The Man Who Reinvented Christmas

Description

Would you believe Christmas used to be a very low-key affair? It’s true! Until the mid-19th Century, people did little to mark it and businesses didn’t consider it a holiday. Yet by 1900 it was our largest & most popular annual celebration. What changed society’s view of Christmas? The answer may be Charles Dickens and his book, A Christmas Carol. Historian Kathy Wilson investigates how a novel about social reform transformed Christmas from a date on the church calendar into the holiday we know today. Refreshments will be provided. Sponsored by Friends of the James Kennedy Public Library.