A Christmas Carol was first published in 1843 and has never been out of print. The first edition sold out by Christmas Eve and by the end of the following year 13 editions had been released.

Titled A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, you can see why it has been shortened to just A Christmas Carol! It is the story of an elderly miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by ghosts and afterward becomes a kinder, gentler man.

When the story was written the British were re-evaluating Christmas traditions. Christmas trees were introduced by the Royal Family (a German tradition) and the idea of a Christmas holiday was just beginning (imagine working through Christmas!). A Christmas Carol is acknowledged as influencing the modern Christmas, introducing the generosity of spirit at Christmas (The Man Who Invented Christmas) and the terms Bah! Humbug! As a retort to anything sentimental or overly festive and Scrooge, used to describe someone as a miser.

Just six years later Dickens began publicly reading the story which was so popular he continued the performances until his death in 1870. There were over 120 readings.

The story has been adapted for film, opera, ballet, musical, animation, radio and the stage. Marcel Marceau even performed a mime for the BBC! It is Dicken’s most reproduced story.

With thanks to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us/Donors