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How Dickens Crafted Christmas

Join Ellie Carlson as she guides you through some of Charles Dickens’ most popular Christmas traditions and explains where they came from and how far they have spread.

So many of the traditions we associate with Christmas in America actually came from English practices. Many of those weren’t really traditions per se in England. They came from the pen of Charles Dickens in 1841 when he first published A Christmas Carol. Dickens’ popular fiction was serialized in inexpensive newspapers and other publications, well within the means of ordinary folk in his time. He wrote this renowned work in less than two months and published it in book form. It sold over six thousand copies in the first six days of distribution. Within two months, there were eight stage adaptations in the works. This work influenced how the English celebrated Christmas forevermore. Their American friends and relatives picked up these rituals as well, and Classic Christmas was born. Join Ellie as she takes you through some of Dickens’ most popular Christmas tropes and explains their origins and reach.

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