Wishing You A Creepy Christmas?

For me as a kid Christmas was just an old fashioned family gathering with a Christmas tree and good food, no presents or other commercial crap.

Nothing really religious either which was just as well because that aspect never made any sense to me at all.

Decorations in the tree were just standard: Christmas baubles, angels, electric lights, etc.

In Thailand’s department stores Christmas usually starts (very!) early, especially with playing Christmas tunes which often results in a Jingle Hell.

This is becoming my first Christmas in Netherlands in more than 20 years and obviously many things have changed, especially the change towards the American version with presents of course.

The number of decorations too have ‘expanded’ but I had never seen that creepy doll before.

It turned out to be a traditional nutcracker doll but to me it looks more like a deranged puppet out of a Stephen King story!

Apparently of German origin nutcrackers were supposed to bring luck to the family and protect their home.

Perhaps better known is E.T. Hoffman’s story ‘The Nutcracker and the king of Mice’ which in turn led to Tchaikovsky ballet ‘The Nutcracker Suite’ in 1892.

Christmas stormtroopers...

Look at those nasty teeth...

Three lunatic elves!

Ready to attack!

Swords are ready!

At midnight they will become alive and cut you to pieces...

I keep my eyes on you!

At least in our Christmassy style magnolia tree there aren’t any evil nutcrackers, only lights, baubles and 3 wickedly pink reindeer which according to my brother represent the holy trinity…

No wonder I never understand anything about Christianity!