I have loved Charles Dickens‘ A Christmas Carol every since I was a little girl. Despite the dreary backdrop, it holds a sense of magic and wonder that only Christmas can bring out in a story.

It’s Christmas Eve and Ebenezer Scrooge – a grumpy, miserable old miser-  sits in his frigid counting house, with his long-suffering clerk Bob Cratchit. Scrooge dislikes the Christmas season and spits out a bitter “Bah, Humbug” to everyone that wishes him “Merry Christmas” including his own nephew.

Later that evening he is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley, with a dire warning: change your heartless, self-serving ways or you will suffer for eternity. A little rattled, Scrooge falls into a deep sleep, only to be rudely awoken by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future in a last-ditch effort to save his sorry soul.

Shaken by what the spirits show him, Scrooge vows to change his ways- his Christmas spirit renewed -whooping in the street in his nightgown (which I found hilarious as a littlie) and spoiling not only poor Bob Cratchit, but Bob’s family as well.  As a reader, it’s truly heart-warming to see a character you have been set up to dislike turn into someone you would actually invite to dinner.

The other thing I love most about this story, is that it shows how a little love and kindness can go a long way. Poor Bob Cratchit, who, let’s face it,  had a pretty miserable existence working for grumpy old Scrooge, did the best he could to provide his family with the finest Christmas he could afford. A window into the lives of the poor of the time, your heart really goes out to them and when Scrooge finally comes through, you really feel a sense of joy.

Perfect for giving you joyous Christmas #feels, A Christmas Carol is a timeless classic that everyone should read at least once.