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

Halloween Update: A Change of Plans

So everyone, I am a little disappointed to say that my Marie Antoinette costume is not a go this year. There has been so much piling up on me between things in my personal life, work, and school, that I have been unable to find the time to get the rest of my costume together. I bit off more than I could chew this year, but I know for next time to plan better. Perhaps you'll see the Queen next year... Although I will not be doing Marie Antoinette, I do have something planned that I can easily do with what I have! I will be using my red dress, a hat, roses, black lace and accessories, and of course some creative make-up, to throw together a Día de los Muertos costume. I think it might even be a better option this year, as I plan on visiting my aunt's house who has decorated her home in a  "Dead Hat Society" theme this year. If you don't remember the aunt to whom I am referring, here is the link to my post about her house.  I will take pictures! It's really spe
12 comments
Read more

My Birthday!

Today (November 9th) was officially my 19th birthday! (It is also Dorian Gray's birthday.) Jessica, Justean, and I took a trip up to the beautiful Blue Ridge, Georgia to go see Frankenweenie at the Swan Drive-In Theater. This was my first time going to a drive-in. They're very rare where I live, and Swan was highly recommended by my aunt. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of my little celebration. The movie and the whole drive in experience were wonderful, and even the car ride was far from dull. Aside from the fact that I nearly got us killed on the drive up, I enjoyed being vulgar, singing badly, and laughing maniacally with my friends in the car.  Official Website The famous Blue Ridge Mountains. The beautiful Jessica I don't really know what to say...Justean's enjoying her funnel cake? Derp This is Cocoon Justean. This movie was so cute! It was pretty cold out tonight, at least to us, since we could see our breath. Taking the conver
8 comments
Read more

My First Ghost Tour

source As you probably know, I'm now officially a ghostly tour guide in my town! I'm so happy about this. What were the chances of me finding a job where I get paid to be creepy and tell ghost stories?  Before tonight, I was a ghost tour virgin. I was a little nervous at first, but life has prepared me for public speaking since I've been on stage and done presentations before. Overall, I think it went pretty well. I had an unusually large group (19 people) of mostly serious older adults who appreciated the history more than anything else. My walking cane even broke a few times, there were 4 or 5 trains to go by during the tour (which is irritating), and my new shoes rubbed my heels raw. Despite all that, everyone seemed to have a good time and I even creeped a few people out! Here's what I wore minus the Top hat: I love my little coffin locket. :) And for your listening enjoyment:
10 comments
Read more