Welcome to a Haunting Christmas Story

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.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until the next week.

Welcome to the 2022 Homestretch

Is anyone else slightly confused by the sudden appearance of holiday decorations and music? Why is it so dark in the early evening? Weren’t we just enjoying warm weather and sun?

Me at midnight on New Years Eve

Okay, that last question may be climate change since the temperature in my area keeps fluctuating between mid 70s and low 50s (low 20s to about 10C). And don’t even get me started on the sudden changes in humidity. My poor body is so confused.

However, I will admit that the next few weeks will go by fast.

Much faster than any of us probably want them to.

2022 is almost over. We have less than two months to squeeze the last bit of our resolutions out of it. The year of the tiger will soon morph into a cute fluffy rabbit. We’ll be another year older and hopefully wiser. My free time is booking up fast.

I enjoy the last few months of the year. Some of the best tasting food is made between September (apple cider donuts), October (pumpkin spice and everything nice), November (anyone want more stuffing?), and December (I really shouldn’t have another cookie, but I know I totally will). I love fall and winter spice blends and scents. There’s usually a fire going in my fireplace in cool autumn nights and snowy winter days. Tea and hot chocolate keep me warm. My cat is cuddlier than usual.

The last few months of the year are decorated with twinkling lights and spooky images. Families (blood and found) come together to celebrate each other. Friends get together in ugly sweaters, while coworkers learn who can and can’t handle their drinks.

It all goes by in a blink.

I mean we’re technically already half way through the Holidays (depending on when you start). And I do mean Holidays - plural - because there are a lot. Starting in September, there’s Rosh Hashanah and the equinox. October started with Yom Kippur, followed by Diwali, and wrapped up with Halloween. In November we observe Veterans Day and Thanksgiving (at least in the States - Canada’s is in October) - shame Election Day doesn’t quite count. Finally, there’s all the events in December such as Hanukkah, Yule/the Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanza, New Years Eve, and Festivus for the rest of us (as long as that’s the only thing to come from Seinfeld).

Parties are planned from September to January. Many people take off work and travel (if they have the privilege and financial means to). There’s a reason the famous song “There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays” mentions the traffic (seriously never ever travel the day before Thanksgiving).

If you don’t hear from me much the next two months, it’s because time has no meaning until January.

Have a happy and safe holiday season. Despite the crazy black hole time suck that blind sides us this time of year, I hope you and I can take a moment to slow down and appreciate the good food, fun company, and pretty decorations.

Until the next post.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Welcome to Scrooge and the Grinch

We’re a week into the “official” holiday season. I’ve pulled out the Christmas decorations and movies. Christmas music rings throughout all the stores I go shopping in. I’m being asked to write a Christmas list.

I feel for the people who don’t celebrate Christmas. This time of year must be particularly annoying.

Which brings me to today’s topic. The novella A Christmas Carol and the short story How the Grinch Stole Christmas are undeniably classic Christmas stories about two characters who don’t celebrate Christmas being convinced to participate in the season.

I watch this version every year.

Granted it’s assumed that everyone in these stories is either Christian or live in a world where Christmas is a nondenominational holiday with nary a baby Jesus in sight. The characters are aware of this through cultural osmosis.  It to mention that the morals of these stories have little if anything to do with religion.

A Christmas Carol is a social critique on how the inequalities of the season (seriously Dickens goes on a few rants here and there - mostly during the Christmas Present Ghost’s parts). The Grinch has a message of forgiveness, love, and not being materialistic. At least the original short story and cartoon do, the live-action movie kind of does, and I have no comment on the latest cartoon.

One of the best adaptations.

I haven’t seen the latest cartoon version of The Grinch, ergo I have no opinion on it. I do, however, have a lot of thoughts on the live-action movie. They made a lot of changes to the story in the live-action movie to make it a feature film. The Whos are extremely materialistic and, though they have the Christmas joy, they don’t really have the same spirit that the original cartoon and book Whos do. The live-action movie even gives the Grinch a back story about why he hates Christmas (originally he’s just a mean spirit who hates everything nice and joyful).

And it’s in these changes that I see a bit of a resemblance to A Christmas Carol. You might be wondering how I came to this observation. Well, there are a few key similarities. There’s a lot more social commentary in the Grinch’s story, be with how The Whos are obsessed with materialism and what it means to be kind to those who are a little different from everyone else. On top of that, the Grinch’s backstory is centered around him being bullied and an outcast with the worst incident happening around Christmas. The Grinch seems to hate Christmas because it is the epitome of every horrible thing The Whos ever did to him.

This speech sums up a lot of The Grinch’s feelings.

Similarly, it seems like every horrible thing that happened in Scrooge’s life happened around Christmas. His father would leave him at school every year, until one Christmas where his sister comes to get him and then he’s shipped off right away to start working. His fiancé broke up with him on Christmas. His best friend (I guess Marley is his best friend) died on Christmas. It is also implied that his beloved sister also died around Christmas and since her son is so similar to her that it’s hard for Scrooge to be around him, despite the nephew inviting him to Christmas dinner every year.

Christmas represents the worst times of both Scrooge and the live-action movie Grinch’s lives. It’s no wonder they hate the holiday so much. Everyone wants them to be happy and cheerful and they don’t want to relive their unhappiness. It’s not okay to force someone to feel happy no matter what season it is.

However, feeling unhappiness and making people suffer because of that feeling are two different things. Scrooge and the Grinch take out their anger and frustration on innocent people, which is not okay.

These two characters deserve to have some form of therapy.

And in some ways, they get that therapy...sort of.

For Scrooge, the three spirits are there to show him that though his feelings are justified, his actions aren’t. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows him both good and bad memories, with one of his happiest as an apprentice. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows him that other people are experiencing both good and bad moments on Christmas, ending with a family eating stolen potatoes worrying they might end up in separated in a workhouse. The Ghost of Christmas Future shows the consequences of Scrooge taking out his anger and frustration on other people. It’s not a perfect representation of someone getting the mental health help they need, but the story was written in the 1800s.

The Grinch in the live-action movie has Cindy Lou Who, who is also experiencing some holiday depression. She thinks everything will be “fixed” if she helps the Grinch. It’s a little misguided and she probably shouldn’t be forcing Christmas on the Grinch (she doesn’t really, only invites him to an event that he can say “no” to and tries to see him on Christmas), but because of her actions, the Whos remember the true meaning of Christmas and the Grinch starts his own healing process. Again this isn’t a perfect story about helping someone overcome their past trauma, but it has a good message.

Not everyone celebrates Christmas and not everyone wants to. The messages of A Christmas Carol and How the Grinch Stole Christmas aren’t about forcing people to celebrate a holiday, their about understanding that your actions have consequences and that it’s not okay to take your anger/sadness/depression out on other people.

So if you know someone who either doesn’t celebrate Christmas or is just done with the forced holiday cheer, please don’t force it on them. Extend a hand or an invitation, but don’t show up with a tree and ugly sweater.

As for those of us who find it hard to feel the happiness and joy this holiday season. It’s okay to feel that unhappiness. Humans can’t be happy all the time. But please don’t take it out on other people.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you like hearing from me.

Welcome To the Christmas Classic

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a peaceful day (and was on the nice list). Since its Christmas, I won't write anything super long. After allowed want to spend time with family and friends.

That's why I'm going to list my top ten favorite Christmas movie classics. Many are movies or shorts that you've probably heard of, but there might be a few you haven't seen or thought of as Christmas movies. So if you need a break from everyone or just want to find the right movie tonight, please enjoy my Christmas movie classic list.

10) Miricle on 34th Street (original) - I put this movie higher on my list because it's more of a Thanksgiving movie for me rather than a Christmas one. It's the movie I watch with my family to signal that it's the start of the Christmas season. I know there's a 1994 remake of this movie, but I personally think that nothing beats the original.

9) The Santa Clause - I remember when this movie came out. It was funny and I thought it was cool that the guy from Home Improvement started in it.

8) White Christmas - I love the music and dancing in this movie. It helps me to remember to "go to sleep counting my blessings".

7) Christmas Vacation - even if everything goes wrong you can still have an amazing Christmas.

6) A Christmas Carol - The one with George C Scott has definitely grown on me over the years, but I also love the Mickey Mouse version with Scrooge McDuck as Scrooge and the Muppets version is also a treat to watch. It's hard to go wrong with any version.

5) A Charlie Brown Christmas - It's a classic enough said.

4) The Thin Man - Not many people might know this movie (it came out in 1934). It's a really funny murder mystery that takes place in New York at Christmas and though Christmas isn't the focus of the movie, the main characters throw a fabulous party and are shown opening their presents.

3) A Christmas Story - I love watching this with my dad. He has told me that it's very close to what his childhood was like. It's also hard to not feel bad for Ralfie when he is forced to put on the pink bunny suit.

2) How the Grinch Stole Christmas - The animated one that's 25 minutes long, not the live action one. There's just something so amazing watching this movie. It's short, has fun music, catchy songs, and a sweet moral. I'm pretty sure I have the whole thing memorized.

1) We're No Angles - This movie really needs more recognition, especially as a Christmas classic. It's got Humphrey Bogart playing the leader of three escaped convicts trying to escape Devil's Island on Christmas. They come across a shop keeper and his family down on their luck, while their nasty cousin (played by the original Scherlock) threatens to ruin the shop keeper. The three escaped convicts initially plan on robbing the shop keeper, but things take a turn after several hilarious incidents. Seriously check this movie out. It is one of the best Christmas movies out there.

There are a ton of Christmas movies to watch and more come out each year. These are just the ones that I enjoy watching. You don't have to agree with me (in fact I might have left some favorites out), but these are the movies for this time of year dearest to my heart.

Merry Christmas everyone!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.