In Stave Two of A Christmas Carol, how is the Ghost of Christmas Past dressed and does it symbolise anything?

In A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Past is the first spirit to visit Scrooge. Dickens describes the ghost as wearing " a tunic of the purest white and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers."

This description is symbolic of...

In A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Past is the first spirit to visit Scrooge. Dickens describes the ghost as wearing " a tunic of the purest white and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers."

This description is symbolic of the experiences of Scrooge's past. First of all, the "summer flowers" represent the happier times that Scrooge enjoyed as a boy. There are not many happy experiences in this stave but Scrooge's return to school is certainly one of them. In this scene, he is escorted home from boarding school by his now-deceased and much-loved sister, Fan. His father, who is generally angry, has had a change of heart and wants the family to be reunited for the holidays.  In another example, Scrooge is returned by the ghost to a party that he once enjoyed. It was hosted on Christmas Eve by Mr Fezziwig, the man who had apprenticed him in his youth, and Scrooge fondly watches the dances and the merriment. 

Secondly, the Ghost of Christmas Past's clothes also have another symbolic meaning. His pure, white tunic reminds us of innocence, a strong theme in this chapter. On two occasions, Scrooge asks the ghost to take him home because his past experiences are so upsetting that he cannot bear to watch them. This is particularly true of the scene where Scrooge breaks off the engagement with Belle, the beautiful woman he once loved. The ghost replies that he cannot: "These are the shadows of things that have been. That they are what they are, do not blame me!" In other words, the ghost is innocent of creating these traumatic events. By facing these experiences head on, Scrooge can no longer blame others for his misanthropy. He must accept responsibility for his actions in order to learn from the past and start afresh.