A Christmas Carol

Do you know how responsible this tale was for making Christmas the way it is today? Lots of generosity, sharing, giving and love.

English author Charles Dickens created the classic holiday tale, 'A Christmas Carol'. The story's message-the importance of charity and good will towards all humankind-struck a powerful chord in the United States and England and showed members of Victorian society the benefits if celebrating the holiday.

The family was also becoming less disciplined and more sensitive to the emotional needs of children during the early 1800s. Christmas provided families with a day when they could lavish attention-and-gifts on their children without appearing to 'spoil' them.

As Americans began to embrace Christmas as a perfect family holiday, old customs were unearthed. People looked toward recent immigrants and Catholic and Episcopalian churches to see how the day should be celebrated. In the next 100 years, Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own that included pieces of many other customs, including decorating trees, sending holiday cards, and gift-giving.

Although most families quickly bought into the idea that they were celebrating Christmas how it had been done for centuries, Americans had really re-invented a holiday to fill the cultural needs of a growing nation.

Return toChristmas-Anthology

This anthology is compiled of four short inspiring and uplifting Christmas stories which should help you get into the true Christmas spirit. Not the spirit of buying presents for everyone you know but sharing love, being with family, overcoming bad times, for one day of the year everyone is happy, just loving 'it all' spirit of Christmas.

That's the feeling I hope this book will give you to help kick off the season, not in the commercialized way it's become but in a loving and sharing way. Please take a minute to download your own copy at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3794.

Be sure to visit me at my website; loreleiconfer@tampabay.rr.com. I'd love to hear from you!