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CharlesnDickens was already an international celebrity author, even before henwrote his most famous story of all: AnChristmas Carol.nBut even though he was a famous and popular author, he fought withnhis publisher about publication of the novella. He ended up financingnthe publication at his own expense—and he didn’t stint, usingn“lavish” binding, gilt edging, and hand-colored illustrations. Henset the selling price low enough so that everyone could afford it.nAnd then (surprise, surprise) he ended up getting a lot less profitnthan he needed or wanted from the project.
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nStill,nalthough the money from publishing his book was disappointing, AnChristmas Carolnwas a success in every other way. The book’s first printing was onnthis date in 1843, and in just a few days the 6,000 printed copiesnsold out. Critics loved it, and the buying public loved it, and bynMay of the following year, a seventh edition had sold out.
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Thenbook has never been out of print since, and it has been adapted tonfilm, stage, radio, television, and other media many times over.
Thenbook has never been out of print since, and it has been adapted tonfilm, stage, radio, television, and other media many times over. n
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nItnhas been translated into nearly every language.
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nIt has beennMuppetized, Disneyfied, and even Flintstoned; it has been parodied,nprequeled, and sequeled; it has been made into a musical and a balletnand even an opera.
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nBynthe way, would it surprise you to know that Dickens wrote AnChristmas Carolnin just six weeks?
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nReinventingnChristmas…
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nDickensnhelped change the way people saw Christmas. Before the Victorian era,nChristmas celebrations among Christians were often no more than massnat church and as grand a meal with the family as one could afford.nChildren would get an apple or orange in their stocking as a specialntreat. Many businesses didn’t give workers the day off—it wasn’tnjust Scrooge who made employees work on Christmas!
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nButnspearheaded by Dickens’s novella, Christmas became more of ansociety-wide holiday (in countries that were predominantlynChristian). It became a time of families getting together to sharenmeals, dance, and “make merry.” It became a time of giving to thenpoor, and gift-giving generally moved from a New Year’s thing to anChristmas thing. Christmas cards were just starting to be seen, andnChristmas trees were about to jump from unknown to popular innEnglish- speaking countries. Decorations became more elaborate.
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nAccordingnto the BBC’s “Victorian Christmas”:
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n WhilenCharles Dickens did not invent the Victorian Christmas, his book AnChristmas Carol isncredited with helping to popularise and spread the traditions of thenfestival. Its themes of family, charity, goodwill, peace andnhappiness encapsulate the spirit of the Victorian Christmas, and arenvery much a part of the Christmas we celebrate today.
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Somenscholars, however, give Dickens more credit for, not justnpopularizing and spreading ideas, but creating ideas in the firstnplace. Ronald Hutton and others say that Charles Dickensn“single-handedly invented the modern form of the holiday.” People were moved by the story to give money to poor people and toncrippled children. A factory owner in the United States was so movednthat he closed his factory on Christmas Day and gave every employee anturkey—and this practice spread.
Somenscholars, however, give Dickens more credit for, not justnpopularizing and spreading ideas, but creating ideas in the firstnplace. Ronald Hutton and others say that Charles Dickensn“single-handedly invented the modern form of the holiday.” People were moved by the story to give money to poor people and toncrippled children. A factory owner in the United States was so movednthat he closed his factory on Christmas Day and gave every employee anturkey—and this practice spread.n
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nOfncourse, AnChristmas Carolnalso gave us “Bah, humbug!” n
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAnniversary of the discovery of an Aztec calendar stone
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Secondn night of Las Posadas
Secondn night of Las Posadasn
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nAnniversaryn of first successful airplane flight
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n Mathematiciann and physicist Emilie du Chatelet’s birthday
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