Lauren Laverne of the Guardian has written one of the best articles I've ever seen on Dickens and Christmas (and that's saying something). She goes beyond what everyone already knows and probes some deeper Dickensian ideas about the holiday. Here's a sample:
"It’s pretty hard not to remember the dead at Christmas, but Dickens goes further. He is adamant that we should use the day to celebrate other losses, like our failures, abandoned plans and ruined relationships. In the same essay he says: 'Welcome, old aspirations, glittering creatures of an ardent fancy… Welcome, all that was ever real to our hearts; and for the earnestness that made you real, thanks to Heaven!' Every time I read it I wonder why we don’t do more of that. We love the idea of Scrooge’s transformation, but this kind of self-acceptance and equanimity is probably more useful to most people."
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