The “Spirit of Christmas Past” is a fictional character in Charles Dickens’ novella, "A Christmas Carol." It is one of the three ghosts who appear in the miser Ebenezer Scrooge’s bedchamber to show him what his greed has cost him. Each ghost represents a different time in Scrooge’s life, and the Spirit of Christmas Past - identified by its simple white tunic and lustrous belt, a branch of winter holly under one arm and a candle extinguisher under another - appears to remind Scrooge that the simple things in life like love, friendship and laughter hold value.