K.A.C. 2016 - T - 1 ...

     And so we come to the end of another year of entries for the K.A.C. - as usual, we always close with a traditional Christmas Ghost Story. 2016 has been a brutal year all around, smacking us silly in so many ways that it's only appropriate this year's selection involves Punch and Judy. 

     Before we get to the tale, however, there's an article that The Guardian (UK) just ran recently entitled 'Ghost stories: why the Victorians were so spookily good at them'. Take a moment to read this before going on to our tale, penned by a master of this type of story, M.R. James. As the article states: "It would also continue in the tradition started by M.R. James, the provost of King's College, Cambridge, who would invite a select few students and friends to his rooms each year on Christmas Eve, where he'd read one of the ghost stories he had written, which are still popular today." The article can be found via this link:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/23/ghost-stories-victorians-spookily-good

     Dr. James is no stranger to our K.A.C. pages, as his fine story "Oh, Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad" closed out our 2010 year. Our tale this year is another fine entry from the good doctor (found for me by my son Justin) entitled, "The Story of A Disappearance and An Appearance", first published in 1919. I'll even give you two choices for how to obtain it. You can either read it directly via this link - 

https://americanliterature.com/author/mr-james/short-story/the-story-of-a-disappearance-and-an-appearance


- OR you can turn off all the lights and sit in the dark and listen to this very well done reading of the tale by David Collings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvh7A8Qoy-k

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      A few final tidbits before we leave. It's not too late to take a page from the folks in chilly Iceland and share in their wonderful Christmas Eve tradition of  "jólabókaflóð", which literally translates as the Christmas Book Flood! Isn't that great?  :)  Read more about it HERE!

http://thingfinder.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-jolabokaflo-which-means-christmas.html 

      Rushing in at the Very Last Minute is this article from Atlas Obscura (thanks, Robin & Debbie!) entitled, "Victorians' Christmas Parlor Games That Will Leave You Burned, Bruised and Puking" ... and if THAT doesn't get you to click the link below, NOTHING else I can add will!

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/victorians-christmas-parlor-games-will-leave-you-burned-bruised-and-puking?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page

      Many years ago, when I started the Image of the Year contest, one of the first (and most talked about) winners was this fine piece: a Christmas morning scene where the PRESENTS were opening up their gifts, wrapped in HUMANS! Since then, there have been many variations on the painting, and to the right we have the 2016 edition: the Trees Revenge! Thanks to Blaze for posting it!

          


     

           And with one final quote to ponder upon, it is time for us to go - thanks for joining us for another year! I hope it somewhat lessened the stresses of the season and brought a smile or two to your face. And, like all the other holiday traditions, the K.A.C. goes back in the box to snooze and patiently wait until next year, when it will magically reappear to cavort and play the part of Holiday Jester. Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all ... Bye!