Think Christmas is all twinkly lights and mince pies? Think again - history is full of people who met their end courtesy of a festive fir tree, toxic stockings, and a seven-year-old with a rifle.

In this gloriously dark seasonal special of It’s a Death Sentence, we unwrap the wildest, weirdest, and most lethal Christmas deaths on record. From the Victorian Christmas Holiday Effect (a genuine spike in mortality from 22–25 December) to poisoned dye in festive stockings, electrified trees, lead-tinsel poisoning, toy-gun disasters, and one poor child who asked his brother to “shoot me just for fun”, they prove the holidays really can be killer.

What You’ll Learn

- The Christmas Holiday Effect: Why mortality actually jumps every December (and it’s not just overeating and loneliness).

- Death by Decoration: Toxic tinsel, electrified trees, deadly dye in stockings, and the boy who died from a hand wound caused by his new toy gun.

- Modern Safety Rules: Don’t water the tree while the lights are plugged in and never give a seven-year-old a rifle, obviously.

If you thought Christmas was dangerous only for your waistline, buckle up - this episode is a hilarious, horrifying reminder that the most wonderful time of the year has always been the most wonderfully deadly.

It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

Is it just another day… or the one day that can break your heart all over again?

In this festive special of It’s a Death Sentence, we rip open the glittery wrapping on Christmas when you’re grieving. We explore the pressure to create “perfect” memories, the guilt of wanting to hide under the duvet, and why sometimes the best gift is permission to do Christmas completely differently.

What You’ll Learn

- The Golden Ticket: How to (guilt-free) dodge the big production when grief has already stolen the spotlight.

- Old Traditions, New Rules: Why keeping some rituals and ruthlessly binning others can be the kindest thing you do for yourself and your family.

- It’s Just Another Day: The surprisingly freeing truth that helps you survive December 25th when everyone else is posting #bestchristmasever.

Stripped-back trees, shop-bought puddings, or full-on hiding until January - whatever gets you through the festive period, this episode is your reminder that you’re allowed to make Christmas whatever you need it to be. Because when grief is your uninvited guest, love looks a lot like lowering the bar and raising a glass to simply surviving.

It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.

In this special episode of It’s a Death Sentence, we hand the mic over to the wonderful psychic medium Helen Milwood for the full, unedited live readings she did for us earlier this year.

Both readings are funny, emotional, and scarily accurate in places – exactly the kind of chaotic spirit energy we love on It’s a Death Sentence.

It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.