During the horrordays, many people focus on watching Christmas-themed horror movies but tend to forget how many Christmas-themed horror television episodes there are. I love holiday horror TV episodes since they are bite-sized pieces of holiday fear and I can fit in watching them pretty much anytime! If you think about it, this is perfect since we are all so busy this time of year and sometimes don't have the time to watch a whole film.
If you're looking for dark Christmas stories, I have 13 memorable Christmas episodes from horror television series to recommend to you this Creepmas below:
1. "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" The X-Files - On Christmas Eve, Mulder and Scully find themselves in a haunted house with two ghosts who are determined to prove just how lonely yuletide can be. This is my absolutely favorite Christmas episode - it manages to be spooky, heartfelt, and quirky! And you can never go wrong with Lily Tomlin and Ed Asner as the bickering, ghost couple!
2. "A Very Supernatural Christmas" Supernatural - Sam and Dean follow the trail of an Anti-Claus when victims are apparently pulled up the chimney never to be seen again. After a lead goes nowhere, the Winchesters learn the Anti-Claus is in fact a pair of old pagan gods who have assimilated into society and have found a new way of getting their yearly sacrifices. This is just a plain ol' fun, monster-of-the-week episode that has a few tricks up its sleeve and I love it! I love re-watching this every holiday season.
3. "Christmas With the Addams Family" The Addams Family - When a neighbor tells Wednesday and Pugsley there's no Santa Claus, Uncle Fester plays Santa to restore their Christmas spirit Unfortunately, he gets stuck in the chimney and is a no show, so the whole family works together to prove to the kids that there is indeed a Santa Claus. You can't go wrong with the Addams, and you know they do Christmas the Creepmas way! Lots of creepy good Christmas cheer for spooky kids in this episode.
4. "Unholy Night" American Horror Story: Asylum - A murderous Santa wreaks havoc on Briarcliff. The killer Santa, portrayed by Ian McShane, is one of my favorites! He plays him with such chilling intensity and his is probably one of my favorite secondary characters from this season of AHS.
5. "Seasons of Belief" Tales From the Darkside - On Christmas Eve, two children listen to their father's scary tale. Ok, this tale is kinda silly now, but the Grither (don't say his name!) messed me up as a kid!
6. "And All Through The House" Tales From the Crypt - A greedy woman makes the mistake of murdering her husband while an escaped mental patient dressed in a Santa Claus outfit is on the loose. One of the absolute Christmas classics, based on the same tale from the Tales from the Crypt anthology film. I love both, but included this one since the other isn't a TV episode.
7. "Amends" Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Buffy hopes for a quiet Christmas, but Angel is tormented by visions of his past and the ghost of Jenny Calendar. This is a pretty heavy episode, as Angel is haunted by his violent past and we get a glimpse at how vicious Angelus really was.
8. "Night of the Meek" The Twilight Zone - After a derelict Santa Claus is fired on Christmas Eve, he finds a mysterious bag that gives out presents. With this bag he sets out to fulfill his one wish - to see the less fortunate inherit the bounties of Christmas. Such a heart-warming episode about redemption and the healing magic of Christmas.
9. "Twelve Days of Krampus" Grimm - After a string of delinquent teens go missing, an old Wesen tale of an evil Santa who brings more than just a lump of coal may be the prime suspect. I remember I was so excited when this first aired, since the legend of Krampus was not as well-known as it is now.
10. "Truth Be Told" Dexter - The Ice Truck Killer strikes again, leaving a bloody scene before Christmas at a holiday-themed park. Ahhhh Christmas in Miami means twinkly lights on palm trees, fake snow, and the Ice Truck Killer getting into the spirit at Santa's Land with wrapped gifts of body parts.
11. "Midwinter's Tale" Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - As the winter solstice approaches, Sabrina orchestrates an emotional séance with serious consequences, and Susie's merry plans turn menacing. I was so happy that the Yule Lads and Gryla (check out my article on 10 Christmas Monsters Who Aren't Krampus) were featured in this episode as well as the gorgeous Yule decor and lore featured throughout the episode.
12. "White Christmas" Black Mirror - In a mysterious and remote snowy outpost, Matt and Potter share an interesting Christmas meal together, swapping creepy tales of their earlier lives in the outside world. This is such a bleak, cold Black Mirror episode, which is saying a lot since most episodes have that tone. However, there is just something so devastating about this episode. It is the perfect anti-Christmas episode!
13. "Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid" Alfred Hitchcock Presents - A larcenous store Santa helps change the ways of a potential delinquent. Though this isn't a creepy episode, it is a rather heartwarming one, and it has a hilarious intro by Hitch where he is bricking up his chimney to give Santa a surprise.
What are your favorite Christmas-themed television episodes from horror shows?
Stay spooky!
Great list! I try and watch The X-Files episode every December. It has become a lovely little tradition. :)
ReplyDeleteA lot of my favorites and a few new ones I’ll have to check out.
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