One of the most familiar and cherished Christmas stories has been around a long time — 172 years in fact. Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the 1843 publication of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” with sales starting on December 19. The first print run of 6,000 copies sold out in a week and the book has never been out of print. The tale about the reformation of Ebenezer Scrooge and his “Bah, humbug!” dismissal of the Christmas season became a solid holiday tradition over the years in the U.S. The story has been told on radio, on stage, in school programs, in the movies, and on television. It’s a safe bet that “A Christmas Carol” will be aired this holiday season on many of the nation’s 2,100 television broadcasting establishments. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.