In my reimagination of this classic Christmas carol, I overview the anatomy of the song, why it stands out in a sea of traditional songs of the season, and how we can use its message to keep this tradition alive. …

One of the most popular Christmas stories of all time is “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. Although written in 1843, this holiday tale is just as beloved today as it was in the Victorian Era. It’s believed that this book started the tradition of saying “Merry Christmas.” This Yuletide tale reminds people to embrace…

CHICAGO—It took him five weeks to write what he envisioned as a ghost story, and that it starts as a frightening yarn may explain why Charles Dickens’s masterpiece “A Christmas Carol” has a rather gloomy opening. We know the story: The tale starts when we learn that Ebenezer Scrooge is very rich but his wealth…

NEW YORK—Eternal damnation or ultimate redemption often go hand-in-hand. So it is with Charles Dickens’s 1843 novella, “A Christmas Carol,” a sparkling adaptation of which can now be seen at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway. Featuring a tour-de-force performance by actor Jefferson Mays, it’s a spellbinding experience from start to finish. The Dickens story introduced…

The Northern Cardinal is the state bird of Virginia and several other states. Many of these redbirds make regular appearances in our backyard, snatching up sunflower seeds and occasionally building nests in our maple trees. They are beautiful birds and, when it snows, their striking red color creates a brilliant winter painting. In author Fannie…

Like a good many Christmas traditions and trappings, a fresh look at them may return luster to a dullness that can build up with time and custom. In fact, from a cultural perspective, such an exercise is part of the whole purpose of Christmas and the impending New Year. It’s a time to consider ourselves…

We’ve all met people who are greedy and who never seem to have enough, even when they have plenty. Some of us may be haunted by a desire to have more: more money, more time, more affection, more fame, and so on. It is sometimes difficult to remember that we come into this world with…

After 36 years of playing various characters in the classic Dickens holiday favorite, South Coast Repertory founding member and veteran actor Richard Doyle steps into the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge in this year’s production of A Christmas Carol. Fellow thespian and Doyle’s long-time friend, Hal Landon, Jr., played the role of the miserly Scrooge…