Christmas Stories in Foreign Literature and Cinema: From Gothic Horror to Christmas Miracle Introduction: The Duality of Christmas — From Pagan Fear to Christian Charity The Christmas period (from Christmas to Epiphany) in Western culture, especially in the English-speaking tradition, has given rise to a unique genre — the "Christmas ghost story." Its uniqueness lies in the deep connection of two archetypes: the pagan fear of the "thin" world, when the boundary between the living and the dead becomes thin, and the Christian ideal of mercy, repentance, and family warmth. This synthesis creates a powerful dramatic cauldron, where the personal transformation of the hero often occurs through contact with the supernatural. Literary Canon: Victorian Ghosts and Moral Lesson The Golden Age of the Christmas story is Victorian England. The tradition of telling scary stories by the fireplace on Christmas was popularized precisely then, reflecting in the press. Charles Dickens — "A Christmas Carol in Prose" (1843). This text is the cornerstone of the genre. Here, the Christmas mysticism (four ghosts) serves not for horror, but for moral and ethical transformation of the miser Ebenezer Scrooge. Dickens masterfully combines the Gothic atmosphere (Marley's ghost, visions) with social criticism and clear Christian morality about the need for kindness, generosity, and family values. This is not a story about ghosts, but a story about the healing of the soul, where the supernatural acts as a catalyst. "The Turn of the Screw" (1898) by Henry James. Although it is not formally a Christmas story, it was written for a Christmas issue of the magazine and is read within this tradition. James takes the genre to the psychological refinement: the ghosts of the housekeeper and the valet may be either real supernatural entities or a projection of the young governess's mental disorder. The Christmas motif of "blurred boundaries" works here to create paranoia and uncertainty, questioning the very ... Read more