A Christmas Carol
has been adapted into movies and retold so many times that we simply associate
it with Christmas without any further thought. But did it ever seem odd to you that
when Charles Dickens decided to write a story for Christmas, he wrote a ghost story?
What about this reference in the song “The Most Wonderful
Time of the Year” sung by Andy Williams:
There'll be scary ghost stories
and tales of the glories
of Christmases long, long ago
and tales of the glories
of Christmases long, long ago
Dickens wasn’t the only author who wrote ghost stories at
Christmas; it was already a long-standing tradition. But why would anyone tell a ghost story at Christmas?
The visitation of Scrooge’s former partner, Jacob Marley, serves
first as a reminder that our souls continue to exist after we die, second as a
warning that there are eternal consequences for how we live our lives now, and
third that as long as we are alive there is still hope. The visitations of each
of the three ghosts give Scrooge the chance to reflect on his life, the effects
of his actions on those around him, and the ultimate consequences of his
current actions. This is the
self-reflection that Victorian ghost stories were intended to encourage.
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, our Savior.
Advent is the time of preparation for this and it’s time that we’re supposed to
spend partly in self-reflection: where are we spiritually, where is God in our
lives, what changes do we need to make so that when we die we go to heaven? For
those who have doubts or have fallen away from God, it’s a reminder that where
there is life there is hope and the potential to change. That hope serves as a call
to conversion and repentance and this is what Scrooge responds to with his
burst of generosity. He rejects his miserly ways by providing for the poor and
starving Cratchit family with food and money, and gives Bob Cratchit time with
his family instead of demanding that he work excessive hours.
If we think of Advent and Christmas as a time when everyone
is supposed to be nice to each other and give presents, then we only see
Scrooge at the end and miss the point of the story.
Next: Why is “A
Christmas Carol” an Intentionally Christian Story?
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