Bah humbug—we were roped into hosting Christmas in 2021! So naturally, we leaned into the drama with A Christmas Carol as our theme. Inspired by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, we mixed Victorian and Dickensian flair with a dash of family nostalgia, TikTok trends, and even a little Matrix-style mystique. From the décor to the food to the festivities, it was a spirited celebration—complete with appearances by Mr. Scrooge, Mrs. Cratchit, and all three holiday ghosts!

We took inspiration from A Christmas Carol, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.” Scott’s dad is a Charles Dickens scholar so we had to make sure we did it justice. We had Christmas trees to represent the past, present, and future. For our gift exchange, we had family bring a meaningful white elephant present with blasts from the past, present trends (what’s trending on TikTok), or an innovative/homemade creation. We kept it cheap and silly, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”

Past

We transformed the dining room into a Victorian and Dickensian dream. The ‘Past’ tree was a real showstopper—a live tree adorned with heirloom ornaments, soft-glowing LED candles, and draped in pearl and gold bead garlands for that timeless elegance. Garland framed the entryway and windows, richly decorated with crimson poinsettias, ribbon, and sparkling ornaments. Pine wreaths hung from the chandelier and along the table, while tall taper candles cast a warm, nostalgic glow throughout the room.

We inherited Scott’s grandmother’s china and sterling silver and served our “past” meal with these beautiful heirlooms. The following was the menu inspired by nostalgic family favorites and Victorian/Dickensian cuisine:

• Nostalgic Family First Course : Chicken and Dumplings
• Dickensian Main (Great Expectations): Roasted stuffed fowl (Cornish hens with rosemary)
• Family Sides: Sausage Balls, rolls
• Victorian Side: Duchess Potatoes
• Dickensian Drinks: Wassail and Mulled Wine (Smoking Bishop)
• Dickensian Dessert: Christmas plum pudding with flamed brandy
• Nostalgic Family Desserts: kipfels, monster cookies, spicy chocolate oatmeal cookies, press cookies
• Favorite Desserts: oreo balls, eggnog cookies, and red velvet cookies (2021 cookie exchange winner)

360 of Victorian Decor

Flaming a Christmas Plum Pudding

Mr. Scrooge and Mrs. Cratchit

Ghost of Christmas Past

The Ghost of Christmas Past, adorned in a flowing white dress, also visited to reminisce nostalgic family memories by playing “Yes and No” from “A Christmas Carol.” We guessed funny family memories like Tim drilling a hole in the floor to spy on the family and the family riding in the back of the truck. Layla also joined in the fun of dressing up 🙂

Present

We styled the kitchen, breakfast room, and central area of the great room with on-trend flocked greenery for a fresh and festive feel. The “Present” tree—a soft, flocked beauty in light blue—stood as the centerpiece, surrounded by matching garland and modern touches. To complete the look, we added 3D printed translucent ornaments that caught the light beautifully, blending tradition with a sleek, contemporary twist.

The breakfast room had several small kids-inspired trees like Frozen, candy, and colored ornaments. This area featured both “present” trends and the “future,” with the focus on kids.

Table Nachos

The “present” food served was inspired by current TikTok trends. The table nachos, as an appetizer, were a big hit! We included all the fixings including beans, smoked shredded chicken, smoked pulled pork, beef, queso, homemade salsa, sour cream, avocado sauce, cilantro, lettuce, green onions, and jalapeños.

Hot Cocoa Bombs

We served up a sweet finale with hot cocoa bombs in a variety of decadent flavors—peppermint, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. Guests dropped them into steaming mugs of milk and watched them melt into rich, velvety goodness—equal parts drink and dessert, and pure holiday magic.

Ghost of Christmas Present

The Ghost of Christmas “Presents” arrived in jolly fashion in a green robe and holly crown to “reflect upon your present blessings – of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some” and to hand out “presents” to the kids. My Loki cape, Grinch holiday cheermeister crown, and William Wallace wig worked great for this thrown together costume 🙂

Future

For the ‘Future’ section of our theme, we decked out the mantle and cubby with futuristic flair and 3D printed magic. Everything from trees and deer to ornaments, cat stockings, and even a nutcracker was printed in sleek, modern designs. The centerpiece? A fully 3D printed tree made of translucent, sparkly blue PLA—suspended from the ceiling like it was defying gravity. In the cubby, a glow-in-the-dark tree changed colors with the light, adding a touch of techy enchantment. We even incorporated red into the color scheme as a playful nod to a potential Christmas… on Mars.

Ghost of Christmas Future

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come made a dramatic entrance cloaked in a black cape and a Squid Game Front Man mask, arriving just in time to serve the final course: red or blue “pills” inspired by The Matrix. Each guest had to choose their fate. The pill color determined not only the ornament they received, but also the number attached to it—which set the order for the white elephant gift exchange. Red pills symbolized curiosity and a desire to dig deeper, rewarding guests with higher pick numbers. Blue pills, representing contentment and acceptance, came with lower numbers—perfect for those at peace with the unknown.

Other Pics and Videos

Here are some other fun pics, including opening white elephant gifts that included funny gifts from the past like the family toilet bowl seat, whitie tighties, and family Guess Who.