The Ghost of Christmas Past is a character in the well-known work of the English novelist Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.
The Ghost of Christmas Past was the first of the three spirits (after the visitation by Jacob Marley) that haunted the miser Ebenezer Scrooge in order to prompt him to repent. It showed him scenes from his past that occurred on or around Christmas, in order to demonstrate to him the necessity of changing his ways, as well as to show the reader how Scrooge came to be the person he was.
According to Dickens' novel, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears to Scrooge as a white-robed, androgynous figure of indeterminate age. It had on its head a blazing light, reminiscent of a candle flame. It carried with it a metal cap, made in the shape of a candle extinguisher. While the ghost is often portrayed as a woman in most dramatic adaptations, Dickens describes the Ghost of Christmas Past only as “it”.
The Ghost of Christmas Past first showed Scrooge his old boarding school where he was deserted by family and friends. Then he was shown the day when his beloved, younger sister Fan picked him up from there after repeatedly asking their father if he could come back home. Next, Scrooge was shown an episode from his time as an apprentice to Mr. Fezziwig. The spirit also showed Scrooge the day when, as a young man, he let Belle, his fiancée, leave him, as he had developed more interest in money than in her. Finally the Ghost showed him how she married and found true happiness with another man. After this vision Scrooge, out of anger, extinguished the Ghost of Christmas Past with its cap and found himself back in his bedroom.
