By the 1840s, Britain’s Christmas spirit was fading. The Industrial Revolution had swallowed up family traditions, and the holiday had become little more than a workday. Then Charles Dickens published “A Christmas Carol” in 1843, and everything changed.

Readers embraced its message of generosity, family, and redemption. Within a few years, decorated trees, carols, charity drives, and festive feasts were back in fashion. Dickens did not invent Christmas, but he reminded a weary world why it mattered.