Day 21 of Advent

A Christmas Carol

“Marley was dead: to begin with...” This chilling line ushers in the tragic, yet delightful, tale of Christmas past, present, and future and the redemption of hard hearted Ebeneezer Scrooge. Our dad has always loved Charles Dickens writings, and for many years we had the privilege of seeing Dickens great-great grandson perform a one-man rendition of a Christmas Carol at our local library. Those were wonderful performances to be sure... but we’re not sure if it quite tops our favorite movie adaptation (which we watch EVERY holiday season)... Muppet Christmas Carol!

-Brigette

Watch "A Muppet Christmas Carol" Trailer on Youtube!

Include us in your day! Tag @piperandleaf and #piperandleafadvent

Scripture Reading for the Day

Luke 2:4-7

4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Activity for Today

A Note of Gratitude & Homemade Treats

Make Figgy pudding or even some homemade apple sauce today and pause to write a note of gratitude to someone and or a list of what you are grateful for.

Try your hand at some Figgy Pudding!

Check out this Easy Applesauce Recipe!

A cozy hug of Christmas past from spiced elderberries, warming Scrooge's heart and embracing the spirit of the season.

Let's spill the tea about Elderberry Elixir...

Eloquent Description

This berry and herb infusion containing elderberries & echinacea is a favorite with our children during stuffy nose season.

Ingredients

  • Elderberries
  • Ginger
  • Lemon Rind
  • Hibiscus
  • Cinnamon
  • Echinacea
  • Licorice
  • Cloves

Steeping Suggestions

For hot tea, steep one tea bag in 8 to 10oz of 212 water for 15 minutes. For iced, use half the water(same temp), steep for the same time, and add ice after you pull the tea bag out.

Someone Else's Thoughts

Great Soothing Tea
Someone else introduced my wife and me to this tea. Instant hit! We bought a pouch of tea bags to take back home. My wife came down with a sore throat and found this tea to be very soothing. As a result she ordered the jar of loose leaf tea. I ordered a pouch of the loose leaf as a refill for the jar. We will be enjoying this tea for a long time.
- James

  • Fun Fact!

    While "A Muppet Christmas Carol" is a holiday favorite around our home, Caleb's family had their own festive tradition for a Christmas Carol movie rendition. Growing up, they never watched the Muppets version, but they loved Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. To this day, they still break into those songs every Christmas season!

    - Brigette

    Listen to the Mr. Magoo Christmas Carol Soundtrack

    Watch "A Muppet Christmas Carol" Trailer on Youtube! 
  • A Christmas Carol

    Once upon a time—of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve—old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court outside, go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement-stones to warm them. The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already: it had not been light all day: and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale.

    The door of Scrooge's counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed.

  • About the Author

    Charles Dickens (February 7, 1812 – June 9, 1870) was a renowned English novelist and social critic, famous for his unforgettable characters and storytelling. Often seen as the greatest Victorian novelist, his works remain popular today.

    Born in Portsmouth, he left school at 12 to work in a boot-blacking factory when his father was jailed for debt. After returning to school, he became a journalist and published 15 novels and numerous short stories, advocating for children's rights and social reform.

    Dickens rose to fame with The Pickwick Papers (1836), captivating readers with his humor and vibrant characters. His classics, including A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations, highlight early Victorian London and important social issues.

    His later career featured public readings, solidifying his status as a literary star. The term "Dickensian" now describes anything reminiscent of his works, often highlighting social challenges or eccentric characters. To this day, Dickens's timeless tales continue to resonate with readers of all ages!