A Christmas Peril

It's that time of year again; the halls are decked, mistletoe is hanging and we're anxiously waiting for the fat guy in the red suit to slide down the chimney and bring us gifts that we probably don't deserve, much less need.  The malls are swamped with people who feel the need to buy presents for family and friends they don't like and wouldn't if they didn't feel obligated to do so.  People's homes are covered in obnoxious lights with blow up reindeer in the yards, each neighbor trying to outdo the others' horrific display of holiday cheer.  Kids are suddenly not so nasty because this mythical being is supposedly watching over them, with the threat of getting coal in their stocking instead of iPods or Pokemon, or whatever it is kids want these days.

As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of Christmas - it's not the spirit of the holidays, it's the commercialization of a day that has been overtaken by corporate America, diluting the original idea of the holiday.  Nonetheless, one thing I love about Christmas is Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol.  Why would a horror lover/emerging writer find joy in a story with such a positive message and happy ending?  If you think about it, it's a pretty scary story.

If you've lived under a rock for the last century or so, A Christmas Carol is the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge, a wretched old man who has no love or compassion in his life.  He's visited by ghosts - the first being his old partner, Jacob Marley, who tries to persuade him to change his ways.  Throughout the story, he's visited by the Ghosts of Christmas, Past, Present and Yet to Come, and they show him the true meaning of Christmas - and in the end, he does indeed change and becomes a generous and caring man.  Lovely.

I'm not in any way trying to disrespect A Christmas Carol - it is one of the best stories ever written, in my opinion.  But, if you really look at it, removing all the political theories about the true meaning of this story, it's a pretty scary concept; spirits coming to visit a frail old man in the middle of the night, threatening to kill him if he doesn't change his ways.  It's a twisted concept, especially for a tale that has been adapted by everyone from the Muppets to Bill Murray, and is something kids have read or watched for 170 years.  The most amazing thing to me is how a story with such dark undertones is associated with the Holiday season.  Yes, it does have Christmas in the title but, if it had taken place during Halloween, would have it been as successful with the same longevity?  I'm going to go out on a limb and say no.  The truth is, like it or not, people like to be scared.  Whether it has some kind of moral anecdote at the end or it's just a flat out horror story, people thrive on fear.  Why else would the author of Great Expectations write such a dark story about the time of year people are supposedly at their best and kindest?  Think about it.  And as you're tucking in your kids on Christmas Eve and putting those presents under the tree, remember that fear is everywhere.  Have a Merry Christmas and watch out for those ghosts.