Between Charles Dickens’ birth in 1812 and his death in 1870, Christmas had transformed from what was essentially a quiet family day to a bustling commercial celebration with cards, advertisements, pantomimes and even public decorative displays. Through Dickens’ writing, family recipes, time at the pantomime and festive tours of America, Charles Dickens’ Christmas explores the sweeping social and technological changes of Dickens’ lifetime that led to this surge of Christmas popularity, which Dickens so ably harnessed.
