The 159-year-old Christmas Carol

On Dec. 17, 1843, acclaimed British novelist Charles Dickens introduced the character of the crusty Ebenezer Scrooge with his story A Christmas Carol and gave the world one of its most enduring symbols of Christmas. "Bash! Hambug!" Scrooge cursed Christmas greetings and since then cheapskates, misers, or anybody devoid of the goodwill spirit was aptly described as a Scrooge.

"I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry," says Scrooge, who never stopped working and expected his clerk, the much-put-upon Bob Cratchit to do the same. And that is not the worse. One of Scrooge’s most famous quotes from the book goes like this, "If I could work my wll, every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."

Did you think that remarks like that about an event as important as Christmas could be easily dismissed? Not in any way. Dickens, who also wrote immortal novels like David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and many others, gives Scrooge his just deserts. In doing so, he puts fear in the hearts of Christmas haters or to put it more in keeping with the spirit of the Seasons, we should maybe say, once more affirms the true meaning of Christmas.

One Christmas Eve, Scrooge gets a visit from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Presents and Christmas Future. Each one treats him to a screening of his life. This was how he was as a young man, how he is at present and how he will be in the future, including his sad, pitiable demise. Scrooge wakes up totally changed. Now a benevolent fellow filled with Christmas cheer, he goes about dispensing goodies to everybody.

Of course the image of Scrooge that stays in the mind is not that one but the cantankerous old man, now immortalized as how one should not be not only during Christmas but everyday of one’s life. If Santa Claus is the jolly incarnation of Yuletide joy, Scrooge is the misanthropic symbol of the Season.

There have since been many editions printed of the wonderfully uplifting story that Dickens published in a small volume in London 159 years ago. In fact, A Christmas Carol has been translated for the radio, the stage, the screen and television many times over. In fact, no observance of Christmas is now deemed complete without getting reacquainted with Scrooge. The old guy is a great reminder of how life should be lived. Aside from watching whatever version is showing on TV or video available, I also make sure that I read the story once more every year.

The film versions are particularly are interesting because the story has many scenes requiring the use of special effects and these get better and better with every improvement in film technology. Of course, it follows that moviemakers not only relate the tale but they also enhance it with clever use of the medium and heartfelt performances from the actors. Some of the famous names who have played the title role are Lionel Barrymore, Alistair Sim, Michael Caine, George Scott and even Bill Murray in Scrooged a modern-dress adaptation set in the world of television.

Alistair Sim’s is considered the best Scrooge even seen on film but my big favorite is Albert Finney in Scrooge the musical version. A lively adaptation with original songs by Leslie Bricusse, it is the most delightful of them all. Maybe Dickens himself saw it as a musical which was why he chose to call it A Christmas Carol. Victorian England during Christmas is a sight to behold and the familiar story easily lends itself to large musical numbers. Among the most memorable song are A Christmas Carol, Christmas Children, Happiness, I Like Life and Beautiful Day. Singer songwriter Jose Mari Chan included some of these beautiful tunes in his album Christmas in Our Hearts.

Just like Santa Claus’ and Rudolf’s, Scrooge, visit this year came to end last night. Time now to box this age-old tale until December, 2003. But the lesson that Charles Dickens teaches through Scrooge knows no time.

May peace and love reign in the hearts of everyone not only on this birthdate of the Christmas Child but also everyday of our lives.