Merry Christmas Eve my dear friends! When I was thinking about what I wanted to post today I knew I wanted it to be about Christmas (obviously) so I decided to review a story I had not read before, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This classic novella is one I’ve been meaning to read for years but I just never got around to it. I did know the overall story thanks to the Mickey Mouse cartoon version of it.

This movie terrified me as a child, haha.

I’m so glad I actually read the story for myself. There’s a reason it’s still a holiday favorite even though it was written in 1843. If you’re not familiar with the story it’s about a man named Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is a bitter business man who cares for nothing but money. That is until one Christmas Eve when he’s visited by the ghost of his dead business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley wants to save Scrooge from sharing his (Marley’s) fate of being trapped in chains that he created with his greed in life and now must carry through the afterlife. Marley tells Scrooge that three more ghosts will visit him that night and they are the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. As each ghost visits Scrooge they show him scenes of his life and how he’s affected those around him. Scrooge sees what a hateful man he has become and that only a lonely death lies before him if he doesn’t change his ways. He awakes on Christmas morning a changed man and spends the rest of his life helping others.

This story is a quick read and one I highly recommend during the Christmas season. Even after 174 years this novella is still teaching valuable lessons; be a good person, don’t be greedy and keep the Christmas spirit all year long. I hope that whatever you’re doing that you have a blessed and peaceful Christmas. Thank you for reading!