I grew up celebrating Thanksgiving on the edge of a Florida swamp. Our cabin was perched in the crook of a bend of the Little Withlacoochee River. It stood on eight-foot posts because sometimes the blackwater river would come out of its banks and spread through the swamp. You’d have to wade to the cabin then, shuffling to find the hidden logs, your legs lost in the dark water. It was pretty great. Thanksgiving Day was spent fishing, exploring the woods and making holiday crafts my mother devised. One year, we traced each other’s outlines on butcher paper. E[...]
Category
Holidays
1 I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ready to pummel, beat down, bury and salt the earth around the year that was. via GIPHY 2016 has been particularly tumultuous on many fronts, but that doesn't mean you can't start the New Year off on the right foot. Not sure where to start? This handy-dandy list of resolutions is exactly what you need to create a strategic plan of attack that will help you slay 2017. via GIPHY 1. START WITH A CLEAN SLATE The easiest way to forget the year that was? Purge your inner demons. Nothing will hinder your progress more[...]
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I have chosen The First Love Stories by Diane Wolkstein. Included in her lovely book are the tales of: 1. Isis and Osiris 2. Inanna and Dumuzi 3. Shiva and Sati 4. The Song of Songs from the Old Testament 5. Psyche and Eros 6. Layla and Majnun 7. Tristan and Iseult Oh, these were not very happy people and some of their tales are pure horror! Yes, If you think these are perfectly happy stories, without any horror, you need to think again. Like most fairy tales, these first love stories are rooted in the primal emotions of hum[...]
If you've tiptoed through The Midnight Society's cemetery, you know a few things about us. Watching horror flick that fit the season is one of them. We are all pretty versed in A Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton. This is a definite favorite here, but there are so many more horrors that surround this December holiday. GREMLINS One of my all-time favorite movies from my childhood is Gremlins. Who knew Christmas could be so crazy?? The Rules: 1. No food after midnight. 2. No water. 3. No bright light. As each of those rules are violated, chaos ensues. T[...]
I remember when I was young and my mother used to say to me at Christmas time, “If you aren’t good, you’ll be getting a bag of switches and ashes instead of candy.” Of course, I was always good. As time passed and I became older I realized that our Americanized Santa Claus had his roots in a much older St. Nicholas. What I didn’t know at the time was that St. Nicholas had a counterpart, a monstrous creature called Krampus who gave new meaning to the words in a common Christmas song, Santa Claus is coming to Town. Some of the lyrics are: [...]
I've been seeing a few of these "Holiday Buying Guides" floating around, but I have yet to come across something dedicated to horror fans. With twelve days left before Christmas hits, and Hanukkah starting up next week, I figured we Midnighters might very well need a list of our own. I'd like to disclaim this by saying that the number one item on anyone's list ought to be "books" but since you know and I know that you're already asking for "books", I'll spare you the recommendation and jump straight into the cute stuff. For your shopping pleasure, a few holiday[...]
There's just something about this time of year that makes you feel like a kid again. Am I right? Dreaming of a white Christmas. Seeing Santa at the mall. The Christmas lights. Presents under the tree. Candy canes and Rudolph and Silver Bells and running down the stairs Christmas morning. It's nice. Really. But today I'm not bringing you stories of holly jolly children who made Santa's "good" list. Nope. I'm here to share some creepy kid stories, because that's what we do here at the Midnight Society. We crush those sugar plums that dance in you[...]
Are things getting a little too... holly jolly around your neck of the woods? I love the holidays and queue up Christmas movies like I've been waiting all year, but man, some of those decorations are just a little too pristine for my tastes. If there is any holiday that's creepy, it's Christmas. Some old dude creeps around in your house and leaves things under a tree? Strangers knock on your door and sing at you? It's begging for some more in depth horror story treatment, I'm telling you. I've compiled a little Pinterest Board of Holly Horror, with the best wreat[...]
