Tag: spooky christmas

The Tragic Tale of Danny the Ghost Boy

Alex Matsuo

CW: Child abuse, physical violence

I’ve been trying to find fresh content when it comes to Christmas ghost stories and Christmas monsters. Mostly because there’s already so much information about Krampus, Frau Perchta, Belsnickel, etc. This story was one that I heard from one of my co-workers. So, thanks for the tip, Joni!

Now in full disclosure and full transparency, I haven’t been able to find any primary source for this story. Any references that I found have come from listicles and blogs. But considering it does exist online it had to come from somewhere. I need your help in solving this Christmas mystery, especially if you’re in South Africa or you know someone from South Africa. 

I’ll be honest when I heard about Danny, I immediately thought of Danny Phantom, the cartoon from Nickelodeon. It was an awesome cartoon and I loved it.

Obsessed with Cookies

The story of Danny the Ghost Boy goes like this; Danny was a little boy (age unknown) who really enjoyed Christmas cookies. He’s a little boy, he’s a kid. That’s to be expected. He enjoys cookies, especially cookies made by grandma. Now grandma warned him not to touch or eat the cookies because some of the cookies were going to go to Santa and the rest of the cookies were going to be for Christmas, which was the next day. But Danny really wanted a Christmas cookie like really wanted it. He could not stop thinking about it. 

So, he tried to think up ways to get a cookie without anyone noticing. Finally, Danny decided to take a risk and eat up a couple of the cookies, hoping that no one would notice. But even if someone did notice, the only person he would have to face would be his grandma. She is a sweet little old lady so you know there’s nothing wrong with facing grandma and just saying sorry. I mean I will admit I’m one of those people that will ask for forgiveness instead of permission, so maybe Danny had the same mindset. It is sweet little old grandma, what harm could come? 

A Tragic End

So, Danny ate some of the cookies. When his grandma found out she was mad. I mean we are not talking like she was just disappointed in Danny not following directions. She was mad. Grandma was so mad that she grabbed a stick and started beating Danny with it. She started beating this little boy just for eating cookies. Granny beat him around his shoulders and his head and just kept hitting him with a stick.

She hit him so many times that Danny did not survive the ordeal. I told you it was dark. So yes, a little boy sneaking in some Christmas cookies managed to trigger the rage of grandma. Triggered to the point where she unalives her grandson, all for a bunch of cookies. Grandma was emotional and really stressed out and Danny taking the cookies was the last straw. 

Now for poor little Danny he did not move on to the afterlife. Instead, he stayed put as a ghost. Danny now wanders the earth during the holidays. He’s looking to haunt naughty children who may want to steal their own Christmas cookies.  He wants to haunt these naughty children so that they do not suffer the same fate as he did. Imagine being so naughty that a ghost warns you not to make the same mistake he made.

Analysis

I have some thoughts on this story like I mentioned at the beginning of the blog. There’s no primary source material for the story. At least none that I have been able to find in the time that I’ve researched this. But to be honest, the only ghost children during the holidays I could find is Ignorance and Want from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. But there are some themes here that I find interesting. Mainly Danny haunting naughty children so that they do not make the same mistake that he did. It very much reminds me of Jacob Marley and him warning scrooge to not make the same mistakes that he did, or his chains would be heavier than Marley’s.

there’s something to be said about this type of ghost story really that’s trying to teach a lesson and warn kids now during you know the holidays and everything it’s not even just during the holidays it’s not uncommon for these stories to come up as a warning to get kids to behave so it sounds like this could be south Africa’s way of scaring children into following directions. it is not that “oh you don’t want to eat Santa’s cookies and you want to be good because if not Santa will bring you coal” it’s “no if you eat the cookies your grandma could possibly unlive you” …all for cookies. That is kind of what boggles my mind too. It’s not anything about money I mean I don’t know maybe grandma really did snap when that happened to Danny.

What do you think of this story?

Feel free to share with your friends and family who also enjoy the spooky stuff especially during the holidays.

Grieving is Part of the Christmas Spirit

Alex Matsuo

Christmas time is fast approaching. For anyone who has dealt with the loss of someone they love, that loss stays with them. Because of this, grief tends to permeate harder during the holidays. Yes, there’s Christmas cheer and merriment. However, it has lately turned into toxic positivity where the grieving may feel guilty for not being festive.

Even though I’m looking for spirits throughout the year, there’s something about the holidays that just doesn’t put me in a great place.

I find myself grieving just a bit more every year. It’s another Christmas without my mom, grandma, and grandpa. I’m celebrating another Christmas after a rough year of isolation, canceled shows, canceled events, and more. People this year will be hurting more than usual because COVID-19 sucks. It’s okay to not be cheerful and to feel out those emotions.

Does this mean everyone should feel depressed during the holidays? Of course not. But if grief hits you, embrace it and feel it out. Christmas isn’t just about being positive and cheerful all the time. It’s a time to embrace all those emotions because…it’s the Christmas spirit.

Charles Dickens Felt This Way

Yes, the man who created Christmas as we knew it believed that we need to embrace the dead more than anything during the holidays. But one of these beliefs didn’t really stick to modern-day; that Christmas necessitated ghost stories. Ghost stories are not only entertaining, but they also make us reflect on our own losses and ghosts.

Did you know that in 1851, Charles Dickens lost his father, his infant daughter Dora, his sister, and his sister’s son? Yes, it was the Victorian times and death like this wasn’t uncommon. However, losing four critical members of your family in one year is a lot to deal with. Because of this tremendous loss, Dickens firmly believed that we should remember the dead during Christmas more than any other time of the year. That same year, Dickens wrote a heartbreaking essay called, “What Christmas Is As We Grow Older.” I think it’s especially appropriate for this year.

Christmas Is More than Cheerfulness

Not only did Dickens believe that we should remember the dead aggressively during Christmas, but he also believed in celebrating everything. What does this mean? It means celebrating and reflecting on not only successes but failures as well. That also includes heartbreaks, financial losses, plans abandoned, and goals unachieved. That’s a startling difference from what Christmas has become today. For me, this outlook makes more sense, and it makes me feel a bit more validated.

Since my grandma died in 2000, I’ve had this melancholy outlook on Christmas. I realized that year that she was the glue that held my entire family together. I also realized that Christmas would permanently be different. The Christmas after, I had my first devastating heartbreak. Every Christmas after, there was some devastating loss or traumatic event that seemed to damper the holidays. Since then, I always felt like I was a fraud for putting on a happy face during the holidays. Who knew I was celebrating Christmas the way Dickens intended?

Valid and Loved During This Time

This idea of completely embracing all the sides of myself during the holidays has been a challenge. It’s truly a roller coaster of emotions. I guess my reason for writing this blog is to not only tell myself but to also tell my dear readers, that it’s okay to embrace it all. You’re not a fraud for trying to fake a smile during the holidays. You’re not a grump because you’re not feeling the Christmas spirit. If anything, you are capturing the true nature of Christmas. This has truly been the hardest year we have experienced as a collective population. Grief is in the spirit of Christmas. You are valid and loved during this time.

I think one of those most beautiful, and yet sad, parts of A Christmas Carol is that Scrooge is shown shadows of his past. He is shown his broken childhood, his heartbreak, and everything that made him the person he is today. He’s faced with his hurts head-on. This was an integral part of Scrooge becoming a changed man…or in this case, healed.

10 Reasons Why Christmas Is More Paranormal Than Halloween

Alex Matsuo

If you think that spooky season is over just because Halloween has passed, think again! December and Christmas have more than enough paranormal elements to make it just as spooky, if not MORE spooky, than Halloween. We all know by now that there are a lot of pagan elements integrated into Christmas traditions already. Sure, that’s creepy when you think about it. But there are so many other elements about Christmas that make it supernatural. Should spooky season continue into the holidays? YES!

1. Santa Claus

What being is more supernatural than Santa Claus? I’ve always wondered about Santa. Is he a magical human being? Or is he an elemental? The fact that Santa has the ability to stop space and time so that he can deliver presents to every child around the world is nothing short of impressive. But it’s also mildly terrifying. A being with that much power can certainly dismantle society and the human race as we know it. And yet, he chooses to deliver presents instead. How lucky are we?

2. Spooky Stories Were Told in Winter

Even back before Christmas was a thing, this time of year signaled the end of summer. Mother Earth literally goes to sleep. It’s a time where nature dies, so to speak. And what doesn’t die, goes to sleep. The days are shorter and the nights are longer. Plus, it’s cold outside. There’s snow. No one is traveling, let alone going outside to see friends after dark. So, people were inside their homes much more. Think of a crackling fire and flickering candlelight. It is the perfect setting for telling ghost stories. This was a thing for several centuries even after Christmas was introduced. Even Charles Dickens called Christmas Eve, “the witching hour for storytelling.” Sure, the tradition has died off a little, but it’s making a comeback.

3. Christmas Monsters

I recently covered ten of my favorite Christmas monsters in a recent blog. Seriously, what is more paranormal than monsters, witches, goblins, and more? We have Frau Perchta, Krampus, Gryla, and more! These monsters were mainly used as incentives to behave not only during the holidays but throughout the year. Most of these monsters would come out during the 12 Days of Christmas, which I’ll be covering later in this blog. But seriously, while Halloween has its plethora of traditional monsters, Christmas monsters might be a bit scarier!

4. Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice has both scientific and spiritual significance. It happens the instant the North Pole is aimed furthest away from the sun on the 23.5 degree tilt of the Earth’s axis. Also, this is the time that the sun shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. Usually, the Winter Solstice happens between December 20th and 23rd, but most celebrate it on December 21st. Spiritually, it’s a significant event for us because it signifies a shift around the world. It’s a time for rest and reflection as the Earth goes to sleep. It’s a time for personal growth and discovering yearnings within yourself.

5. Flying Reindeer

Flying. Reindeer. Let’s think about that! These reindeer pals of Santa Claus can not only fly, but they can move at super sonic speed around the world. Or, they aren’t affected by Santa freezing time and are able to trying. Either way, flying reindeer might be the most extraordinary cryptid out there. What gives them the ability to fly? Well, most people say it’s magic. But what if they were born with the ability to fly? And why reindeer? Couldn’t Santa’s sleigh be pulled by a legion of Mothman instead? Well, if you didn’t have nightmares before, that’s a doozy for you.

6. Frosty the Snowman

This is another element of Christmas that’s honestly quite terrifying when you think about it. Remember the movie, Jack Frost? Yes, a kids’ movie but also the producer of nightmares. Snowmen are inanimate objects. They aren’t supposed to come to life. That is unless you put a magic hat on it. I’ve always been fascinated by the Frosty lore because it does have significant paranormal ties. The first thing I think of is haunted objects. Could you give something a bit more life by manifesting it into reality?

7. Inhuman Entities

Inhuman doesn’t mean evil! Not to be redundant from the Christmas monsters topic, but can we talk about elves and fairies? Yes, these inhuman entities, or elementals, play a significant role during the holidays. Elves are working tirelessly in Santa’s workshop to make toys. Fairies are contributing their powers to make the season more magical. If you look up different Christmas lore, there are a ton of stories featuring inhuman entities. It’s pretty cool when you think about it. But what I find really funny is that during the rest of the year, these inhuman entities are evil and want to end us.

8. 12 Days of Christmas

We all know the famous song, but what are the 12 days of Christmas, really? Today, we know it as the time between the birth of Christ and the arrival of the Magi. But the 12 days of Christmas has several meanings to different cultures. You might notice in Christmas monster folklore that a lot of these creatures are rampant during the 12 days of Christmas. There’s a reason for this. During the olden days in some parts of the world, these dozen days were considered unholy. Therefore, these Christmas monsters had the ability to roam the Earth. In other folklore, like the Kallikantzaros, the sun stops moving. So, it seems like the 12 Days of Christmas are a holiday version of The Purge for monsters.

9. Magic

Magic is everywhere during the holidays. It’s in movies, songs, and cards. We hear “Christmas magic,” “holiday magic”, “magic of Santa Claus”, the list goes on. Why is Christmas magic more acceptable during the month of December but not for the rest of the year? I may or may not be looking at a certain religious group here. Perhaps it’s not really magic coming into play, but everyone falling for the commercialization of Christmas? I just find it ironic. It seems the holidays are a time where people are less afraid of the occult.

10. Ghosts & Spirits

Besides ghost stories being an old holiday tradition, did you know that more hauntings are reported during the holidays? Well, there hasn’t been an official study on this yet. But there should be! I can only speak for myself and my team about it. We usually get a spike in requests around the holidays. I have a theory. I urge you to take it with a grain of salt, as it is just a thought. With Winter Solstice around this time, plus, the holidays being a time for family, I think spirits want to come back and spend the holidays with their living relatives.

Sources:

https://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/history/elves.htm

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/dec/22/how-ghost-stories-have-shaped-my-life

https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/holidays/articles/its-a-paranormal-christmas

https://exploredeeply.com/live-your-purpose/winter-solstice-spiritual-meaning

History of the Tradition of Elves