OVER the years, the celebration of Christmas has changed in many ways​—and not just in recent times. Even in 1836, English author Charles Dickens said: “There are people who will tell you that Christmas is not to them what it used to be.”

Perhaps surprising to some, Christmas has not always been a popular event. In the 19th century, when Dickens wrote, Christmas had diminished in popularity. Most British newspapers ignored it during the early part of that century.

Dickens and his older American counterpart, Washington Irving, made an effort to idealize Christmas. Why? Not solely to restore old traditions but also, at least as far as Dickens was concerned, to alert readers to the harsh realities of life for the underprivileged and thus to better their condition.

Dickens and Christmas

Charles Dickens led in arousing social conscience to the problems of the poor. In his classic novel A Christmas Carol, published in 1843, Dickens skillfully employed his knowledge of Christmas traditions to achieve his end.

A Christmas Carol was an immediate success, and thousands of copies were sold. The following year, nine London theaters staged dramatized versions of the tale. On Christmas Eve 1867, Dickens presented a reading of it in the United States at Boston, Massachusetts. In attendance was a Mr. Fairbanks, a factory owner from Vermont, who said to his wife: “I feel that after listening to Mr. Dickens’s reading of A Christmas Carol tonight I should break the custom we have hitherto observed of opening the works on Christmas Day.” He was true to his word. The following year he added the tradition of giving a turkey to his employees at Christmastime.

But toward the mid-1800s, Belk said, ‘Christmas was in trouble, waning in popularity.’ He said religious leaders welcomed an injection of commerce, via gift-giving and Santa Claus, to revive the holiday.

“That revival, Belk said, was credited largely to English author Charles Dickens, whose 1843 ‘A Christmas Carol’ showed a reformed Scrooge who became a generous giver.”

What About Christmas Customs?

Dickens is said to have “enjoyed all the attendant paraphernalia of Christmas.”

Deep Misgivings

England’s Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, complained about the “Victorian, Charles Dickens Christmas.” The reason? “I am concerned in case our children are affected by the commercialism,” he said.