Reportedly Dickens wrote the story while taking hours-long nighttime walks around London.ĭid you know… A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843, with the first edition sold out by Christmas Eve.

Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.ĭid you know… Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in just six weeks, under financial pressure. The novella’s full title is A Christmas Carol. In the spirit of the season, here are 10 things you may not know about the Christmas classic, including its original title, what happened to the original handwritten draft, and a rather famous American author who was not at all a fan.ĭid you know… A Christmas Carol was just one of several Christmas-themed stories written by Charles Dickens. It was such an immediate hit, that barely a month after its debut, Dickens was embroiled in a legal fight against a publishing company that had printed pirated copies. Though he spent mere weeks writing it, Dickens' novella about the original Christmas grinch has been a holiday staple for nearly two centuries, giving rise to countless adaptations for stage and screen. 'Marley was dead, to begin with.' With those six words, Charles Dickens invited us into the world of A Christmas Carol, indelibly introducing us to Ebenezer Scrooge, the three ghosts of Christmas, Tiny Tim, and a full cast of memorable characters. Fezziwig’s Ball, Hand colored etching by John Leech from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, via Wikimedia Commons

Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens