The Ghost of Christmas Past is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. The Ghost is one of three spirits that appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of redemption.
Ebenezer Scrooge extinguishes the Ghost of Christmas Past - illustration by John Leech (1843).
The Spirit of Christmas Past meets Scrooge - illustration by Sol Eytinge Jr. (1868).
The First of the Three Spirits - illustration by Harry Furniss (1910).
A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. In the process, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.
First edition cover (1843)
"Marley's Ghost", original illustration by John Leech from the 1843 edition
Scrooge and Bob Cratchit celebrate Christmas in an illustration from stave five of the original edition, 1843.
Dickens at the blacking warehouse, as envisioned by Fred Barnard
