Yes, Christmas of 2021 is in the books, and Christmas of 2022 is still almost a full year away, but indulge me, please, while I share a few more interesting Christmas Did You Knows.
The Little Ice Age
Depending on who you ask, the period known as the “Little Ice Age” began in either the 1300s or the 1500s and lasted through the mid-to-late 1800s. While it affected the world in different ways, for some areas of Europe and North America it brought longer and colder winters. Yes, that made survival more difficult, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom. In England, colder winters resulted in more snow and deep-frozen rivers. This led to ice skating and winter festivals. These events, once very rare, became more regular. The River Thames Frost Fair—held on the frozen River Thames—began in 1608 and was celebrated every winter through 1814.
Why is this important? Because the Little Ice Age still affects you. No, I’m not talking about global warming . . . or cooling. In fact, I’m not talking about the weather at all. The Little Ice Age affects you today because of the way it affected someone else—a writer—two hundred years ago.
The Man
He was born in England in 1812, toward the end of the Little Ice Age. During his first eight years, he experienced snowy Christmases, cementing into his young mind the belief that there should be snow at Christmas. This belief influenced his writing and, in turn, your view of what a traditional Christmas holiday should be. His most popular work, written in 1843, is credited with renewing the joys of Christmas in both the U.S. and England.
Of course, I’m talking about Charles Dickens and his iconic story, A Christmas Carol.
So next time you sing “Jingle Bells” or wish for a snowy Christmas, remember your view of a traditional Christmas was shaped by the writings of Charles Dickens, who was influenced by the weather phenomenon known as the Little Ice Age.
Did You Know? — “A Christmas Carol “
- DYK the phrase “Merry Christmas” became popular because of its use in this story?
- DYK Ebenezer Scrooge’s last name became synonymous with “miser?”
- DYK Scrooge’s favorite exclamation, “Bah! Humbug!”, became an idiom used universally to be a dismissal of the holiday spirit?
- DYK the story was published on December 19, and the first edition sold out by Christmas Eve?
- DYK thirteen editions of the story had been released by the end of 1844?
Did You Know? — Charles Dickens
- DYK Charles Dickens not only influenced the way Christmas is observed in the modern Western World, but he also inspired other features of Christmas? These included the way families gather for Christmas, the seasonal food and drink they enjoy, and the promotion of joyful generosity.