And for us, the driving forces behind the site, there is one tradition that has never wavered.
Every single Christmas season, without fail, we sit down together to watch the 1951 film version of A Christmas Carol, accompanied by mince pies and a bottle of port wine.
It is non-negotiable. Christmas simply doesn’t feel complete without it.
Why the 1951 Version Matters
There are many adaptations of Dickens’ timeless story, but for us, A Christmas Carol stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Alastair Sim’s portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge is, in our view, definitive. He captures every layer of the character — the bitterness, the pain, the sharp wit, and ultimately the profound humanity that emerges by the film’s end. This is not a pantomime villain or a cartoon miser. This Scrooge feels real.
There is something deeply comforting about the film’s pace, its shadowed Victorian streets, and its quiet moral certainty. It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t shout. It allows the story to breathe, and to sink in.
Each year, no matter how many times we’ve seen it, we still find new details to notice, new lines that resonate, and new moments that land just that little bit harder.
Mince Pies: A Christmas Essential
No screening would be complete without mince pies.
Freshly opened, dusted with icing sugar, still carrying that unmistakable Christmas aroma, fruit, spice, and nostalgia. They are not just a snack; they are part of the ritual. The moment the pies come out, Christmas feels official.
They sit beside us as Scrooge is visited by Marley’s ghost, disappear during the Ghost of Christmas Present, and are long gone by the time Tiny Tim speaks his famous words.
And the Bottle of Port
Alongside the mince pies is a bottle of port wine, rich, warming, and quietly festive.
Port feels like a Christmas drink that belongs to another era, which somehow makes it perfect for a Victorian story. It slows the evening down. It encourages conversation, reflection, and that gentle sense of indulgence that Christmas does so well.
A small glass poured, the lights low, the film beginning — it’s not about excess. It’s about atmosphere.
A Moment of Stillness in a Busy Season
Christmas can be loud. Busy. Overwhelming.
This tradition gives us a pause — a moment to sit together, switch off from the outside world, and reconnect with why Christmas matters to us in the first place. Kindness. Reflection. Change. Hope.
Those themes are at the very heart of A Christmas Carol, and they align perfectly with what we try to promote through That’s Christmas 365 all year round.
Why We Share This With You
That’s Christmas 365 isn’t just a website, it’s a reflection of how we live Christmas ourselves. The traditions we write about are the ones we genuinely treasure, and this is one of the most important.
If you’ve never watched the 1951 version, we wholeheartedly recommend making it part of your own festive season. Pour yourself something warming, grab a mince pie (or two), and give it your full attention. Sometimes we even add an artisan pork pie or a nice chunk of Stilton cheese to the menu!
You might just find, like we have, that it becomes a tradition you return to every single year.
Because sometimes, Christmas isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing the same beautiful thing, again and again.
And here, for your viewing pleasure, is the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are welcome!