A Christmas Carol is a novella written by Charles Dickens in 1843 that tells about the fall and the rise of a miserable man, Ebenezer Scrooge, as he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future on Christmas Eve. Here's what it taught us.

Ghost of Christmas Past 

The first lesson - a look back at the past. Most of us have a troubled relationship with time passing by. As worried as we could feel about it, time only moves in one direction, which is forward. 
It is undeniable that one thing cannot exist without its opposite, hence without past there would be no present, there would be no future. So, when during Christmas time we dwell on our memories, the best thing we can do is to think of our past as a suitcase full of lessons, moments that can bring us joy and wisdom.
Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Past helps the main character of the novella to recover his most authentic feelings by catapulting him into his childhood, when Scrooge was still innocent and happy.

The Spirit of Christmas Past

Ghost of Christmas Present 

The second lesson - your today.  ‘Live as if there were no tomorrow’ is the best guideline you could follow. Today is the right day to purify your soul, to help someone in need, to tell someone about your feelings. Live your life to its fullest and treat your neighbor fairly, for there may be no tomorrow.

The Ghost of Christmas Present reveals to Scrooge the stories of the people in need who surround him in his day-to-day life. ‘Be awake and compassionate’ is the lesson Dickens wants to teach us.

The Spirit of Christmas Present

Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

The third lesson - a glance at the future. Everything that you do will have consequences in the future — make sure you do the right thing. In other words, even if we cannot have the certainty that tomorrow will come, we must be aware of the fact that our actions are like seeds that we plant and that will eventually develop into something good or bad. It’s on us to determine the nature of our intentions.

Finally, the third and last ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, shows the most terrifying of all scenes to Scrooge: his own death. Happiness that it causes among his neighbors reflects his unpopularity. During his life, Scrooge was not able to inspire love because his soul was dark. ‘As ye sow, so shall ye reap.’ is the last lesson.

The Spirit of Christmas Future

 

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