
(Kelly) The Old Town Hall Tower has the best view of the market. Beneath the Old Town Hall are a bunch of corridors and underground chambers, which used to be used for storage. The Prague astronomical clock or Prague Orloj is here and it is said to carry a curse that dooms anyone who harms the clock or its maker. The Old Town Square itself held public executions, so people claim to see several ghostly figures in the square including a doomed nobleman and a headless knight.
godhateskatherine an Reddit wrote, "While I was there I initially didn't feel much of anything. I was slightly uncomfortable by the idea of basements or anything underground - as I always have since I was a child. But as we ventured further into the corridors, and were told more information, I started to feel uneasy. More than usual. It felt like I was being watched intently, and closely. That feeling you get when your boss is watching over you. That sense of anxiety of it all. That combined with a sudden taste of metal in my mouth freaked me out. And I nudged one of my professors to see if I was alone in this experience. He simply said that he felt nothing. And told me not to make a fuzz out of it. So, I didn't. I kept quiet and ignored it. This was until we made it to the "dungeon" part of the tour. [In the 17th century, during the reign of the Habsburgs, the underground chambers were used as prison cells. Political prisoners and criminals were incarcerated there, enduring harsh conditions. The most infamous section of the underground is known as the "dungeon," where prisoners were held in cramped and dark cells.] And when I tell you, the instant sense of dread fell over me before the tour guide had even told me what the room was. The air felt heavier than normal, I started to shiver, and my apple watch was telling me that my pulse was getting too high and that I should sit down. And although it might be a mixture of all my prior nervousness, I kept seeing something out the corner of my eye. Not in the “there’s a person there” but in the “there is SOMETHING there”. Suddenly the feeling of uneasiness became a fully fletched panic attack. And I had to leave the tour prematurely. To this day I still don’t know whether or not it was just a reaction to being in the basement or if there was something more to it. It sure didn’t feel like “just a bit of childish panic”, it felt real. Like someone was constantly watching me, observing my every move. Making sure that I wasn’t making any mistakes or treading somewhere I wasn’t supposed to. I don't know if this was "just" me feeling uneasy, or if there was something more to it.
The Kinsky Palace also borders the market. The palace was finished in 1765, but that completion came at a high price, at least according to legend. The builders wanted the palace to be further into the square than the other buildings, which was against code. So the builders put up a wall while they built the foundation to make sure they weren't stopped. They noticed though that the foundation kept cracking. This happened for five days in a row. An old man managed to get past the wall and he was horrified to see the palace further into the square and he told the builders that they were building on the devil's ground and this is why the foundation cracked. He told them that he knew a way to fix the issue. They needed to kill a child and bury it in the foundation to please the Devil. The horrified builders said they would do no such thing, but after a couple more weeks of delay, they decided to get a young girl from an orphanage. She was killed and put in the foundation and it didn't crack anymore. Prague City Adventures wrote, "the first inhabitants moved in. In a very short period of time the first owner moved out and sold the building for a great loss. When the owner was asked why he sold he spoke of nights spent hearing a little girl cry. Little feet running down the hall only to stop if someone investigated. He said the worst night was just a few days before he decided to leave. He woke in the middle of the night to find a little girl in tattered clothing standing at the foot of his bed. He sold the building and moved away."
Vienna Christmas Market
(Kelly) Vienna hosts dozens of Christmas markets. One is the Rathausplatz at the City Hall Square in front of the neo-Gothic Rathaus Building, which is the largest and most photogenic. There are usually around 150 stalls serving up Austrian crafts and food and the world famous Vienna Christmas punch. Mulled wine is popular too. The markets start mid-November and run through January 6th, except the Rathausplatz one ends December 26th in 2025.
The other big market, Schonbrunn Palace Market, is in front of the Habsburgs' summer palace, which is also know as the Austrian Versailles. The Habsburgs were a royal dynasty from Switzerland that ruled over most of mainland Europe. They had a family ghost called The White Lady who was seen often in the Schönbrunn Palace. A unique thing about her is that she wears black gloves. The Hasburgs believed that when they saw her, someone was going to die in the family. People who work here claim to hear disembodied voices and they see shadow figures. The White Lady hasn't been seen much since the monarchy ended in 1918. The Schonbrunn Market hosts a New Years Market after Christmas.
Edinburgh Christmas Market
(Kelly) This is said to be one of the most picturesque winter festivals in the UK and it is so popular that just last week, people were describing it as absolute hell because of the throngs of people there. This market started in 1999 on East Princes Street Gardens. These are two parks that are next to each other and run through the center of Edinburgh and were formed from the draining of Nor Loch. That needed to be drained because it was polluted with sewage on a regular basis. The parks are bordered with some magnificent buildings including the Royal Scottish Academy, National Gallery of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle. During the Christmas market, the parks are transformed not only into an open air market, but an amusement park with rides that include a 108 foot high Ferris Wheel. In more recent years, the market has expanded out onto George Street and there is an ice rink there. This year it runs from November 15, 2025 to January 4, 2026 from 10am to 10pm.
Many ghost tours in Edinburgh focus on Old Town, where the Christmas Market is centered. People feel unsettled in the area. Just a quarter of a mile away from the park and the George IV Bridge stands the South Bridge. This bridge has a storied history connected to these vaults beneath it with tales of death, disease crime and body snatching. An apparition that seems connected to this is an entity nicknamed The Watcher, who is tall and big. Now, this doesn't mean that The Watcher is haunting the Christmas Market, but clearly there is spiritual residue in this area. To add more fuel to this, just a few feet away is Deacon Brodie's Tavern, which is a pretty haunted location. Apparently, this tavern is named for William Brodie who was the inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Brodie was not only a deacon, but also a cabinet maker. And...a burglar. He had to finance his gambling addiction and mistresses after all. So this respected tradesman had a big secret. Brodie was the best locksmith in the town, so he was able to gain knowledge about his customers security measures and to make wax impressions of keys. Then at night he would be a thief. He even recruited people to help him in 1786. he was eventually found out, captured and executed in 1788. it was this facade of a bad guy hiding behind a respectable businessman that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson. This gentleman thief's spirit wanders near the tavern and thus may make appearances in the market. He is seen carrying a lantern and has rope marks on his neck.
Kraków Christmas Market
(Kelly) The Krakow Christmas Market is known for pierogies and vodka and is one of the largest markets. It is located in Old Town Krakow in a square named Rynek Glowny (Rayneck Goovnee). The market runs from November 28 to January 1, 2026. Specialties at this market are Oscypek (Awsipeck) smoked cheese from Zakopane (Zakowpaanuh) served with cranberry preserves, hot vodka drinks and pretty crystal baubles. The market is ringed with eateries and beautiful architecture. The Town Hall Tower is 700 years old and it is slightly off-kilter. And there is the 1,000 year old stone St. Adalbert’s Church and St. Mary's Basilica.
The oldest building here though may be the 13th century Gothic cloth center known as Sukiennice (Sookie nitzay). In its eave hangs the Knife of Rynek (Raynek). The knife is connected to St. Mary's, which has two towers that are two different heights. There is a legend as to why the towers have different heights. It has to do with two brothers. They were entrusted to build the towers and they would display their skill with each tower. The younger brother's tower rose faster and the older brother became jealous. He grabbed a knife and killed his brother in a jealous rage. The older brother was haunted at night by visions of his brother and the guilt overwhelmed him. He ended up plunging the same knife into his own heart and then he jumped off his tower. That is the knife that now hangs in the Cloth Hall. St. Mary's Church plays the notes of a trumpet call that ends abruptly in remembrance of the sentry who warned the city of attack, but was shot in the throat while sounding the call to arms. That trumpeter's ghost is said to haunt the church.
Strasbourg Christmas Market
Strasbourg Cathedral borders the Strasbourg Christmas Market in Alsace (Al sass), France. The cathedral is Romanesque in architecture and construction on it began in 1015. A new effort was launched in 1190 and the cathedral was completed in 1439. Much of it was constructed from reddish-brown sandstone. The Cathedral has been through much upheaval, revolutions, religious fights and war damage. Much of the war damage wouldn't be fixed until the early 1990s. We would be remiss if we didn't mention that the Cathedral had an al-Qaeda bomb plot against it in 2000 and that there was a shooting at the Christmas market in 2018 that killed five people. Obviously, that is scary, but there are also hauntings here. It isn't surprising that their are spirits connected to the Cathedral since the place can be quite chilling. The Cathedral has some creepy visuals. The stained-glass windows feature scary monsters and demonic looking creatures. There are demons shown tempting saints, dancing around sinners who are burning and some creatures are even dancing from men's mouths. Obviously, churches were going with the same idea here as parents with their children at Christmas: scare them into being good, so they get good stuff. So imagine the priest up at the pulpit giving a fiery sermon and you glance over to the window and see this nightmare frozen in glass and boom! You are going to be a good person. Imagine this time with the Black Death, witch hunts and then the church is telling you and showing you all about hell. It's no wonder this Cathedral is haunted and this pours out over into the market area nearby.
(Kelly) And speaking of those witch hunts. There is a legend that claims a woman accused of witchcraft was burned at the stake here and she haunts the Cathedral and this might possibly spill over into the market area. Visitors feel cold spots and hear disembodied whispers and screaming. But she isn't alone. The Devil is said to have been trapped here. There is an astronomical clock and the story goes that a sculptor lured the Devil into the Cathedral and trapped him in the clock. When the winds storm outside, it is said that this is the Devil struggling to escape. So if it gets a bit breezy at the market, maybe you should head home. There are also tales that the Cathedral's architect haunts the place with his apparition being seen.
Zagreb Christmas Market
The Zagreb Christmas Market is in Croatia and is another one known for its beauty and usually referred to as Advent Zagreb. Zagreb is the capital of Croatia. The main market is based in Ban Jelačić Square. This square is in the center of Zagreb and was founded as a marketplace in 1641 in a plain that was near a spring. The buildings around the square date back to the 18th century. Goods were brought in by carts and sold here until 1858. Shortly before that, the square was renamed Ban Jelačić (Bahn Yeh lah chich) Square in honor of Ban Josip Jelačić (Bahn Yosip Yeh lah chich). A sculpture of him on a horse was placed in the square in 1866. This was contrvertial to some and particularly to Hungarians, who saw Jelačić (Yeh lah chich) as a traitor. For a time it was removed and the square was called Republic Square, but in the 1990s, the square was returned to its earlier name and the statue was returned to the square as well. During Advent, the square is adorned with Christmas trees and lights. It won “Best Christmas Market in Europe” three years in a row. Like other cities with markets, there are several in Zagreb, at least seven. These kicked off on November 29th. The Stone Gate is near the Christmas markets in Upper Town and there are legends connected to them. There have been times when the city has tried to tear down the gates, but anyone who makes an attempt to do that dies. And usually in an unexplainable way. While that might lead some to call it cursed, this has become a place of prayer. People will light candles and pray at the gate.
(Kelly) There is a real reason for that though. In 1731, nearly everything in Zagreb was destroyed in a huge fire which burnt down almost everything except the gate and the image of the Mother of God, which was owned by the Modlar widow. Believers dubbed the gates the Shrine of Our Lady of the Stone Gate and people believe these gates protect the city in a supernatural way. Also, not far from Ban Josip Jelačić (Bahn Yosip Yeh lah chich) is Park Gric (Greetch). The park was built over a graveyard and has been prone to sightings of shadowy figures.
Bruges Christmas Market
The Bruges (Broozh) Christmas Market in Belgium is part of the Winter Glow festival and runs from Nov. 21 to Jan. 4th in 2025. This is hosted in the Market Square and features an ice rink, a light trail through illuminated streets, festive chalets and booths with handcrafts and food treats like hot chocolate and Belgian waffles. The market today is a revived festival that originally dates back to the 19th century. This had been a mighty city during medieval times, but lost its prominence so much that it was dubbed the dead city or Bruges-la-morte. The most famous ghost story shared about the market is about a monk who had fallen in love with a nun during the 15th century, The nun loved him, but she refused to turn on her vows of celibacy and to leave her work as a nun. After repeated attempts to get her to marry him, the monk flew into a rage and killed the nun. He buried her body in the tunnels of Bruges. And now a ghostly nun is seen walking through the Market area.
Tallinn Christmas Market
(Kelly) The Tallinn Christmas Market is located in Estonia and it is truly a magical market. A lit up little train, tours people around the booths that encircle the center piece of a giant Christmas tree. The market has been held in Town Hall Square since 1441. The town claims that their Christmas tree was the first one to be put on display in Europe. Food offerings include black pudding, sour cabbage, gingerbread cookies and hot Christmas drinks. The Town Square is part of Tallinn's Old Town and this area is considered very haunted.
Just a short walk from the Square is Rataskaevu 16, which hosts the most famous legendary story in Tallinn. The owner of this house had fallen on hard times and he was desperate. A stranger came to his door and asked if he could host a party in the upper left room of the house. He told the owner that he would give him a bag of gold in return. The owner agreed and when the stranger said he needed privacy, the owner agreed to that as well. The invited guests all came and went up to the little rented room. This was a lot of people. The owner of the house began to wonder how it was possible that all these people could fit into the room. His curiosity got the best of him and he forgot about honoring privacy. He snuck up to the room and looked through the keyhole of the door. The owner was shocked to see that a wedding was going on, but he was even more shocked by what he saw when looking at the feet of everyone. They had hooves rather than feet. His hair turned shock white from fear. The guests all had horns too. The Devil himself was the groom. The owner ran downstairs and hid until the next morning. When the rooster crowed, all the guests rushed out of the house and disappeared into the early morning fog. The owner continued to hide, but by noon, he had worked up his courage to go to the room. He found his bag of gold left behind, but when he opened it, the contents turned to dung. This room is now said to be the Devil's Room and he continued to visit it. Some other owners eventually walled up the room.
Bratislava Christmas Market
The Bratislava (Bra tus lava) Christmas Market is hosted in Slovakia's Old Town in the Main Square. There are wooden stalls offering food and crafts, festive lights, local singers and music. The market runs from Nov. 27th to Jan. 6th in 2025. Michael's Gate is the only remaining medieval gate in the town and right at the edge of Bratislava's Old Town and a short walk from the Main Square. A small building next to the gate had been the home of the executioner who was said to be a very cruel man. His victim's spirits seem to have been trapped at the executioner's house. Strange noises have been reported coming from the house and lights flicker. A shadow figure has been seen in an upstairs window. Also right near the Main Square is the Primate's Palace. This is home to the Screaming Well. This old well has been beautifully restored and during the restoration, a worker fell into the well and died. His spirit is still in the well and his screams are heard coming from it on occasion. This usually happens around dawn.
Salzburg Christkindlmarkt
The Salzburg Christkindlmarkt is probably the wildest Christmas market in Europe. Two of the reasons for this are the Krampus Runs and these weird figures that join the Christ Child parade through the streets. They wear scary masks, carry thick rods and ring bells. It's all pretty scary, especially for kids. This Christmas Market dates back to the late 15th century and was originally called the “Tandlmarkt” offering goods through the Advent season. In the 17th century, this became the St. Nicholas Market or “Nikolaimarkt.” Today, the markets are located in several parts of the city of Salzburg, but the main market is at Residenzplatz (Reh-zee-DENTS-plahtz) and Domplatz (DOHM-plahts) in the historic center near the Salzburg Cathedral and features baked goods, mulled wine and handcrafted items. The market begins mid-November and runs through to New Years Day. There is a legend of a witch that haunts the area near a Salzburg Christmas Market that is located by the Hohenwerfen (Hoe when verfen) Castle. She is seeking vengeance and this is because she was executed at the castle. And indeed, the castle hosted witch trials and executions. Catholic and Protestant communities were holding witch hunts and pogroms for several centuries, ending in the early part of the 18th century. Most of those who ended up tortured and killed were young men. The most famous of those who were sought in Salzburg was Sorcerer Jackl. Jackl was Jakob Koller, the 20-year-old son of a woman named Barbara Koller. She was a butcher of animals, which was not the most popular job in town. She was arrested in 1675 after being accused of stealing from an offertory box from a church in Golling. Barbara was then accused of practicing withcraft and under torture she said her son Jakob was also a witch. She was executed, but Jakob ran and was never apprehended and legends claimed that this was because he turned himself into a wolf when he needed too and that he had formed a protective circle of child beggars to protect him. This fired off more witch hunts and when this particular time ended, 167 people had died.
(Kelly) And since we are talking witches, we have to mention Frau Perchta (Frow (like ow) Pair shta). She is a very popular legend in Salzburg and people costumed as her are seen at the market. Perchta is described as looking like a decrepit old crone, who wanders Salzburg in the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany? Frau Perchta likes to disembowel people and fill them with stones.
Nothing oozes the Christmas spirit more than a Christmas Market. These have been a tradition for centuries. They are hosted in cities with centuries of history. It's no wonder that many of them have ghost stories that are near them. Are these Christmas Markets haunt adjacent? That is for you to decide.
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