The annual December 25th celebration of Jesus Christ's birth, and the holiday period surrounding that day. For many, the religious significance of Christmastime is less important than its value as a time for relaxation, traditional celebration and family togetherness. You probably knew that already, but I felt a general introduction was worthwhile.

For information on Christmas pantomimes which featured Knightmare actors, please see the Lexicon entry on pantomime.

One of the many enduring Christmas customs is the sending of greetings cards, and Broadsword Television, the company behind Knightmare, was no exception. Here's the design they used in the mid-1990s.


(Notice how Treguard's hand is lacking a digit. Perhaps he finally gave Majida the finger?)
The design appears to be based on a comic strip by the same cartoonist, Arlo Worts, from Volume 3 Issue 1 of The Quest magazine, pictured here. Volume 2 Issue 1 of The Quest carried the image a Christmas card sent in by KAC member Sebastian Murphy. In 2004, Tim Child shared an online Televirtual Christmas card with the Knightmare Discussion Forum.The most obvious connection between Knightmare and Christmas is what happened at the end of Episode 16 of Series 4 (originally shown on 22/12/90), the last in that series, after Treguard had reunited Team 8 of Series 4, their quest curtailed by the end-of-series phase shift, and Merlin had arrived.
MERLIN: Only one thing approaches, and anyone but a half-witted elf-wit would know what it is. Do you want a hint?

*PICKLE nods.*

MERLIN: Very well.

*He conjures up Christmas decorations in the antechamber. The opening of 'Deck The Halls' plays.*

There. It is Christmas that approaches. In fact, it is almost upon us. You do want to be home for Christmas, don't you, boys?

*THE TEAM nods.*

MERLIN: Yes, I thought so.

*THE TEAM is then dismissed by Treguard.*

TREGUARD: ... Have a safe journey home, and a very Merry Christmas to you.

This has proved a highly controversial scene among Knightmare fans, with many (but not all) expressing a dislike of it, partly because it compounded disappointment over the team apparently not having quite enough time to complete their quest. Here are some of the comments shared on the Knightmare Discussion Forum:

'I'd much prefer to have seen the dungeon collapsing as we had in previous years.' - Grimaldine Grimwold

'the ending itself was poor.. but i guess a kids show at Xmas what u want?' - Mephistopheles

'The Xmas side of things from Merlin was a nice touch to the end of the season! lol' - Leggy1210

'I think the end to Series 4 is sickening, with my main focus for scorn being that dreadful Christmas scene, which I just can't watch.' - Grimaldine Grimwold

'[An] ending that's pretty much universally despised by everyone.' - BillyH

'anything was better than that Series 4 Christmas scene with Merlin!' - Grimaldine Grimwold

'the best ending of any series. No contest. Oh. Sorry. Wait a second...Lie Mode cancel...ahem ... the less said about the chrimbo ending, the better.' - Dark Descender

And finally...

'We hated that, it was really childish and made us feel really uncomfortable. It was filmed in mid august too.' - Giles, the dungeoneer who experienced it!

In Quest 6 of Series 5, Pickle declared Elita losing her voice to be "the best thing that's happened under the horizon since Christmas."

When Motley is released from stasis by Team 1 of Series 8, he finishes off a joke, whose punchline seems to centre around a Chinaman pronouncing Christmas as "Chlistmas".
The run-up to Christmas 2002 was a time of particular rejoicing in the Knightmare fan community, with the news that TV channel Challenge? would be showing Knightmare from that Christmas onward. After repeating KM Series 3 as part of its 'Christmas Cult Selection', Challenge? went on to purchase and transmit the other seven series of Knightmare as well.

Knightmare and Christmas have together inspired fanfiction. The first was 'Christmas at Knightmare Castle', published in Volume 2 Issue 1 of The Quest. Not one but two fanfics exist with the title 'Lord Fear's Christmas Carol'. The first was by Rosey Collins, sister of Jake Collins, and was published in the December 1996 issue of The Eye Shield. The second, 7 years later, was by Martin Odoni. The Discussion Forum's Interactive Story #4 took on a Christmas theme, with Treguard and others embarking on a quest to rescue Christmas from Merlin's crazed clutches.

Knightmare/Christmas filks have been written too, with Christmas songs being reworked into Knightmare-themed parodies. December 2002 gave rise to the first of these, with 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas' spontaneously becoming a Knightmare filk, courtesy of a collaborative effort by Discussion Forum members. You can read it here. A year later, a parody 'We Three Kings' was composed via the same method. Other examples include:

Wham's 'Last Christmas' reworked by Drassil, and later once more by BillyH & Darren & Mashibinbin;

'White Christmas' becoming 'Quest Victory' through Ringmasterrob's efforts;

'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas', parodied by Becxsmagic

Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' rewritten as 'Do They Know It's Quest Mess?' by Drassil.

The latter was recorded in 2005 as a mock charity single by a group of Knightmare fans, Wall Aid 11. At the end of the song, Merlin is heard saying, "You do want to be home for Christmas, don't you, boys?" followed by several members of Wall Aid 11 exclaiming, "No!" That same audio clip formed the opening of the follow-up recording of Christmas 2007: All I Want Is Knightmare To View by Sing Back Knightmare.

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