By penning A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens brought to life so many of our ideals for christmas: the cold and chill outside, frost on the window panes, and peering inside we see the gathering of the family; the warmth and great cheer, the playing of games together, and of course the food, glorious food! 

One passage in particular stays with me, as an example of all that is merry...

DICKEN'S HUMOUR...

In this one short book, Dickens was able to make me laugh and cry by picking up on those nuances of human emotion: the tender compassion that we feel for our fellow beings, and the irony we see in the world around us. His wordplay was impeccable, and I especially enjoyed the two humorous examples below...

* The gorgeous illustration of a snow covered village is by P. J. Lynch.