Bad Santas

Bad Santas is not a book for children. Here you will find the bloody, the bawdy and the downright bizarre in a celebration of the most imaginative, macabre and curious Christmas figures and customs from across Europe. Drawing on that continent's legacy of disquieting folk tales told at wintertime, Paul Hawkins' gleefully dark exploration of seasonal folklore is the perfect book for reading around the fireside.

A gleefully dark and well-researched exploration of the history and customs of European Yuletide folklore. How did St Nicholas save children from cannibalism? Who were the Yule Lads and why would they steal your sausages? Why was the Alpine Father Christmas accompanied by a demonic figure called the Krampus who bundled children into sacks and dragged them off to Hell? And why do Spanish nativity scenes often feature a defecating peasant? Over the course of the 20th Century, a universal image developed around the world of Santa Claus as a kindly Christmas visitor but, prior to that, each country, town and community would have Christmas visitors of their own - sometimes human, sometimes animal, sometimes something else entirely - with their own curious set of mythology and customs. The Finns were visited by a pagan goat named Joulupukki that was said to eat anyone who misbehaved. In Iceland, it was said that any child who did not receive an item of new clothing for Christmas would be caught and consumed by the monstrous Christmas Cat! Bad Santascelebrates some of the most imaginative, terrifying and outright curious Christmas figures from across Europe - looking closely at its legacy of disquieting fairy stories. With beautiful black and white line drawings in each chapter, this unusual, entertaining and gleefully dark exploration of seasonal folklore will make an ideal Christmas gift and the perfect book for reading around the fireside.

This volume contains outstanding studies by some of the best scholars in ancient Greek Philosophy on key topics in Socratic, Platonic, and Aristotelian thought. These studies provide rigorous analyses of arguments and texts and often advance original interpretations. The essays in the volume range over a number of central themes in ancient philosophy, such as Socratic and Platonic conceptions of philosophical method; the Socratic paradoxes; Plato's view on justice; the nature of Platonic Forms, especially the Form of the Good; Aristotle's views on the faculties of the soul; Aristotle's functionalist account of the human good; Socratic, Platonic, and Aristotelian views on the nature of desire and its object. The volume will be of interest to students and scholars of ancient philosophy and classics.

On Christmas Eve, Santa sets off to deliver presents to a little boy. But between a snowstorm, an icy roof, and a dusty chimney, things don't go as expected.

The Santa Claus Trilogy It's a time for magic. It's a time for imagination. And, it's a time for faith, hope and belief. These three books bring all this and more. Remember how you felt about Christmas as a child? What if I told you that you can feel that way again? This trilogy is the doorway to those lost feelings. Reopen the door and Believe Again. The three books in The Santa Claus Trilogy are: Believe Again, The North Pole Chronicles, that begins with the history before Santa's first delivery in 1799, and covers the events up to modern day, including handing the reins to his son, Nicholas XI. Believe Again, The North Pole Chronicles is more than a Christmas story. It is an inspirational journey into a magical world of wonder and faith. Learn how Santa came to use reindeer and make them fly and how he visits the entire Christian loving world on Christmas Eve. Explore how the elves of the North Pole came to exist and how they produce so many gifts for the most celebrated gift-giver in history. Book Two, Faith, Hope and Reindeer is an inspirational story that puts a significant emphasis on the true meaning of Christmas and how the North Pole relates its events to the birth of Jesus. A heartwarming Christian fantasy that will have the reader laughing, crying with joy, and mesmerized in the land of Santa Claus and his helpers. Glaciers Melt and Mountains Smoke - In the third book of The Santa Claus Trilogy, calamity strikes Santa Claus' beloved world, as it is crashing down around him. The North Pole is melting, and the buildings of his magical workshop are punching through the last remnants of ice, plunging into the Arctic Ocean. Santa also is fighting a cyber-bully who threatens to destroy the goodwill of Santa and the North Pole. Santa has to save the operation and its inhabitants while fending off internet attacks before he loses everything.

In Bad Kitty: Searching for Santa, by bestselling author/illustrator Nick Bruel, Kitty's back for another Christmas tale—this time involving Santa! In this hilarious story, Kitty battles with Santa and loses. Or does she? Kitty wants to write a letter. Actually, she wants to write a letter to Santa. But has Kitty been good this year? Hmmm . . . Kitty’s not so sure. She writes the letter anyway and is soon on her way to meet Santa in real life at the mall! Will she make it in time? Will Santa give Kitty what she’s asking for?

Stories include: 1st Day, The Tree - Anders swore he'd cut down his own tree this year, even if it killed him. 2nd Day, The Doves - Kelly's abusive husband couldn't tolerate the birds crapping on his car. 3rd Day, The Hens - Eris's mother-in-law offers to make her and Jessup a Christmas Eve meal to remember. 4th Day, The Birds - Mackie assures Gennie that the dead birds the cat was bringing her were meant to be a present. 5th Day, The Rings - Ricky tells his parents a bad Santa came to visit him and demanded the boy give him five gold rings. 6th Day, The Geese - They say geese can be mean-spirited. Daisy discovers why. 7th Day, The Swans - Alice found an old Victrola in her grandparents' attic. It was the music it played that horrified her. 8th Day, The Milk - Dara and her sister wonder why everything has the same expiration date. 9th Day, The Ladies - Careen couldn't figure out why her daughter no longer wanted the "nine dancing ladies" dolls for Christmas. 10th Day, The Leapers - Vina's daughter asks for more salt to finish the ten circles she's pouring in her bedroom. 11th Day, The Pipers - Macy noticed that one of the pipers on display is missing...but not for long. 12th Day, The Drums - Jayne gets to the point where she can no longer stand the relentless pounding in her skull.

The execution of the perfect crime can leave you flabbergasted, thrilled, chilled, amazed, or just downright impressed. But let’s face it: most lawbreakers end up shooting themselves in the foot, and that’s way more fun to read about. Here we pay tribute to the comic blunderers whose antics land them in police cuffs faster than you can say "He went thatta way!" And if it won’t solve the mystery of why these miscreants do what they do, at least it will aid and abet you in the laughter department. There’s a diverse and crazy crowd of fumblers and bumblers in our wacky lineup. Some fools call the cops on themselves, or dial 9-1-1 to ask where they can buy drugs. There’s even a real-life Cinderella story about a girl forced to stay outdoors and do all the work while her stepsisters lived in comfort.