Horror Books That Take Place in Real Holidays (Beyond Halloween)

When it comes to horror fiction, Halloween naturally takes center stage. It’s the holiday of ghosts, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night. But horror doesn't clock out on November 1st. In fact, some of the creepiest and most disturbing horror books are set during other well-known holidays — adding a sinister twist to otherwise cheerful celebrations. If you're a horror fan who loves fiction with a seasonal flair, this list is for you.

Let’s unwrap some terrifying tales that prove horror doesn’t need pumpkins and costumes to scare the hell out of you.

1. “NOS4A2” by Joe Hill – Christmas

Joe Hill (yes, Stephen King’s son) takes on Christmas with NOS4A2, and it is not the kind of story you want to read by the fireplace with a mug of cocoa. In this terrifying novel, the holiday spirit is corrupted by Charles Talent Manx, a supernatural villain who abducts children and takes them to a nightmarish place called Christmasland.

With snow-covered roads, twisted Christmas carols, and candy-cane nightmares, this book turns the "most wonderful time of the year" into an icy, blood-chilling nightmare. If you're into psychological horror with dark fantasy vibes, NOS4A2 is your next December read.

2. “Red Rabbit” by Alex Grecian – Easter

Easter isn’t usually associated with horror — unless you have a fear of giant rabbits — but Alex Grecian flips the script in Red Rabbit, a beautifully eerie blend of Western folklore and supernatural horror.

Set in the American frontier during the Easter season, the book weaves a slow-burn horror narrative about a witch hunt, blood rituals, and ancient evil. The timing of the holiday is subtly built into the story, with themes of resurrection and sacrifice taking center stage.

3. “Blood Sugar” by Daniel Kraus – Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about love, chocolate, and cheesy cards — not murderous kids planning a deadly prank. In Daniel Kraus’s Blood Sugar, the holiday takes on a terrifyingly grim tone. The book centers around a group of misfit children who plan a gruesome “candy corn massacre” on Halloween — but the story unfolds around Valentine’s Day, bringing back trauma, vengeance, and creepy heart-shaped themes.

It’s part coming-of-age tale, part psychological horror, and entirely unforgettable.

4. “Thanksgiving Day Murder” by Leslie Meier – Thanksgiving

While technically a cozy mystery, Thanksgiving Day Murder veers into horror territory with its eerie small-town setting, dark secrets, and a brutal killing that tears apart a traditional holiday.

Leslie Meier mixes the warmth of Thanksgiving with the cold chill of death, making this one perfect for horror readers who enjoy a bit of blood with their turkey. Think Midsommar vibes in suburbia — it’s disturbing in its own quiet way.

5. “The Ritual” by Adam Nevill – Midsummer Festival (Summer Solstice)

Set during a hiking trip gone horribly wrong, Adam Nevill’s The Ritual takes place during the Midsummer holiday season — particularly Sweden’s pagan-infused celebrations of the summer solstice.

Though not a traditional holiday like Christmas or Easter, the Midsummer Festival is deeply rooted in ancient rituals, and this book leans hard into folklore horror. With twisted creatures, dark forests, and terrifying Norse mythology, this one is a must-read for fans of cult horror.

6. “Home Before Dark” by Riley Sager – Father’s Day

While Home Before Dark by Riley Sager isn’t overtly tied to a specific holiday, many horror fans have noted its thematic connection to Father’s Day. The novel revolves around a woman returning to the haunted house her father made famous in a bestselling memoir. As she uncovers the truth about her family’s past, father-daughter dynamics and legacy trauma come to the forefront.

If you're in the mood for haunted house horror with a deep emotional current, this one’s a chilling read — especially around Father’s Day.

7. “A Lush and Seething Hell” by John Hornor Jacobs – Memorial Day (War-Themed Horror)

This lesser-known masterpiece from John Hornor Jacobs is actually two novellas in one, with My Heart Struck Sorrow weaving horror into the aftermath of war, memory, and national identity. It fits unnervingly well with the reflective mood of Memorial Day, as it explores the cost of violence and the haunting of personal and collective pasts.

Not your typical holiday horror, but an unforgettable tale of music, madness, and the devil in the details.

8. “One Bloody Thing After Another” by Joey Comeau – Mother’s Day

This wildly original horror novel by Joey Comeau doesn’t directly state it takes place on Mother’s Day, but it explores motherhood, loss, and grief through a disturbing lens. With teenage protagonists, ghosts, and blood-soaked metaphors for parental love, it's a bizarre yet heartfelt horror tale that hits hard — especially for anyone navigating complicated mother-child relationships.

Why Holiday Horror Works So Well

There’s something extra disturbing about horror that invades the comfort zones of holidays. These times of year are supposed to be predictable, joyous, and familiar — which makes them the perfect settings to flip expectations and inject dread.

Whether it's Christmas joy turned into a wintery hellscape, or the innocence of Easter corrupted by pagan blood rites, holiday horror stories challenge our ideas of tradition. They remind us that evil doesn’t take a vacation. It waits, festers, and strikes when the guard is down — preferably after you’ve stuffed yourself with turkey or chocolate.

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