Most of us had a copy of A Christmas Carol at home growing up. Charles Dickens’ tale is infused so deeply in our Christmas celebrations that it’s almost impossible to think of one without the other.
So, as another year comes to an end, we decided to dig up a little trivia to immerse ourselves in the spirit of Christmas. And what better way to feel the festive cheer than discover hidden facts about A Christmas Carol.
5 FACTS THAT YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Ready to usher in the festive cheer? Here goes.
The Inspiration
Dickens was inspired to write A Christmas Carol after speaking at a charity dinner sometime in 1843. The event aimed at raising money for the Manchester Athenaeum, an institution for the advancement and diffusion of knowledge. After the speech, Dickens went on a long solitary nocturnal walk when he had an idea for a Christmas book.
The Idea Behind the Book
Charles Dickens was a passionate humanitarian and quite vocal about social causes. A Christmas Carol was a deliberate attempt to draw attention to the plight of London’s lower strata of civilization. Dickens was particularly concerned about the living conditions of children and the surprising lack of child labor laws.
As Christmas celebrations became more brazen and opulent over the years, Dickens decided to pen a Christmas story revolving around the issues so that more people paid attention to reality.
Charles Dickens used his power, position, money, and writing to raise awareness about serious causes like child neglect, hunger, juvenile delinquency, social inequality, lack of education, abuses of the wealthy, and poor living conditions.
Dickens’ First Public Reading
Charles Dickens was the first notable writer to publicly read his work and A Christmas Carol was his first reading. Dickens read the book to an audience of over 2000 people at the Birmingham town hall a decade after it was published.
Tiny Tim was Inspired by a Real Person
The character Tiny Tim in A Christmas carol was based on Dickens’ nephew Harry, who suffered from several ailments. The difficulty that the poor boy and his family went through deeply affected the author.
Dickens didn’t just pay for the boy’s treatment but seeing the challenges that Harry and his family faced daily, he wanted to highlight their story to mainstream society. Unfortunately, Harry died at the tender age of nine. Although Dickens never mentioned his diagnosis in the book, several scholars believe that the author tried to portray tuberculosis in A Christmas Carol.
The notion revolves around Tim using a sole crutch. Patients suffering from tuberculosis often develop problems with the spine, which can cause difficulty walking. Dickens wanted to share the plight of families who had children with disabilities and the lack of resources available to them.
The Reading Ritual
On days of public reading, Dickens would drink two teaspoons of rum blended with cream for breakfast and a pint of champagne during tea break. Half an hour before he went on stage, Dickens would have a sherry infused with a raw egg. During the break between sessions, he would have beef tea, and for dinner, Dickens would have a bowl of soup.
What’s Christmas Without a Healthy Dose of Thrill!
Christmas is all about celebrations and revelry. And what better way to get into the mood than spending quality time with friends and family. Escape rooms in Perth offer the ultimate solution. Gather your group around for 60-minutes of nail-biting adventure as you go on a quest to solve the puzzle before time runs out. Happy hunting!
