Ebenezer Scrooge is a successful businessman. However, he is stonehearted and avaricious. Nobody likes him and nobody wants to deal with him. Indeed, at Christmas he is very hostile. Christmas is only "humbug" and nonsense in his opinion. Why should you buy Christmas presents? Christmas is only waste of money.
On Christmas Eve his old partner Jacob Marley, who died seven years ago, is visiting him as a ghost. He warns Scrooge not being apathetic towards his fellow men. The ghost Jacob Marley wants to give Scrooge a chance of avoiding his own fate. When he was alive, he was as bad as Scrooge. Marley has to carry a heavy chain and he has to atone for his wrongs.
Jacob predicts that 3 ghosts will come and see him. They want to get him back on the straight and narrow. The ghosts "Christmas Past", Christmas Present" and "Christmas Yet to Come" appear and Scrooge begins to think of his live.