The Mouse as Part of the Holiday Spirit
Christmas is a special time of year that celebrates the
birth of Christ for the Christian faith and many other
traditions and religions share the same day as their holiday
to mark midwinter. Among these traditions are several
stories either about mice or involving mice. Why the mouse
became a popular icon during Christmas is an unknown, but
from all of the stories the mouse has infiltrated it has
something to do with the Christmas spirit or the spirit of
giving.
In Charles Dickens' famous story, "The Christmas Carol,"
mice are used to illustrate just how lonely Scrooge was when
he was a young child. "Not a latent echo in the house, not a
squeak and scuffle from the mice behind the paneling..."
"The Night before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore has the
famous line "Not a creature was stirring, not even a
mouse"....
Michael Garland is the author of "The Mouse before
Christmas," a tale told in the vein of Clement Clarke
Moore's "The Night before Christmas." It is a charming tale
of a mouse that is swept into Santa's sack and taken on the
ride of his life until discovered and returned safely to his
home.
In "Mouse's First Christmas" the author Lauren Thompson
tells the tale of a little mouse that explores the house on
Christmas Eve. This story is also told like "The Night
before Christmas" poem by Clement Clarke Moore.
There are also a number of movies that depict mice as
Christmas icons.
For instance, "Scrooged," starring Bill Murray, uses mice as
a prop in a show within the show. Bill Murray's character
was demonstrating just how cruel he was by suggesting that
they staple fake antlers onto the heads of mice to create
dormice for his show special.
There is also a version of the "Christmas Carol" that was
issued by Disney studios, naturally starring Mickey Mouse
and all of his friends. This famous cartoon is shown on
television every year much like the movie "It's a Wonderful
Life".
Mice are also depicted on Christmas tree ornaments dressed
in holiday finery and in figurines showing jolly little mice
in Santa or Elf costumes.
Mice have been a part of the Holidays for a long time. Maybe
it's because they are so cute, or because they are generally
seen during this time of year in houses because they are
driven inside because of the cold. Whatever the reason, they
have stolen many people hearts with their whimsy and
character shown in books, movies and ornaments for
Christmas.
All About Christmas
