‘As we grow older, let us be more thankful that the circle of our Christmas associations and of the lessons that they bring, expands! Let us welcome every one of them, and summon them to take their places by the Christmas hearth … Welcome, all that was ever real to our hearts; and for the earnestness that made you real, thanks to heaven!’

~ Charles Dickens, What Christmas is as we grow older

It is not inaccurate to say that Charles Dickens reinvented the festive season, reviving the essence of Christmas in our cultural imagination.

A Christmas Carol is well known, and Dickens wrote a number of other Christmas stories and books as well, in which his ‘carol philosophy’ can also be found: goodwill, spiritual reflection, our common humanity, and, sometimes, reverence and worship.

Writer Stephen Poxon has selected extracts from these works, and set each of them alongside a short Bible reading, a devotional reflection and a Christmas carol. The resulting collection is ideal for daily contemplation during and around Advent, Christmas and New Year.It is not inaccurate to say that Charles Dickens reinvented the festive season, reviving the essence of Christmas in our cultural imagination.

Stephen writes: ‘My prayer is that every reader will experience something of the love of Christ through these thoughts and ponderings. We are each stepping into a narrative that is already centuries old, as witnessed by some of the carols referred to in these daily readings. Within that context, whereby ancient counsel stands helpfully alongside present concerns, I hope this modest offering serves to enrich Advent, Christmas and New Year for many.’