The Christmas Story: the Real History Behind the Holiday’s Development

9. The Work of a Few Geniuses Helped Shape the Holiday

It was two masters of the written word, Washington Irving, and Charles Dickens, who essentially decided what would compose the core of a modern Christmas. They just weaved them into irresistible tales that took hold in the public consciousness. Irving’s The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, invented a whole bunch of wholesome stories about Christmas celebrations at an English mansion (think: Downton Abbey Christmas specials without so much sudden death). These tales were immensely popular, and eventually translated into real world practices. Dickens’ contribution to the Christmas season was, obviously, A Christmas Carol. Since he was already a literary rock star, his novel (and its themes of charity and togetherness) were immediately added to the Christmas canon.