Christmas Countdown Characters #7

Grinch - watercolour and ink -Wilma Simmons

"Today is your Day" ... G is for Grinch
The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small. ( from 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas')

A creation of the famous Dr Seuss, the Grinch is a green, grumpy, anti-festive recluse who is annoyed by the happiness of others and gains pleasure from the act of spoiling other people's celebrations. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" tells the story of the Grinch's fiendish quest to ruin Christmas for the citizens of the town of Whoville. The Grinch sets about stealing Christmas decorations and gifts from all the Whos' homes. Amazingly, the Grinch discovers that even though there were no presents, the good people of Whoville continued to enjoy Christmas with their families.

As Lou Lou Who says ," I'm glad the Grinch took our presents. You can't hurt Christmas because it isn't about the... the gifts or the contest or the fancy lights. That's what Cindy's been trying to tell everyone... and me. I don't need anything more for Christmas than this right here: my family."

Convinced that there must be something more to Christmas than crass commercialism, the Grinch decides to return the stolen gifts and joins in the Whoville Christmas celebrations. Perhaps the Grinch was inspired by the character of Ebenezer Scrooge from "A Christmas Carol" - the similarities are there. There certainly is no contest for a prize for Christmas meanness and sudden change of heart , so let's just say both Scrooge and the Grinch exemplify,in the end, that the Christmas spirit cannot be conquered and will flourish in all who have an open heart.

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