"In the West, the so-called Contes de Noel, or Christmas fairy tales, make up an entire body of literature, some works by outstanding authors are magnificent, and an entire library can be filled with the annually published Christmas Numbers, which are the special issues of illustrated magazines published for the Christmas holiday, featuring beautiful images and a wide variety of delightful content."
Al. Papadiamantis, "Christmas," published in "Efimeris," December 25, 1887, signed "Byzantine." This Western custom was adopted by the Eastern author Papadiamantis (1851-1911), who published short stories in various periodicals during the Christmas season, some of which are among the finest examples of his art.
The common thread that connects these stories, apart from the unparalleled skill of their author, is that their action is tied to the celebration of Christmas. However, there is no kind of family festive naivety present, but rather, the pages unfold the great variety of life of the characters in the Papadiamantic universe, where at one end lies the murderous malevolence of old Kantaquina ("The Christobread") and at the other, the uncomplaining kindness of aunt Ahtitsa ("The Ash Gatherer").
[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]
