First published on December 19, 1843 and written at a time of decline in festive tradition, A Christmas Carol became an instant classic. It reinforced expectations for Christmas Day as a time of peace and goodwill to all men?and it even put turkey on the menu as the staple meal for many in the Western world. This special facsimile of the original 1843 edition reproduces the book just as the first avid readers of A Christmas Carol would have experienced it. Presented in an eye-catching slipcase, the book contains original, magical designs by John Leech that were commissioned by Dickens himself for the first edition.