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.
I love Christmas.
To anyone who knows me, that’s probably the understatement of 2014. But I do. First and foremost, it’s a celebration of my Lord Jesus. And I like the pretty decorations and friendly attitude that most people are willing to adopt this time of year. People can yap off about consumerism and the like, but if your disdain for early décor, gifts and spirit make you enjoy Christmas less? Then I think maybe you’re just a Scrooge who doesn’t understand why Christmas is special. Time to stop letting other people rain on your parade. Take the good, leave the bad. End of story.
A lot of people have a Christmas tradition. Mine is watching “A Christmas Carol” on Christmas Eve. Now, I don’t always manage to see it on December 24th, but give or take a couple of days in either direction and I’m satisfied.
Charles Dickens’s holiday masterpiece was first published on December 19, 1843. It’s a beautiful tale of love, kindness and redemption. I’ll admit, it took me a long time to finally read this book. In fact, I picked it up for the very first time only about 5 years ago. Like most people, I’ve seen a number of film incarnations, and I was surprised by the length of the original story. Not long by Dickens’s standards, to be sure! Still, a 90-minute film can’t illustrate the entire book. But it’s a beautiful narration on life, no matter how you’re exposed to it. Continue reading →