The exact words
“Dwell not upon the past ... Reflect upon your present blessings—of which every man has many—not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. Fill your glass again, with a merry face and contented heart.”Charles Dickens (as “Boz”), “A Christmas Dinner,” first printed as “Christmas Festivities” in Bell's Life in London, December 1835; collected in Sketches by Boz (1836)
✓ VerifiedFound in a primary source: the original book, speech transcript, letter or recording.
What people get wrong
Common reading
A breezy “cheer up” line.
A breezy “cheer up” line.
Closer to the original
Dickens writes it to people who are grieving. Just before it he describes an empty seat at the table where a child sat a year ago, and asks readers to count their blessings anyway.
Dickens writes it to people who are grieving. Just before it he describes an empty seat at the table where a child sat a year ago, and asks readers to count their blessings anyway.
Timeline
- December 1835The 23-year-old Dickens, writing as “Boz,” publishes a newspaper sketch about a family Christmas dinner, eight years before A Christmas Carol.
- 1836The piece is collected in Sketches by Boz, his first book.
Use it in a speech
Charles Dickens wrote, reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. So let's count the blessings. I'll start: everyone at this table.
~12 secondsto say aloud
Pauseafter “all men have some”
Best spotbefore the meal
Dickens wrote that every life has many blessings and some misfortunes. This year you have had more than your share of the second. We are thinking of you.
~9 secondsto say aloud
Pausenone needed in a card
Best spotthe main line of the card
Questions people ask
Who said “reflect upon your present blessings”?
Charles Dickens, in his sketch “A Christmas Dinner,” collected in Sketches by Boz (1836).
Is it from A Christmas Carol?
No. It comes from an earlier newspaper sketch about a family Christmas, written eight years before A Christmas Carol.
Cite this quote
These cite the original source directly, so you can use them in an essay or paper. Always check your teacher's required style.
MLADickens, Charles. “A Christmas Dinner,” Sketches by Boz. 1836. Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/882.
APADickens, C. (1836). “A Christmas Dinner,” Sketches by Boz. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/882
CHICAGOCharles Dickens, “A Christmas Dinner,” Sketches by Boz, 1836.
IN TEXT (APA)(Dickens, 1836)