It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and you know what that means: Christmas trees, mulled wine, presents, and . . . ghost stories? If certain songs are to be believed, they’re an integral part of the celebration. But we don’t seem to engage in them much (save for certain classics). It’s a shame, considering ghost stories are actually perfect for the holiday season in their own weird way. Fortunately, if that’s the sort of thing that tickles your fancy—which, if you’ll give me a moment of your time, I think it might—there’s an easy way to jump right into the tradition with a healthy backlog.
We all know at least one festive story of restless spirits, of course. Revisiting A Christmas Carol has become traditional, whether your Scrooge of choice is Gambon, Murray, or McDuck. It’s a tale whose theme is already Christmasy, teaching us about kindness and generosity during the holiday season and throughout the year. But the ghosty element itself is actually very relevant to the season, too!
Christmas—and a lot of holidays around this time of year—have a theme of hope, light, and togetherness. Whether spiritual or secular, there’s a desire to gather together with loved ones. And can you blame us? It gets dark in the middle of the afternoon. It’s gloomy. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real thing. If there’s any time of year when we need a little Christmas, it’s late December. Songs and warm fireplaces and delicious food drive away the darkness, even in an era when we have light and heat and constant contact via computers and smartphones. The “dark” of winter still creeps in, and it still needs driving out.
These dark, gloomy times can conjure up morbid thoughts. If you’re anything like me, you’ve felt them, edging around your holiday spirit like a bad house guest you can’t seem to kick out. Where a dose of Christmas cheer can’t seem to cut it, ghost stories can actually help. The early dark and the bitter cold make a good setting, but sharing those stories with our friends and family is also a way to interact with those darker feelings and turn them into something approachable . . . and even fun, if we’re open to it. Stories give us a safe place to interact with and experience those fears and get them out of our system—because sometimes, if you want to drive something out, you need to look it in the eye first.
So when the BBC launched the concept of A Ghost Story for Christmas, it made perfect sense.
Started in 1971, A Ghost Story for Christmas consisted of short, stand-alone teleplays based on the works of M.R. James. James was a modern innovator in horror, removing many standard Gothic tropes in favor of modern, relatable references. These short films had tiny budgets but made the most of what they had. Other similar stories were commissioned around Christmastime under other series headings with the same intent. In the modern day, the practice has returned thanks to a few recognizable names.
Many of these teleplays are a bit hard to find. But in the era of streaming video, some are right at your fingertips thanks to BritBox.
“Whistle and I’ll Come to You” is actually two separate teleplays, with the second airing under the Ghost Story for Christmas header in 2010. The modern version stars John Hurt as a professor who, having left his senile wife in a nursing home, takes a holiday at their favorite beach. While there, he finds himself haunted by a relentless spectre, despite his disbelief in the paranormal. While very different from the original (which involves a literal whistle as a summoning tool), it still holds up and is very chilling.
“The Stone Tape” was technically intended for a different series, but got a Christmas airing in 1972. The story, written specifically for screen, makes use of the theory that ghosts are actually “recordings” of events stored by buildings with high energy. As a group of researchers attempt to use the stone walls of an ancient room as a new recording medium, one especially sensitive member of the team witnesses horrors that indicate there’s more to this room than hi-fidelity sound. The story was adapted into a radio play in 2015 by Life on Mars co-creator Matthew Graham and writer/director Peter Strickland.
If you want something extra fresh, keep an eye out for this year’s offering, “Martin’s Close.” The half-hour adaptation of the M.R. James story is penned by Mark Gatiss, and it looks at a bizarre haunting through the lens of a murder trial. Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi will be among the cast bringing the scary tale to life.
If you’re a lover of scary tales, there’s really no bad time for them. But the tradition of ghost stories at Christmas is one that shouldn’t be relegated to the bridge of a Christmas carol. Besides just being fun and creepy, they’re a way to face that last little bit of darkness that won’t go away, no matter how many Christmas candles you shine at it. Try some of these bite-sized horrors in between your Hallmark movies this year. Trust me, it’ll make a difference.
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