Teaching English at a secondary school my colleagues and I are often required to ask ourselves, what makes a text worth studying? Is it the ability to engage young readers or the accessibility of the language which are becoming more popular justifications among many English faculties as teachers struggle to capture the minds of a generation accustomed to the instant gratification of technology. Does it need to have some level of gender balance or maintain political correctness when it comes to race, religion and sexual orientation? Written in 1843 “A Christmas Carol” clearly doesn’t tick any of these boxes since there is only a few female characters mentioned and they are all restricted to domestic expectations of the Victorian society no to mention Dickens’ language can be confusing for adults let alone children. The result is that schools one day soon may no longer teach Dickens at all, personally this would not only be a cultural tragedy but also a continuing sign of our literary decline into mediocrity.

Texts like “A Christmas Carol” are exactly what should be taught in schools because not only are the themes still relevant to a modern audience but they have shaped the world we live in today. Dickens novella is perhaps the best example of this as besides Coca Cola’s creation of Santa Clause nothing else has even come close to impacting the way we celebrate Christmas in the same way. The impact “A Christmas Carol” has had on the holiday is profound and can be traced in nearly every aspect of modern celebrations starting with language and the words “Merry Christmas” or the labeling of certain people as a “Scrooge”. However, what many people don’t realise is that after the reformation Christmas was in decline in Europe and celebrations were actually banned by the puritans in England as hardline protestants viewed the holiday as a Catholic tradition while rationalists would later ban services in revolutionary France. Even once these bans were lifted it took time for people to return to the old traditions which were quickly dyeing out. Dickens’ novella was pivotal in revitalising the holiday due to his popularity and ability to capture the masses turning Christmas into the family centred holiday we all know. This is of course one of the lessons at the core of “A Christmas Carol” as the spirits emphasis to Scrooge that the proper way to celebrate the holiday is with family whether it is through Bob Cratchit’s meager feast or that of Scrooge’s own nephew the similarity’s are clear and reinforce that no matter a person’s position in life we can always experience joy surrendered by those we love. In addition, the novella even shapes what these gatherings look like by focusing on seasonal foods, games and music which has become so ingrained in our cultural heritage that despite the fact that it is summer in Australia many families will still celebrate with a Christmas ham, turkey and plum pudding they just might have an entrée of prawns and oyster first. In this way the novella has had a lasting impact on most people’s lives as it has been integral to the creation of the “spirit of Christmas” a concept created by the overall plot of Dickens’ morality tale.

Yet the stories relevance for readers does not end in the past impact as Dickens’ message of social responsibility and compassion still holds true. The spirits lesson to Scrooge is more than the importance of family but that he has the power to effect others and make their burden’s “light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil” and that the true value of a person is not measured in their wealth rather their generosity of spirit highlighted in Tiny Tim. As such compassion for our fallow man has become part of the Christmas tradition with many people making charitable donations and of course an emphasis on giving gifts but it seems to becoming increasing overshadowed by our own greed and emphasise on commercial goods. This can been seen in children who count their gifts, our reaction to something that we already have or didn’t really want and the countless other expenses associated with Christmas. It is times like this where we find ourselves perhaps thinking to much about gifts that we fail to enjoy what we have and reflect on those that have less. Maybe it is this reason why “A Christmas Carol” should still be widely taught in schools so that we may learn to avoid a similar fate that awaited Scrooge before his reclamation, with the only thought about our passing glee or and potential finical gain. Ultimately, the true message of the novella will always remain relevant as humanity will constantly need reminding to focus on the business of mankind.

I am in no way immune to any of these faults as I always tell people what I would like for Christmas and enjoying unwrapping anything I asked for as much as the next person but I hope that my efforts to spread joy and a festive spirit are always clear. Perhaps I too need to continue to think about the lessons of Dickens’ novella and try to “live in the Past, the Present, and the Future” showing compassion and love for those around me is a start. The one thing I’m thankful for more than anything is a beautiful wife whose presence lights up my world and that understands me so well that we can pretty much predict each others thoughts or laugh at our collective inside jokes. Hopefully those people who are alone this year might find something similar in the future and regardless of their circumstances I wish them and you a very Merry Christmas.