Boo! It’s the spooky season and do we ever have a thrilling blog for you! Whether you attended summer camp as a kid or ever did some family camping you know that the communal campfire could be both warming and chilling – especially when there were ghost stories to be told.

The comforting scent of burning wood and the company of friends and family created the perfect setting for the ancient tradition of storytelling and ghost stories were the most fun to tell! These tales shared in theatrical voices under starry skies tapped into our primal fear of the unknown. Have some fun this spooky season with a haunted campfire of your own and pick one of these spine-tingling stories to tell just in time for Halloween…

1. The Crying Ghost – The emotional pull of this story of a crying ghost is frightening and deeply sad, with layers of mystery. The story begins with a strange noise in the night and the faint sound of sobbing. The tale of The Crying Ghose centers on a tragedy – a lost child or a grieving mother whose spirit is said to wander the forest, searching for what she lost. The ghost could be harmless, her pitiful cries could be luring people deeper into the woods until they are lost and never return. Just who is the spirit who wanders the woods?

2. The Legend of Bloody Mary – Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary… Noooooo, don’t say it three times, and here’s why! Bloody Mary was a witch who lived in the woods a long, long time ago. To regain her youth, she stole the villagers’ daughters to drink their blood. When the villagers captured her, they burned her alive but not before she cursed them, saying she would exact her revenge on anyone who repeated her name three times while looking in a mirror.

3. The Vanishing Hitchhiker – This timeless ghost story exploits our fear of the unknown and the chilling possibilities of crossing paths with ghosts. The tale typically begins with a driver traveling down a lonely road late at night. Out of the cloak of darkness, a female figure is found standing by the roadside, seeking a ride. The driver picks her up and they engage in polite conversation until they arrive at her destination and the hitchhiker vanishes into eerie silence. The driver later finds that the passenger had died years before on the very road she was picked up on…hmmm.

4. The Phantom Camper – Imagine settling into a cozy tent after a long day of hiking only to hear noises, perhaps footsteps outside. When you call out no one responds. As the sounds get closer, you hear the footsteps stop just outside the tent. The Phantom Camper tale pricks a tickle of fear at the thought of being alone in the wilderness with no one around to help. The mysterious footsteps could be from a long-lost hiker, or a cursed wanderer and the terror lies in the unknown forces lurking just beyond the zipped-up camping tent.

5. The Haunted Cabin – When a group of hikers stumble upon an old, abandoned cabin deep in the woods it seems like a great place to rest for the evening. Strange things begin to happen when they hear the faint sounds of children laughing and see strange symbols appearing on the walls. The evil presence grows stronger through the night as furniture moves on its own, cold drafts blow through, and ghostly apparitions appear at the windows. The hikers finally flee in terror vowing never to return and never enter the woods again.

If you’re ready to share your own ghost stories around the campfire, here are a few tips to ensure your tale leaves a lasting impression!

• Set the Mood – To tell a good ghost story timing is really everything. Hold the scariest part of the story until the fire has burned down and the night is at its very darkest. When everyone is huddled close for warmth blurt out the scariest part with a jump up to emphasize the story.
• Use your Voice – As with any good story it’s all about the delivery and it’s true for ghost stories. Start softly to draw your audience in build the tension with pauses and whispers and go for the gusto with a loud scream!
• Build suspense – Create a slow build-up instead of jumping straight into the creepy part. Let that fear grow gradually and have your listeners looking over their shoulders.
• Personalize the Story – tie your ghost story to the current surroundings. Mention the woods or location where you are or claim to have heard the same sounds earlier in the evening. Hinting that your story might be more real than fiction can make it truly spine-tingling.
• Leave the story unresolved – Some of the best ghost stories don’t have a clear ending. Is the ghost still out there? Could it come back tonight? Wait, did I just hear a twig crack?

Ghost stories are a fun and timeless tradition bringing people closer together in the face of shared fear. It doesn’t matter if you are recounting an urban legend or crafting a chilling tale of your own, the key is to tap into the mysteries of the night and the fear of the unknown. Next time you’re sitting by the fire, remember that the darker the night, the scarier the story, and sometimes, just sometimes, those whispers in the dark just might be more than the wind. Sweet dreams thrill seekers and we’ll see you in the next blog!

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Deb Fries works with the Julianna Rae team to offer the best shopping experience for quality silk and cotton sleepwear while also writing for the blog at Juliannarae.com.