In Charles Dickens’ famous 1843 ghost story, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come.
However, we do not need supernatural powers or a ghostly escort to travel in time to holidays past, present and future, at least not in our minds.
The ability to remember our past and imagine our future relies on the uniquely human gifts psychologists call retrospective and prospective memory.
What memories are we thinking of as we head towards a holiday season unlike any we’ve had before? What memories will we think back on when our break is over?