In December 1843 Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas was published. This book has obviously been very influential - a glance at the number of adaptions (including some episodes of various TV series) makes that very clear. The book added the word "scrooge" to the English language, as well as the phrase "Bah, Humbug!". What is less well known is that the book also popularised the phrase "Merry Christmas".
However the books main influence was on how Christmas was celebrated in Britain and the US. At the time, Christmas was a very minor holiday and viewed as a Catholic celebration. Some of the more protestant areas of the US even banned the celebration of Christmas altogether. Things were starting to change in Britain, thanks to Prince Albert introducing some German traditions, such as Christmas trees. But it was A Christmas Carol that catalysed a revival of the holiday in the form we recognise today - with worship and feasting, family gatherings, Peace on Earth and Good Will to All Men (at least in theory).
So what if the book had never been written. How would Christmas have developed and what other holidays might have developed in its place ? St Nicholas' Day and New Year's Eve are the obvious contenders in the UK, but would the US follow suit or could other holidays become more widely celebrated ?
Anyway - Merry Christmas and God Bless Us, Every One !
Cheers,
Nigel.
However the books main influence was on how Christmas was celebrated in Britain and the US. At the time, Christmas was a very minor holiday and viewed as a Catholic celebration. Some of the more protestant areas of the US even banned the celebration of Christmas altogether. Things were starting to change in Britain, thanks to Prince Albert introducing some German traditions, such as Christmas trees. But it was A Christmas Carol that catalysed a revival of the holiday in the form we recognise today - with worship and feasting, family gatherings, Peace on Earth and Good Will to All Men (at least in theory).
So what if the book had never been written. How would Christmas have developed and what other holidays might have developed in its place ? St Nicholas' Day and New Year's Eve are the obvious contenders in the UK, but would the US follow suit or could other holidays become more widely celebrated ?
Anyway - Merry Christmas and God Bless Us, Every One !
Cheers,
Nigel.