# Event Details - **Event Name**: The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more - **Event Start and End Date**: Tue, 16 Dec, 2025 at 07:00 pm – Tue, 16 Dec, 2025 at 09:30 pm - **Event Description**: Delve into the ancient spiritual origins and lesser-known histories of European midwinter festivities. Followed by Q&A.About this EventStep into midwinter and discover Christmas in a new light - not only a Christian holiday, but as a festival shaped by ancient rituals of darkness, light, and rebirth. This talk uncovers lesser-known histories including the story of St Lucy, the Christian martyr, bringer of light and healer of sight, who brings the warmth of family love to the winter solstice (along with spiced buns). We’ll trace connections to Roman festivals like Kalends, Saturnalia and Sol Invictus, where feasting, misrule, and the promise of the returning sun shaped our modern celebrations. We’ll explore Christmas’ shadowy figures - the fairies, demons, and witches - and uncover Father Christmas’s forgotten, darker side. Finally, we’ll learn why Twelfth Night, once called Mischief Night,  featured the witch Befana flying across Milan and the Wild Hunt gathered in the skies over Britain. Join us for a journey into the magical, mysterious heart of midwinter - where light and darkness meet, and Christmas reveals its ancient, mysterious origins.Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!Follow us on IG @seedtalksSpeaker Bio:Diane Purkiss is Professor of English at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Keble College. She has published on witchcraft, fairies, and also on the English Civil War, the occasion of England's biggest witchhunt. She has been in more than a dozen television documentaries; she even has an IMdb entry and a Wikipedia page… She has spoken to general audiences at numerous literary festivals and to many local history societies.Testimonials from our guests⭐ Truly riveting talks, always enjoy these - a great way to spend an evening with some pals. Already looking forward to the next one. - Alexander P ⭐ Expertly run, talks are always super informative and a lot of fun! Couldn’t recommend these enough! 5 star. - Owen S⭐ Been to a few talks and all have been super interesting. An enjoyable evening to go to either alone or with friends. The talks make for stimulating conversation. Highly recommend! - Daisy Jhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R62Jjr0tuFgAgenda?: 07:00 PMDoors Open?: 07:30 PMTalk Starts - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/leeds/the-dark-origins-of-christmas-demons-witches-twelfth-night-and-more/100001963093264800 - **Event Categories**: christmas, festivals, art, literary-art, holiday - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 14, max: 33, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: Leeds - **state**: EN - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: The Wardrobe - **lat**: 53.7971221 - **long**: -1.5336512 - **full address**: The Wardrobe, 6 Saint Peter's Square, Leeds, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events8/banners/77d5c21252b4918718a953a9d1dfbe38009a496beb496f7eb11931ea238b1c5c-rimg-w1200-h600-dc91a687-gmir.jpg?v=1762451472 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more being held? - **A:** The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more takes place on Tue, 16 Dec, 2025 at 07:00 pm to Tue, 16 Dec, 2025 at 09:30 pm at The Wardrobe, 6 Saint Peter's Square, Leeds, United Kingdom. - **Q**: How much do tickets cost for The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more? - **A:** Ticket prices for The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more range from GBP 14 to GBP 33 depending on the ticket type. Here's a full breakdown of available ticket types:Ticket TypePriceAvailabilityEarly BirdGBP 14 + GBP 1 feeAvailableEarly Bird for 2GBP 24 + GBP 2 feeAvailableGeneral AdmissionGBP 16 + GBP 1 feeAvailableGeneral Admission for 2GBP 30 + GBP 2 feeAvailableFinal ReleaseGBP 18 + GBP 2 feeAvailableFinal Release for 2GBP 33 + GBP 3 feeAvailableVIP SeatingGBP 19 + GBP 2 feeAvailable - **Q**: Who is organizing The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more? - **A:** The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more is organized by JAW Talks & Events. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Leeds, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "The Dark Origins of Christmas: Demons, witches, Twelfth Night, and more", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events8/banners/77d5c21252b4918718a953a9d1dfbe38009a496beb496f7eb11931ea238b1c5c-rimg-w1200-h600-dc91a687-gmir.jpg?v=1762451472", "startDate": "2025-12-16", "endDate": "2025-12-16", "url": "https://allevents.in/leeds/the-dark-origins-of-christmas-demons-witches-twelfth-night-and-more/100001963093264800", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "The Wardrobe", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "6 Saint Peter's Square", "postalCode": "LS9 8AH", "addressLocality": "Leeds", "addressRegion": "EN", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "53.7971221", "longitude": "-1.5336512" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Delve into the ancient spiritual origins and lesser-known histories of European midwinter festivities. 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