MAKE NO BONES ABOUT IT: There isn't any quibble to be made, and arguing the point is pointless. This is the phantom-fun fact of the matter, when it comes to the famous Winchester Mystery House in San Jose: Autumn, October, and Halloween are major occasions at what is often described as one of the planet's most haunted homes. Fans arrive from afar to spy the windows placed in floors and doors opening onto solid walls, and to hear atmospheric tales of Sarah Winchester's mission to never let the hammers fall silent on her massive manse. And the nighttime tours flower during the fall, the tours involving flashlights and spooky tales, and those, too, are well-attended by mansion mavens who need more. But this home, which is an amazing and enormous and offbeat example of high Victorian style, also wears its yuletide finery quite well. The pine and the greens and the bows pair well with the Winchester's carved wood details, and Christmas trees lend the domestic scene a Noël-nice nostalgia. Want to spy the Winchester wearing its seasonal robes? The...
"SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS"... is just around the corner. The event, which includes "A Taste of the Holidays," will sparkle, like those vintage glass ornaments of yore, over nine nights in the final month of the year. There shall be celebratory snacking, and carols to hear, and some 20 Christmas trees to admire, and the general feeling that you've transported back to a bells-and-whistles celebration as seen at the turn of the (last) century. It's just under an hour, all of this conviviality, and tickets start at ten bucks for younger guests and end at $30. First night? It's Dec. 16, while it all rounds out on New Year's Eve Eve (yep, the 30th).
