Most of us grew up with A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge's Christmas Eve spiritual visit from his business partner, Jacob Marley, who had died seven years earlier, and came to warn him that his soul would bear heavy chains for eternity if he did not change his greedy ways.  Marley predicted that other ghosts would also visit him that night:  The Ghost of Christmas Past took Scrooge back to his innocent childhood; the Ghost of Christmas Present took him to the home of his nephew Fred and to the humble dwelling of his clerk Bob Cratchit to observe his family's meager Christmas meal and somber holiday; the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come took him to the future and showed Scrooge dire visions of the future if he did not learn and act upon what he had witnessed.  In the end, Crippled Tiny Tim (Bob Cratchit's son) did not die as the ghost foretold and Scrooge becomes a different man, treating his fellow men with kindness, generosity, and compassion, and gaining a reputation as a man who embodies the spirit of Christmas.
 
Dickens began writing A Christmas Carol in October 1843 and completed the book in six weeks.  It was published on December 19, 1843 and sold for approximately $1.25 each. The first run of 6,000 copies sold out by Christmas Eve. A Christmas Carol was pirated by Parley's Illuminated Library in January 1844 and, though Dickens sued and won his case, the company simply declared bankruptcy, leaving Dickens to pay over $1,000 in costs.
 
Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in the wake of British government changes to the welfare system known as the Poor Laws, changes which required among other things, welfare applicants to "work" on treadmills (originally, a type of mill operated by a person treading steps of a wheel to grind grain). Through his writings, Dickens asks, in effect, for people to recognize the plight of those whom the Industrial Revolution had displaced and driven into poverty, and the obligation of society to provide for them humanely. Failure to do so, Dickens implied, would result in an unnamed "Doom" for those who, like Scrooge, believe their wealth and status qualifies them to sit in judgment of the poor rather than to assist them.
 
Since its first publication, A Christmas Carol has had a profound effect upon its audiences.  A factory owner in Boston, Massachusetts attended a public reading of the story on Christmas Eve and was so moved he closed his factory on Christmas Day and sent every employee a turkey.  The book redefined the spirit and importance of Christmas and initiated a rebirth of seasonal merriment after Puritan authorities in 17th century England and America suppressed pre-Christian rituals associated with the holiday. The religious and social implications of A Christmas Carol and its depiction of Christmas traditions have played a significant role in reinventing Christmas with an emphasis on family, goodwill, and compassion.  Prominent phrases from the novel, "Bah! Humbug!" and "Merry Christmas," entered the English language.  The word "scrooge" has also been added to the English dictionary, defined as a stingy person.
 
Born February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England, Charles Dickens married Catherine Hogarth (the daughter of a newspaper editor) in 1836. Together, they had ten children. Since his first story published in 1833 (A Dinner at Poplar Walk), Charles Dickens wrote over a dozen major novels, a large number of short stories, a handful of plays, and several non-fiction books. His novels were initially serialized in weekly and monthly magazines, and then reprinted in standard book formats.  A great many of his characters were based on people that he knew.  Readings of novels were quite popular in that era and Dickens drew large audiences to his stage readings for many years.  Separated from Catherine in 1858, Dickens never divorced or remarried but did maintain a bond with Ellen Ternan (an actress in one of his stage plays) for the rest of his life. He died of a stroke at his home on June 9, 1870 at the age of 58.  Dickens's Will stipulated that no memorial be erected to honor him, thus, the only life-size bronze statue of Dickens, cast in 1891, is located in Clark Park in the Spruce Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Resource:  www.wikipedia.org) 

 

 

Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall.  We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who . . . followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space. 

 

- Dave Barry (Humor Columnist)

 

 

The recent announcement that Donner and Blitzen have elected to take the early reindeer retirement package has triggered a good deal of concern about whether they will be replaced, and about other restructuring decisions at the North Pole.

Streamlining is due to the North Pole's loss of dominance of this season's gift distribution business. Home shopping channels, the Internet, and mail order catalogs have diminished Santa's market share. He could not sit idly by and permit further erosion of the profit picture.

 
The reindeer downsizing was made possible through the purchase of a late model Japanese sled for the CEO's annual trip. Improved productivity from Dasher and Dancer--who will retrain at the Harvard Business School--is anticipated. Reduction in reindeer will also lessen airborne environmental emissions for which the North Pole has received unfavorable press.

 

We are pleased to inform you that Rudolph's role will not be disturbed. Tradition still counts for something at the North Pole.