A Christmas Carol, directed by Sarah Hankins
For some Americans, the spirits most associated with December are the ones used to spike punch and eggnog. Others may think of Ebenezer Scroogeâs nocturnal visitors and wish that âone-percentersâ really could be supernaturally terrorized into becoming decent human beings. Holiday shoppers, when subjected to Andy Williamsâs 1963 hit âThe Most Wonderful Time of the Year,â momentarily wonder what âscary ghost storiesâ have to do with âtales of the glories of Christmases long ago.â
In the land of Dickens, Shakespeare and the
BBC, the answer is âa lot.â
The English custom of telling scary stories on the longest and darkest nights of the year was born at a time when people feared not onlyÂ