Sometimes it’s nice to celebrate Christmas with a less traditional story. There’s always a place for a traditional special, story, or film. I like to shake things up and celebrate all facets of the holiday season.

My first recommendation is Lewis Jackson’s Christmas Evil. This Evil Santa film is all about a man who is obsessed with becoming Santa Clause. It’s actually the topic of the newest episode of Spookier Times, Episode 7: The Evil Santa Trope, Christmas Evil, and The Horror of the Holidays.

Second, I always make it a point to engage with some version of James Joyce’s novella “The Dead” each December. “The Dead” is the final story in Joyce’s The Dubliners, a collection of short stories about the life in Dublin. This story is about Gabriel Conroy, a teacher and reviewer who visits the family’s annual Christmas party. There’s celebration, music, dancing, and the crushing realization of what people actually think about each other by the end of the night.

My favorite version is the Broadway musical James Joyce’s The Dead, which is just a celebration of life and history through dance, protest songs, and a large ensemble. The show won Best Original Book (and should’ve swept all the categories, but that’s a post for another day). Their Tony performance is regular viewing around here.

John Huston’s 1987 film version is wonderful, as well. It’s the last film he made before passing and stars his daughter Angelica Huston as Gabriel’s wife Gretta.

Third, Sean Baker’s Tangerine is one of my favorite films of all time. We’re pushing the boundaries of Christmas stories here. The film is undoubtedly set on Christmas. Remember the trailer and the iconic line, “Merry Christmas, [redacted]. Woo!” Sin-Dee just got out of jail and she wants to see her boyfriend Chester. Alexandra, her best friend, accidentally reveals that Chester has been cheating on her. Now all Sin-Dee wants for Christmas is revenge. Trailer is NSFW.

Last but not least is one of my favorite animated Christmas specials. It’s a holiday classic that the whole family can appreciate. I’m writing, of course, about the Invader Zim Christmas special. The series creators jumped the timeline and produced “The Most Horrible X-mas Ever” as the series finale. Zim has an amazing plan to take over the world. He will pose as Santa Claus, who people worship as the great gift giver, and decree that he is the ruler of the world. It works because people love Santa. It’s creepy, silly, and absurd. Best of all, it has songs.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, a happy holidays, and a peaceful break from work if you’re a teacher. Stay safe and take care of yourself.

A great last minute present would be a DRM-free copy of my new book #31Days: A Collection of Horror Essays, Vol.1,” available on Ko-fi, Smashwords, and Amazon.