The word “scrooge”entered the English language around the year 1899, more than fifty years after the publication of A Christmas Carol. The word, to no one’s surprise, means “a miserly person” and feels very apt when we think of portrayals of the character Mr. Ebeneezer Scrooge by actors like Jim Carrey and Michael Caine.
But in our modern culture, we seem to have forgotten that while Scrooge may have started off as a miser—a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner” as Dickens says—he did not stay that way (2). In fact, the reason why A Christmas Carol still resonates with audiences around the globe is because Scrooge changes.
At the end of the short novella, Scrooge is a different man, one who was generous with everything he had, who reconnected with his family and those around him, and who “knew how to keep Christmas well” (68).
As Elder Gong has said, “Why don’t we remember that [new] Mr. Scrooge? Are there those around us, perhaps we ourselves, who could be a different person if only we would stop typecasting or stereotyping them as their old self? . . . Let’s give the new Scrooge in each of us a chance to change” (Christ, Our Savior, Is Born, 2023).
In the spirit of a miserly man who changes into a truly generous soul, here are five ways we can be more like Ebeneezer Scrooge this Christmas:
1) Reconnect with Family and Friends
In any version of A Christmas Carol, the audience sees Scrooge’s extremely affable nephew, Fred, visit his uncle at his place of business, inviting him to Christmas dinner. But Scrooge, of course, refuses.
However, the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge his nephew celebrating Christmas with his family. And while Fred does make Scrooge the object of a joke, Fred is also trying to defend him. “His offences carry their own punishment, and I have nothing to say against him,” says Fred (45).
At the end of his journey, Scrooge reconnects with Fred, who was so excited to see him that “it was a mercy he didn’t shake his arm off” (67). Scrooge did his best to love and support his nephew and, of course, Tiny Tim.
What can you do to reconnect with your friends and family? Perhaps you can text someone you haven’t for a while, or call an aunt or uncle who lives far away. Be like Scrooge and reach out to your loved ones this Christmas.
2) Give Generously
My favorite part of A Christmas Carol is when Scrooge becomes a generous man. He buys a prize turkey for the Cratchit family, raises Bob’s salary, and gives to all around him. This is perhaps the most obvious sign of Scrooge’s change—that he goes from keeping a tight grip on all his wealth to being generous with everything he has because he learned from the Ghost of Christmas Future that he could not take any of his possessions with him. So, he gives.
Perhaps you could visit one of the Giving Machines throughout the world or donate time through JustServe. Perhaps you can donate to a charitable cause or spend time making blankets for local children in need. Be like Scrooge and give generously this Christmas.
3) Let Go of the Past
Perhaps the saddest part of Scrooge’s story is when he sees his fiancée, who tells him, “. . . another idol has displaced me; and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I have no just cause to grieve” (27).
Scrooge never mentions this long-lost love again, but I think it is telling that he says to the Ghost of Christmas Past, “Why do you delight to torture me?” (28). By the end of his journey, Scrooge has made peace with his past and is trying to move on despite what happened to him. He tries to be a friend to others, he gives of himself, he keeps his family close instead of pushing them away . . . these are all evidence that Scrooge has let go of the past to find peace in his future.
What can you do to let go of the past? Perhaps there is someone you need to forgive. Perhaps it is yourself. Perhaps it is time to let go of possessions or other memories that have become a burden to you and move forward with faith. Be like Scrooge and let go of your past this Christmas.
4) Mentor Others
One of the most crucial moments of Scrooge’s journey was when he saw the too-pure-for-this-world Tiny Tim. “‘Spirit,’ said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, ‘tell me if Tiny Tim will live.’” (40). The line “with an interest he had never felt before” is telling—Tiny Tim awoke a protective urge in Scrooge he had not felt previously with any of his tenants and their problems, nor with his employees.
Tiny Tim helps motivate Scrooge’s change, resulting in Scrooge becoming “a second father” to Tiny Tim (68). He mentored and admired Tiny Tim because he thought of others more than himself.
What can you do to mentor others? Perhaps you can help your children perform Secret Santa for someone else. Perhaps you can talk with a sibling, a friend, or a coworker about what they’re going through in their life. Be like Scrooge and mentor others this Christmas.
5) Honor Christmas in Your Heart
Scrooge’s change was cemented when he promised the Ghost of Christmas Future, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!” (62).
This is the culmination of his entire arc—he learned how Christmas could change people as they celebrated the holiday as families, drawing closer to each other. The Ghosts are the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future, after all. Scrooge learned to honor Christmas and did so not only on the day of Christmas, but every day throughout the year thereafter.
What can you do this year to honor Christmas in your heart now and throughout the year? Perhaps you read the Christmas story every few months to remember why this season matters. Perhaps you keep a reminder on your desk of the Savior to keep Him in your thoughts. Be like Scrooge and honor Christmas in your heart—and try to keep it all the year.
At the end of Scrooge’s journey, he had a tough road ahead of him. To the gentleman who had asked for donations the day before who was now completely incredulous at Mr. Scrooge’s greeting to him, Scrooge says, “That is my name, and I fear it may not be pleasant to you” (66). Scrooge had to work to help others realize he had changed.
We can help continue Scrooge’s good work by showing others the best of this remarkable character, helping others see that he had truly become a good man—“as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city [ever] knew” (68).
All book quotes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Dover Thrift Edition 1991 reprint of the 1843 edition.
