When I think of Dicken's "Christmas Carol' what comes to mind is Tiny Tim: "God Bless Us, Everyone". However, Dickens' most popular and best known Christmas quote is:
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” ― Charles Dickens
Dickens wrote this book to regain his financial circumstances. He began writing it in October 1843 and finished in the early days of December. The Wikipedia entry says that he built the work in his head while taking night-time walks of 15 to 20 miles around London. The book was published on December 19th - what an event that would have been. It sold out by Christmas Eve. Dickens gave public readings of the story - he did this from 1849 till his death in 1870.
The book responded to the mid-Victorian revival of the Christmas holiday during his time, and the story captured and promoted the spirit of that revival - family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games and a festive generosity of spirit.
There's quite a Christmas legacy from this book.
The phrase "Merry Christmas" became popularized because of the book.
The expression "Bah! Humbug!" entered popular use.
The name "Scrooge" became synonymous with a miser.
Dickens' humanitarian focus of the holiday was heralded as a significant influence in defining the now firmly held Western culture Christmas traditions - family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games and a festive generosity of spirit.
Dickens's hand-written manuscript of the story does not include the sentence in the penultimate paragraph "... and to Tiny Tim, who did not die"; this was added later, during the printing process. The manuscript is held in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York.
Today's pictures come from the ice storm a few weeks ago. The dilapidated barn sits in the icy landscape. I wonder when it will disappear. Dutch farms have few decays- everything is neat and tidy.
Vineyards are even tidier and more manicured. Workers were trimming grape vines as I drove down John Street this week. An example of such neatness is the first picture where there aren't any 'whips' above the plants. Everything's been trimmed.
