Though they were from different eras and countries, American Elizabeth Harrison (1849-1927; pictured left) and Indian Eunice de Souza (1940-2017; right) both wrote powerfully of human selfishness at Christmas, and a red thread connects their work. "…how, as a rule, are children taught to observe [Christmas]?" Harrison wrote in her 1902 book Christmas-tide. "Usually by expecting an undue amount of attention, an unlimited amount of injudicious feeding, and a selfish exaction of unneeded presents; thus egotism, greed, and selfishness are fostered, where love, generosity, and self-denial should be exercised." More than 75 years later, de Souza depicted the kind of adults this produced in her poem about Christmas "charity", Feeding the Poor at Christmas, which begins: "Every Christmas we feed the poor. We arrive an hour late: Poor dears, like children waiting for a treat. Bring your plates. Don’t move. Don’t try turning up for more." You can read more about both of these talented women writers and their narratives of Christmas in my last article of the year, "Christmas, Written by Women," at https://abitofhistoryblog.com/2018/12/21/christmas-written-by-women/ #Christmas #WomenWriters #ElizabethHarrison #EunicedeSouza #WriteAboutWomen #Literature #Poetry #ChristmasLiterature #ChristmasPoetry https://www.instagram.com/p/BrskB6vATVu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ubx87hko6c9y
