Introduction

Christmas Carol is a Christmas ghost story based on a novel with the same name, it was written by the British Charles Dickens in 1843. The author’s inspirations to write this novel were the sad and humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor and many Christmas stories and fairy tales. It is worth say that this novel has contributed to the re-establishment of Christmas as time of celebration and festivity in the United Kingdom and United States.

The novel presents images and feelings of optimism, joy, warmth and life, although on the other hand it transmits darkness, hopelessness, coldness, sadness and death. It tells the story of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, which has devoted his life to the becoming rich, but undergoes a profound change over the course of a Christmas Eve night. He is visited by three spirits over three nights, and each of them has a lesson to pass onto him. After meeting the three ghosts, Scrooge changes his life and reverts to the generous, kindhearted soul he was in his youth.

Christmas Carol has been adapted to movies, theater, television and other media, reason why it is still popular, also it was one of the main influences in the resurgence of the ancient Christmas traditions.