The Gift of Storytelling

In every culture, stories and legends are used to pass down traditions and beliefs through the generations. One of the most well-known holiday stories in the Western tradition is the tale of a miserly old man named Ebenezer Scrooge; Although written in 1843, A Christmas Carol has been remade and spoofed in countless films and returns to local theaters every holiday season. What makes A Christmas Carol endure as it does? Charles Dickens created a very human character who, in one haunting night, faces his past, present, and future and learns the true meaning of Christmas—a kind heart. Through Scrooge’s journey, we, year after year, remember the significance of our culture’s treasured values. In a similar way, Chinese stories pass down the values of Chinese culture.