Christmas, The Day After

This is a little late, and it's also paraphrased, which is such a shame, because to paraphrase someone like Dickens is just too bad. But I've been meaning to do it, so I will--the day after Christmas.

There is a conversation between Scrooge and his nephew, Fred, in A Christmas Carol that I find very interesting. Actually, it is just one sentence spoken by Fred that I find interesting. Scrooge has asked him what financial good celebrating Christmas has ever done him. In response he says something to the effect of: In my keeping of Christmas, putting aside the reason for the day [i.e. the Savior's birth], if one can divorce the day of the reason, I have not found financial advantages but I have received... and he goes on to describe what celebrating Christmas has done for him.

What I find interesting is his offhand comment that in his mind, and therefore I think we can assume in Dickens' mind, there is no separating the day from the event that inspired the day. Maybe this was just a nineteenth century attitude, but with all of everything that surrounds the celebration of Christmas now, isn't it fascinating that a hundred and fifty years ago (that's really not that long ago) it was difficult to imagine Christmas without Christ?

Anyway, that's my little thought concerning Dickens' absolutely marvelous work that President Monson has called "inspired" on more than one occasion.