It’s a tradition in my family to watch A Christmas Carol every Christmas Eve. We rotate through the various versions, but as the kids have left home long ago my wife and I usually watch either Alistair Sims or George C. Scott. This NYT opinion piece (gifted link) gives a nod to why the story itself remains relevant. My favorite section in the whole novella is the rendition of the Crachit family Christmas dinner, where for once, everyone has “enough.” Given the excessive excess of the 21st century, this story of a family whose modest Christmas meal brings them such joy and satisfaction is worth hearing over and over again.

In December of 2022 I dedicated an episode of my podcast to stories of the winter solstice and the celebration of light. I narrated a number of stories from different cultural solstice celebrations into an hour’s episode. I included the Crachit family Christmas dinner in that episode, and it’s posted below for your consideration. If you would like to hear the entire podcast episode featuring all the stories, click this link. Enjoy the season!