11-year-old actor Eden Giuliano presents a brand new line of exciting children’s stories from Icon! The now classic Christmas tales by Charles Dickens were written at a time when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols and newer customs such as Christmas trees. He was influenced by the experiences of his own youth and by the Christmas stories of other authors including Washington Irving and Douglas Jerrold. Dickens had written three Christmas stories prior to the novella, A Christmas Carol, and was inspired following a visit to the Field Lane Ragged School, one of several establishments for London’s street children. The treatment of the poor and the ability of a selfish man to redeem himself by transforming into a more sympathetic character are the key themes of the story. There is long standing discussion among academics as to whether this story, in particular, was a fully secular story, or if it is indeed, a Christian allegory. Charles Dickens captured the zeitgeist of the mid-Victorian revival of the Christmas holiday. Dickens freely acknowledged the influence of the modern Western observance of Christmas, and later inspired several aspects of Christmas, including family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games and a festive generosity of spirit.
