Skip to main content

The Spirit of Christmas

"I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.
Their faithful Friend and Servant,
C. D."
 - Charles Dickens, December, 1843

source
I've just finished reading A Christmas Carol from Charles Dickens for the first time. I thought it'd be appropriate for the holiday season. Growing up, I watched The Muppet's rendition of this novella at least once a year, and I confess that, at certain points, I envisioned The Muppet Christmas Carol as I read.

source
Even if you haven't read this story, you're probably familiar with the phrase, "Bah! Humbug!" (A humbug is a fraud or something nonsensical.) You've most likely heard the name Scrooge, because it's so closely associated with tight-fistedness and an aversion to Christmas. However, A Christmas Carol is more than just a ghostly holiday story of a miser who's scared into generosity. This book encourages us to embody the spirit of Christmas--even after Christmastime.

Ebeneezer Scrooge is frightened into generosity after his encounter with the three spirits, and after seeing his own dead body, cold and alone, he fully realizes the high price of his greed. In the end, he is a changed man (and a very manic one). He not only gives his money, but he also gives his time to others.

The cold Christmas setting of Victorian England mirrors Scrooge's frigid heart, but it also serves as an instrument of comparison to emphasize the evil of greed. Christmastime is known for generosity and good cheer, accentuating Scrooge's greed and his willful ignorance of the deplorable conditions of the English working class. Even after Christmastime, Ebeneezer Scrooge takes the lessons he's learned and applies them to the rest of the year. It is a model that all of us can carry throughout our lives.

We live in a fast-paced world where material acquisition is encouraged and admired, but the best gifts cannot be bought!  Let's be more like the changed Scrooge throughout the year by giving more of ourselves to those around us.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Laura MorriganDecember 27, 2013 at 9:17 PM

    I read the original Christmas Carol last year and really enjoyed it, I loved the dry humour in it! I also watched The Muppet Christmas Carol when I was a kid, It was one of my favourites. When I was little, I used to mix up Bob Marley with Jacob Marley.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OddGhoulOutDecember 28, 2013 at 8:04 AM

      This is the first time I read it, and I really enjoyed it. I never knew it was humorous, but I was pleased to find out! That's funny about Bob Marley and Jacob Marley.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devil's Turnaround

Noonday Missionary Baptist Church's Cemetery is also known as "Devil's Turnaround." It is located along a little back road in Kennesaw, Georgia, and most of the graves are scattered in the woods. It is easy to miss, but some of the gravestones are visible from the road. The cemetery has graves from the 1860's. I wouldn't doubt that some of its occupants were slaves at one time. Many say the land is haunted by malevolent spirits who hurl objects and make physical contact--shoving, scratching, and even biting visitors. I could understand why any lingering spirits might be upset: These grounds have been terribly neglected. Much of the graves are broken and toppled over. Some are barely visible through the overgrowth of ivy and weeds. People also say the root of the haunting may be related to rumored cult rituals performed on the property. Located right by the cemetery are huge power lines (high voltage transmission lines). I could hear them b
7 comments
Read more

Depeche Mode Concert

Last night, Depeche Mode came to town. After a long week and much time spent looking forward to this, I'm glad to say I was in attendance. Justean and I ventured off to the venue with little incident this time (meaning not getting horribly lost like before). When we arrived, we noticed what a broad spectrum of fans Depeche Mode reached. There were a lot of drunken middle aged people, but besides that, there was a range of alternative types as well as more mainstream looking people. One thing is for sure that most everyone seemed excited to be there. In fact, at one point, I almost got in an altercation with a couple who was so excited, they decided to squeeze right in front of me and cut me off! Let's just say I got them to vacate my vicinity.  It was a great night for a concert. The moon shone brightly, and looming rain clouds dissipated. As for the show itself, Depeche Mode knows how to work a crowd. They sound mostly the same in concert as on their albums. They eve
14 comments
Read more

Decatur Cemetery

Established in 1823, Decatur Cemetery is older than the city of Atlanta itself.  Through the iron gates sprawled pathways lined by stone walls and oak trees. There were monuments of varying sizes and shapes, some worn and peppered with lichen.   Within the cemetery, there are a few mysterious letterbox locations. Letterboxing is a past time similar to geocaching. Participants use riddles to find hidden boxes. Inside the box is a pad of paper that is stamped and dated by the finders. My boyfriend and I trekked through the cemetery to find the hidden boxes. We managed to find one of the three, which was soaked with water. Although we didn't find all, our cemetery exploration proved successful. soaked letterbox, hiding under the tree trunk. Thomas Holley Chivers Upon research, I found that Decatur Cemetery is home to a man named Thomas Holley Chivers. Chivers was a Medical Doctor who became a poet, achieving mild fame at the time. He is famous for his friendship an
8 comments
Read more