Exploring Christmas
As the year draws to an end, the holiday spirit is in the air (quite literally we are waiting for the actual ‘holiday’ to start) Well, jokes aside Christmas is surely just around the corner and the spirit of Christmas is once again present among us. But what is this ‘Spirit of Christmas’? In fact what is Christmas?
When a person thinks of Christmas, the first thing that most probably comes to mind is the Christmas tree or Santa Claus or even presents. Christmas can be described in many ways but it is usually celebrated by millions of people according to tradition. Tradition dictates to put up a Christmas tree, decorate the house for ‘Santa Claus to come and visit’
…show more content…
Centuries ago in Great Britain, wood priests called Druids used evergreens during mysterious winter solstice rituals. The druids used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and place evergreen branches over doors to keep away evil spirits.
Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their door to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. Our modern Christmas tree evolved from these early traditions.
Legend has it that Martin Luther began the tradition of decorating trees to celebrate Christmas. One crisp Christmas Eve, about the year 1500, he was walking through snow covered woods and was struck by the beauty of a group of small evergreens. Their branches, dusted with snow shimmered in the moonlight. When he got home, he set up a little fir tree indoors so he could share the story with his children. He decorated it with candles, which he lighted in honour of Christ’s birth.
The tradition of the mistletoe is derived from the pagan worship of the sun god, Balder. He was supposed to be immune to all forms of destruction because of spells cast by the other gods. The only thing they lacked was the immunity to mistletoe. And so Loki, the evil god contrived to have Balder killed in an arrow made of mistletoe.
Christmas Carol How does Charles Dickens convey the character of scrooge in the early pages of a Christmas Carol? Charles Dickens, is best known for his host of distinctively cruel, repugnant characters. His father was sent to a Debtors prison taken his son Charles with him
“ Spirit, hear me. I am not he man I was. I will not be the man I have been for so many years. Why show me all of this if I am past all hope? Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me. Let the boy live! I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.” (Scrooge, p.140). A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is an important story as it has a meaningful theme of change, as the quotes states above. But that isn’t the only theme that this beautiful story shows us. Many different spirits encounter him to help him realize why Christmas is important (I’m pretty sure that is the meaning of the spirits). When the first spirit of the past encounters him, he realizes what he has done, and regrets some of the things he did. The second spirit helped Ebenezer Scrooge recognize how what he has been doing has had an impact in other peoples life. When the frightening third spirit came and showed him his future and others futures, he discovers about himself and how people didn’t care that he died. When we read A Christmas Carol, we learn that it can have many different themes that can be a very important component to the story and even our lives.
Some of these may be very scary and some may only be mildly scary. It
Each ghost marks an important step in Scrooge’s journey towards being a better person. Explain
A Christmas Carol In a Christmas Carol, Dickens uses some of his past childhood experiences to show us that Christmas is very important and many messages come across in this book. It is split up into five ‘staves.’ The reason that they are staves instead of chapters as staves are used in music and it is called a Christmas ‘carol.’
are poor enough.” And he said he lives in his word of fools. We can
Every year at Christmas, people who celebrate the holiday place emphasis on giving to those less fortunate than them and spending money on family and friends. The exception to that would be Ebenezer Scrooge, that is, before he was visited by three spirits. This past month, I read the book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. For this analytical essay, I chose to write about a character from the novel and how the character has evolved from the start of the novel to the end. Ebenezer Scrooge, the protagonist of A Christmas Carol, has evolved throughout the story in that in the beginning, he despises Christmas, loves money, and turns people away from him; in the middle, when the three spirits come to him, he begins to repent his attitude and ways; and, in the end of the novel, he has fully changed and enjoys the Christmas holiday and gives to others.
It is curious that as children, humans have the ability to observe and remember details of specific situations and instances yet lack the ability to describe them. Truman Capote, as a grown man, took advantage of his vivid memories and composed the short work, "A Christmas Memory." The story begins in late November, a month symbolic of all the years gone by that Capote could remember beginning preparations for Christmas fruitcakes.
Whenever you think of Christmas Carols, what song pops into your head? Personally, for me, it has always been “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. I always think of this carol because it is one of the first ones I was ever taught. When I was younger I figured the song meant exactly what it said. I thought that it had no religious meaning behind it, but to my surprise, there is a special meaning behind this Christmas Carol.
I think the wise men knew something we didn’t. Seriously, when I go to a baby shower I usually bring diapers, bottles or clothing; not gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. I love seeing the shinny Christmas lights that decorates my street and the sound of fresh fallen snow on the ground. Christmas reminds me of family, the laughter and loved we shared, and the gifts we gave to each other. My house on Christmas became the center of my joy.
Before the arrival of christ, early europeans celebrated it as a celebration of light and birth in the darkest days of winter
We each take a huge breath as we step out into the crispy snow that snaps under our boots. I make my way to the front door, illuminated by the red, green, and blue Christmas lights. As I open the door and step into a house full of cheek pinches and hugs, an array of Christmas smells welcomes me and makes my mouth water. As my family and I are quickly made comfortable, I look around... All the house is full of Christmas decorations, and the carols are heard all over the house. My cousins are running, playing , and laughing.
Twas the night before Christmas, pale and yellow moonlight illuminated a house deep in the woods. Tall pine trees surrounded the house, like giants pointing at the inky black sky. Flurries of snowflakes swirled in a hurry around the house. The house stood alone and abandoned, adorned with Christmas lights, but not the ones you would see on any ordinary house. Some lights were fading, once bright and colorful but now a former shell of what they once been. Others burned out in a spark while the ones left were shattered. The front door was decorated with a rug that could be mistaken as an animal. The tree inside the house was not in the most pristine condition, either. The tree slumped in a dark corner. The top of the tree stretched out like bony fingers grasping at the air. The shiny, glinting ornaments that once fashioned the tree were now shattered. The wallpaper plastered to the wall was now peeling off, like it was rotting. The paint on anything on the house was now faded and chipping away. Stale air filled with dust occupied the house. The house was indeed creepy and not in the most pristine condition. Even more mysterious, the house would only ever appear on the night of Christmas Eve. Despite this, many local teenagers and explorers were drawn to the house. Anyone who was brave enough or dumb enough would enter and see the house in its deteriorated state. One Christmas Eve night many years ago, an explorer had stumbled across the house. He had been in the snow for what
I looked out the living room window and saw my parents hanging up our Christmas lights in the soft, falling snow. The aroma of gingerbread cookies floated in the air. I was wrapped up in a fuzzy, red blanket lounging on our black, leather couch, watching the Christmas special on tv.