Virtual Program: Charles Dickens, Christmas, and the World of the Victorians

Name: Virtual Program: Charles Dickens, Christmas, and the World of the Victorians
Start: 2021-12-09T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2021-12-09T20:30:00-05:00
Location: C. Burr Artz Public Library

Program Type:

Books & Authors, History & Genealogy, Virtual Programming

Age Group:

Adult

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Program Description

Attend via Facebook

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Event Details

This virtual program can also be viewed through this Zoom Webinar Link.

“I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year”—so promises Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of Charles Dickens’ 1843 story, A Christmas Carol. This talk will put Dickens and Christmas within the larger social context of 19^th century Britain. Did Dickens’ story actually challenge the cruel class structure of Victorian society? Why has Dickens been credited with the “invention” of Christmas, and how did this holiday become a distinctly Victorian tradition that influences how we celebrate it today? These issues and more will be covered as we travel back in time to the age of workhouses, plum puddings, and the Queen who gave her name to this era.

A Q&A will follow.

Dr. Julie Taddeo is Research Professor of History at University of Maryland, College Park. She has published books and articles on British cultural history. She frequently uses popular period drama television (Downton Abbey, Poldark, Outlander, and other series) to explore the history represented by these programs and how they connect to our lives today.