There is an old Christmas tradition of telling scary stories at Christmas time. Modern times have (mostly) drifted from this practice, leaving all things spooky to the season of Halloween. However, there are still some frightening tales that are famously told and retold every year.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is the most well known Christmas horror story in modern times. You might be wondering why I call it a horror story when it has such an uplifting ending and is presented as family friendly - even the Muppets have adapted the story.
Yet, when I was a small child, watching my first adaptation of the story with Scrooge McDuck and Mickey Mouse in a half hour short, the scenes with Pete as the Ghost of Christmas Future always terrified me. Other adaptations have upped the spooky factor such as the Scrooge musical with Albert Finney that sends Mr. Scrooge to hell or the Disney version with Jim Carrey (if the animation doesn’t frighten you, the ghosts really will). Scrooged even has a dead body in it (though it’s more sad than frightening).
Even my favorite adaptation with George C. Scott (sorry Muppets) has some intense moments that leave the audience tense with suspense. When the Ghost of Christmas Present shows the children - Ignorance and Want - hiding under his robes, I jump back.
A Christmas Carol may be a traditional story, but there are other famous terrors of the season.
Krampus has recently become an icon of holiday horror in the United States, though his folk legend origins in Germany are very old. There are now movies about Santa’s not so friendly companion and he makes frequent appearances in pop culture.
One could argue that Dr. Seuss’s character of The Grinch is very loosely related to Krampus in his hatred of Christmas and as a polar opposite to Santa (stealing rather than giving presents). The live action Jim Carrey version of the movie has a few scary moments that are overshadowed by the crude comedy. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is not a proper scary story, but it’s also not a saccharine one. It falls into that in-between space that other stories like Nightmare Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol do.
Another traditional Christmas baddie is Grýla along with her sons known as the Yule Lads. Much like Krampus, Grýla kidnaps naughty children around Christmas time and eats them. The Yule Lads are pranksters who, in modern times, give presents like Santa Claus to the children of Iceland. However, Grýla’s cat, known as The Yule Cat, continues to be an ominous presence - eating anyone who doesn’t receive new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve.
Moving away from the traditional and folk lore, there are plenty of 80s style slasher movies set around Christmas to satisfy the horror lover. Black Christmas has been remade a few times and there are a number of slashers where the mass murder dresses up at Saint Nick like in Silent Night, Deadly Night.
And then there’s Germlins. This movie mixes the dark fantasy styles of the 80s with a bit of creature feature, shaken well with Christmas spirit. For many an 80s child, this movie is an essential at Christmas time.
This year, in the Christmas tradition of haunting tales, we got the remake of Nosferatu - it was worth waiting 102 years for this one. Part gothic, part art house, all horror, this movie is intense. It flows like a dream…or nightmare. The camera transitions are smooth, yet uncomfortable. It takes place in early winter - complete with a Christmas scene. It drips with cold atmospheric tension that send shivers down the spine.
So in the meaningless time in the last few days of 2024, pop in a spooky holiday movie and curl up with a hot beverage. You’ll make it through this winter yet.
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Until the next week.
