Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas
To the relief of horror fans, Christmas doesn’t always have to be holly jolly. Some collectibles and antique decorations capture the dark side of the holiday.
It’s no coincidence that Christmas is close to the winter solstice, the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. For many of us, it’s the time we need light, joy, and celebration the most. But some might like to lean into the darkness. Here are a few antique and vintage decorations for those who think ghosts and ghouls aren’t just for Halloween.
Ghost stories were a popular part of Christmas celebrations in Victorian England. After all, one of the most famous Christmas stories, credited with helping to bring about modern Christmas celebrations, is a Victorian ghost story. We’re talking about Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, of course. An automated doll of “The Second Ghost” from a vintage A Christmas Carol store display sold for $416 at an auction by Rachel Davis Fine Arts.
For a more modern Christmas story with a touch of the macabre, you can’t beat The Nightmare Before Christmas. The stop-motion film tells the story of Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween, trying his hand at being Santa Claus one night, and its charmingly creepy characters have featured in toys and decorations since its 1993 release. Earlier this year, Van Eaton Galleries had a few up for auction. A limited-edition action figure of Jack in his Santa suit (or “Sandy Claws,” as the residents of Halloweentown call him), still in its original packaging, sold for $12. Not scary enough? An original screen-used monster puppet from the movie’s opening number sold for a hair-raising $10,000.
Even conventional Christmas decorations can incorporate spooky creatures. Christopher Radko’s blown glass Christmas ornaments have become modern classics, even when their designs aren’t explicitly Christmassy. A grinning witch’s head ornament with a bright green face, complete with a wart on the nose, silver hair, and a pointy black hat, sold for $64 at an auction by Lion and Unicorn.
Some ornaments may be unintentionally eerie. A lot of four blown-glass ornaments, shaped and painted like baby doll heads, sold for $47 at Stony Ridge Auction. Initially meant for a German feather tree, they were probably intended to evoke beloved toys. Now, a disembodied doll head hanging from a tree may seem more creepy than cute, especially with patches of paint worn away.
You can’t forget the original Christmas monster, Krampus! The devilish creature from Alpine legend resembles a cross between a human and a goat. While Santa Claus brings gifts to good children, Krampus carries birch branches or a whip to punish bad children. In extreme cases, he may carry naughty children away in a basket or sack. Whether it’s to keep kids on their best behavior or because some find it fun to be scared, Krampus can be spotted on antique Christmas cards and decorations. A Krampus figure with a matching candy box added to its base sold at Bertoia Auctions for $375.
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