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Charles Dickens’ 1843 ‘A Christmas Carol’, portrays the true meaning of Christmas: good will to all men and compassion. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the owner of a money house in London who is completely anti-Christmas. He thinks that everyone should work every day including Christmas and those who don’t are “ill-used” because they still get paid for a day’s work.

But, even seven year`s later, he is just as bitter as he was when his partner, Jacob Marley dies. So, he hires Bob Cratchit to work for him. He doesn’t pay Bob very much money and him and his entire family are living in poverty. Bob has five kids and the youngest has a condition and needs a crutch. But he doesn’t let that bring him down.

On Christmas Eve, while Scrooge is in his bedroom preparing for bed, he is visited by the ghost of Marley. He is told that he will be visited by three spirits and if he doesn`t change his ways before the morning after Christmas, he will become like Marley and carry the chains of all his wrong-doings in his past. Scrooge doesn’t believe him at first, until he is visited by the Ghost of Chrismtas Past who shows him how he went from an outcast, to a friend who everyone enjoyed being around, to a rich, self-centered enemy that no one wants anything to do with.

He is then visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present who shows him how bad life really is for the Cratchit’s and just how much he is disliked by everyone in that household except for Bob who really appreciates what Ebenezer does for them. He is also shown how much his nephew really loves him even though everyone else hates him.

And finally, he is paid a visit by the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. He sees that he will die and no one will even care. All of his stuff will be sold by his housemaid so that she has a few extra bucks. The only person that will actually care is his nephew Fred. And that Tiny Tim won’t get the care and services he needs and will die.

Fortunately for Ebenezer, he realizes that he was a bad person and decides to change his ways. The day after Christmas morning, he purchases a huge turkey for Bob and arrives at work earlier than usual so he can catch Bob being late. He was late as expected and at first, Scrooge seems cross with his clerk. But finally, Scrooge announces that Bob is getting a raise.

And everyone lives happily ever after. As each book should.

Personally, I find this book one that should be read by all. The old-style English makes this story a little harder to read but, in the end, it all makes sense and it’s meaning very understood. Many movies have been made based on this classic book. I, personally, have only seen the Disney version starring Scrooge McDuck and Mickey Mouse.

However, the Citadel Theatre in downtown Edmonton puts on a terrific play adapted by Tom Wood. It’s very well put together and is put on annually. I reccommend anyone who gets the chance to go see it to do so. For more details on the dates, go to www.citadeltheatre.com.