Want to know how to make your own Ghost of Christmas Present costume from A Christmas Carol? Check out our outfit guide below for a simple step-by-step guide.
The Ghost of Christmas Past is the second ghostly being to visit Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ classic novella “A Christmas Carol”.
Unlike the otherworldly Ghost of Christmas Past and the skeletal Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, the Present is depicted as a jovial and larger-than-life human figure.
His main role is to show Scrooge the impact of his actions in the present day, particularly regarding the Cratchit family and their frail child, Tiny Tim.
After witnessing the family all together, Scrooge notes to his surprise that the Cratchits appear happy and content, despite the poverty and squalor they live in.
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As the day progresses, The Ghost of Christmas Past appears to grow drastically older. It is revealed that, as a being of the present, he exists only on Christmas Day: dying and being reborn anew each year.
While his jovial demeanor represents the happier and more festive aspects of Christmas, hidden under his robe is a grim reality. The children of ‘ignorance’ and ‘want’ will be Scrooge’s doom, unless he changes his ways.
Ghost of Christmas Present Costume
Buy Ghost of Christmas Present costume items:
- Green robe with hood & sleeves
- White fur trim
- Braided gold rope
- Wreath headband
- Golden chalice
- Wizard staff
- Long beard and wig set
1. The outfit: The Ghost of Christmas Present is typically depicted as wearing a long green robe, left open around the chest and upper torso.
You could make your own using a green wizard robe with a hood and stitching fur trim around the lower hem, armholes, and torso. Or, if that sounds like too much work, you could purchase a similar green cape with white fur trim.
This spirit is also typically depicted wearing either a braided gold rope tied around his waist or a large black belt with a gold buckle (think Santa Claus’s belt).
2. Accessories: A holly wreath headband is a must-have accessory for any Ghost of Christmas Present costume.
Beyond that, he is often shown to be holding either an ornate gold chalice (symbolizing the merriment and excess of the holiday season) or a crooked wooden staff. The choice is yours and both are versatile accessories that can be used for other costumes too.
3. Hairstyle: Finally, this spirit is described as disheveled and unkempt with long curly brown hair and an equally ragged beard.
We found a ‘Jesus’ beard and wig set to be the best option for our outfit (unless you are already blessed with a lustrous head of hair).
How is the Ghost of Christmas Present described in the book?
To help you get a better picture of the look you want to recreate, here is how Charles Dickens described The Ghost of Christmas Present in “A Christmas Carol”:
It was clothed in one simple deep green robe, or mantle, bordered with white fur. This garment hung so loosely upon the figure that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice…. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanor, and its joyful air.… “You have never seen the like of me before?” exclaimed the Spirit.
More “A Christmas Carol” outfit ideas:
For more inspiration, check out these outfit ideas from the best stage, film, and television adaptations, as well as our favorite homemade “A Christmas Carol” costumes.
