This is also the 25th and final day of the PEP CULTURE ADVENT CALENDAR. I can't believe that it's all over for the first year of this calendar. I tell you, choosing only twenty-five stories to feature in this calendar was no easy task. I'm definitely going to have a lot of stories left to choose from when the advent calendar continues in 2019.
For now, we're still in 2018, and I have said that for today's Christmas Day entry, I have chosen a tale that I would consider to be my all-time favourite Christmas story ever featured in an Archie comic. It's a story that as far as I am aware of has only been reprinted once (though I might be wrong on that). But it's one that I think should be seen and enjoyed because even though it starts off rather melancholic, it has an ending that definitely befits the Christmas spirit.
This story was first printed in the Archie Giant Series title "Archie's Christmas Love-In #218", but was also reprinted five years later in "Archie Digest #34". Other than that, I'm not sure if this has appeared anywhere else. I suppose some might consider it too sad of a tale to be printed again, and certainly "The Last Christmas" starts off being a rough tale. In fact, we're treated to being told the story of a house just outside of Riverdale by an unseen narrator.
It really is a tragic tale. A century ago, in this very house, a sudden tragedy strikes, as a woman loses her only child to illness just one day before Christmas Day. The mother is left devastated, and the various plans that she had to give her child the best Christmas ever were left unfulfilled. The toys that she bought for him were left to collect dust. The ornaments to be hung on the tree remained in the box. And it has been said that the mother of the young boy died of a broken heart and that her spirit has haunted the interior of the home over the last one hundred years.
Wow...what a way to start off a Christmas tale, huh? Certainly has the same tone as "Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey", huh?
Flash forward one hundred years later to two days before Christmas in 1973. A huge snowstorm has come to Riverdale and four teenagers who have just picked up their freshly cut Christmas tree are caught in the middle of it.
Apparently, Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica also have blood that is as warm as a volcano because they're driving in the blizzard in Archie's beloved Ol' Betsy WITH THE TOP DOWN! But that's beside the point. As the teenagers try to make their way through the falling snow, their visibility continues to diminish, the temperatures keep dropping, and the four realize that they need to seek shelter. Jughead points out a nearby abandoned house (the same house featured in the opening page of the story), and suggests that they take shelter there. I'm sure that Archie and the gang don't make it a habit to wander into strange homes, but given the weather, they really don't have much choice.
The four pull into the house's driveway and run into the house, carrying their Christmas tree inside with them. I guess part of the reason is so that it doesn't get buried under a mountain of snow even though Archie will have to shovel out the inside of his car because he drove to the house with the top down the whole time. Once inside the house, aside from a layer of dust and cobwebs covering each room, the house is in remarkable condition. It's almost as if it has been preserved for over a hundred years. As the gang investigate the house, they hear a really creepy sound that almost sounds like a woman's cry of anguish, and Archie, Betty, and Jughead worry that the place is haunted. Veronica, on the other hand, thinks it's just the wind from the storm outside, and since they're temporarily stranded, they might as well explore the rest of the house.
Whether they were guided by some unknown force, or whether they chose it of their own free will, the four find themselves going upstairs to the second floor, where in one of the rooms, they find a surprise.
They find themselves in a child's bedroom circa the 1870s. Unbeknownst to them, the spirit of the little boy's mother sits in the rocking chair, still crying tears of sadness. Of course, Archie and the gang don't notice her. They're too busy looking at the various toys that were meant to be Christmas decorations, and the Christmas ornaments that never made it out of the box. Seeing all of these items gives Archie a brilliant idea. Since they seem to be stranded for the rest of the night, they suggest putting up their tree, putting the century old rnaments on the tree, putting the toys underneath, and having a good old-fashioned Christmas. The same kind their great grandparents had all those years ago. Betty, Jughead, and Veronica seem to think that this is a great idea and immediately get to work.
The gang have a lot of fun putting up the tree and getting the toys ready. If the child had lived long enough to see the Christmas he was waiting for before his death, he would have been one lucky kid. There are dozens of gifts underneath the tree including what looks like a rocking horse, a train set, and even a brand new sled! In the distance, our ghostly mother watches them with joy...almost as if they have been sent there on a mission to host one final Christmas party at her former home. Either way, our Riverdale four are having a great time with it, and considering that the weather is terrible, this isn't a bad way to spend the eve before Christmas Eve.
Of course, putting up a tree and decorations takes a lot out of a person, and once everything is set up, everyone begins yawning and realize that there isn't anything they can do but call it a night. The four pull up some old furniture and after a few minutes all of them are fast asleep...which sets the tone for the biggest Christmas miracle ever.
You know that scene in the movie "Field of Dreams" where the spirits of departed baseball players materialize after Kevin Costner builds a baseball field after he hears voices telling him that if he builds it, they will come? This is kind of like that. Because once Archie and the gang decorated the house for Christmas morning, the spirit of the deceased little boy emerges. And once our friendly spectre spots the tree and presents, his eyes bulge out like saucers and the grin on his face is permanently drawn on. Even though this was one hundred years in the making, our little boy finally gets his long awaited Christmas morning.
It is really a joy to see the boy enjoying his brand new toys, and realizing that he got everything that was promised to him by Santa Claus. It's really heartwarming to see that even though this boy is no longer alive, he can still enjoy Christmas. And seeing the joy on her son's face as he plays with his presents causes her to finally mend her broken heart and she too shares in the joy that the special Christmas that she has planned has finally happened. It was kismet that Archie and his pals came when they did, for they helped her give her son one final Christmas. And with those doubts firmly erased, mother and son can now cross over into the spirit world once and for all.
So why do I consider this to be my all time favourite Christmas story? Well, for starters, it was a great way for Archie and the gang to take advantage of a bad situation. Instead of complaining about getting stranded, they hosted a pretend Christmas and had a lot of fun doing it. But even more so was the fact that in celebrating Christmas themselves, they also provided a Christmas present for a lonely mother who died with regret over never being able to give her child a great Christmas. Their gestures helped a little boy experience one final Christmas with his mother. It is such a well-written story, and I absolutely get tugged at the heartstrings whenever I read it. I think as well, it also serves as a message to all of us. This time of year can be rough on those who have lost loved ones - especially so close to the holiday season. But it's important to know that while we may miss them physically, they all live on in our hearts...and they would want us to enjoy Christmas for them. Because when you stop and think about it, our loved ones might be gone...but their spirits will forever remain.
Merry Christmas to everybody! Thanks for reading the PEP CULTURE ADVENT CALENDAR!
Such a sweet story..
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