Dickens Impact On Christmas

Charles Dickens is best known for writing “A Christmas Carol.” But few people realize the huge impact of the story. Of course we all know there are several film versions and it’s commonly referred to and quoted in our culture. However, his impact on Christmas celebrations is much more tremendous than most people realize.

In the book, “Charles Dickens, England’s Most Captivating Storyteller,” by Catherine Wells-Cole, it says, “Before Dickens’s time, Christmas in England was not the major holiday it is now. Although houses were often decorated and children received some presents, it was otherwise a very quiet day. People did not give parties or send one another Christmas cards; they did not have Christmas trees or eat turkey and plum pudding. But the vast success of ‘A Christmas Carol’ persuaded the Victorians that this was how Christmas should be. Dickens has sometimes been called ‘the man who invented Christmas,’ and while this is an exaggeration, it is true that the way Christmas is celebrated now owes an enormous amount to him.”

As we are beginning a new year, with Christmas freshly behind us, I would like to challenge each of you to keep that Spirit of the true meaning of Christmas in your hearts all year round. Dickens was a deeply Christian man and had a profound respect for our Savior. This theme is woven carefully all through “A Christmas Carol.” So, like Scrooge at the end of the memorable tale, let it be said of us that we keep Christmas well. And as Tiny Tim observed, “God bless us, every one!”