Reading 'A Christmas Carol' - Our Favourite Christmas Tradition
A Christmas Tradition
One thing we love about Christmas is the traditions, a favourite of which is spending Christmas Eve curled up on the sofa eating chocolate and reading a good book alongside our loved ones, an activity inspired by the wonderful Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið. You can read more about that right here. Our favourite book to read at this time of year is the wonderful 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens.
About Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was born 7th February 1812. The author of so many brilliant novels, including A Christmas Carol! From Great Expectations and The Pickwick Papers through to Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. Dickens lived a pretty interesting life, here are a few of our favourite facts.
1. Dickens was on a train that derailed over a bridge. He found the key that freed his friends, went into the below carriages to give water and brandy out, then climbed back into his dangling carriage to retrieve Our Mutual Friend, which he was on his way to the publishers with.
2. He was part of a makeshift ghost club with Arthur Conan Doyle. The ‘members only’ group would investigate the supernatural and haunted encounters. Although an active member, Dickens remained sceptical of the spirit world.
3. Dickens kept pet ravens for years, naming each of them ‘Grip.’ He loved his first raven so much that after he died, he had him stuffed and mounted into an elaborate wooden and glass case!
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A Christmas Carol - Our Favourite Quotes
"Every idiot who goes around with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."
"You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There's more of gravy than a grave about you, whatever you are!"
"There is nothing in the world so irresistably contagious as laughter and good humour."
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
"Bah! Humbug!"
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Lessons Learnt
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol teaches us a number of things, but most of all it’s a lesson in kindness and generosity. We should focus on helping the people around us and work hard at nurturing those relationships. There is more to life than money and Christmas is a perfect time to remind us of this. It’s not about extravagant gifts or material goods. It’s about spending time with those who mean the most.
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Fancy joining in with this tradition? Take a look at our edition right here. :)
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