In order to understand Dickens' success during the nineteenth century, a historical background must first be discussed. At the beginning of the Victorian period, the celebration of Christmas was in decline. The medieval Christmas traditions that combined the celebration of the birth of Christ with the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia had come under intense scrutiny by the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell. The Industrial Revolution, in full swing in Dickens' time, also allowed workers little time for the celebration of Christmas.

romantic revival of Christmas traditions that occurred in Victorian times had other contributors: Prince Albert brought the German custom of decorating the Christmas tree to England, the singing of Christmas carols, which had all but disappeared at the turn of the century began to thrive again, and the first Christmas card appeared in the 1840's. It was however, the Christmas stories of Dickens, particularly his 1843 masterpiece, A Christmas Carol, which rekindled the joy of Christmas in Britain and North America.

What truly is the spirit of Christmas? I do not think that Dickens answers this question well. Even Peter Ackroyd, a Dickens biographer writes,

As it has been demonstrated, Charles Dickens does create a Christmas philosophy that seems to epitomize what Christmas ought to be. Dickens however, does little to signify the importance of the birth of Jesus Christ. Even in today's twenty-first century, the idealized Christmas, which Dickens sought, is not what the holiday season is about. I believe we take for granted the importance of holidays. What are we teaching our children about the importance of religious diversity when we are telling them Christmas is a time for gift giving? Still, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol does not appeal to me, because I tend not to associate Christmas with the views of what many hold true. This works against Dickens as a novelist. Although he revived the popular Christmas spirit philosophy as what we now know as "Christmas," he fails as keeping Christmas to it true religious roots.

Dickens writes about having a large Christmas dinner feast, which is now one of the most popular pastimes of the Christmas season. The Dickens philosophy also makes us believe that Christmas is a time for giving, sharing, and kindness towards our fellow man. This is all a wonderful way to think about Christmas, but it certainly not the way Christmas truly should be.

Heaped upon the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and great bowls of pun

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Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)