I don't think it's only in your parts.

A Christmas Carol has taken a special place in anglo saxon culture it did not in others. We know of it more from its place in anglo-saxon culture and the references to it everywhere than we know the work itself (ie: many have read it or saw an adatation, but it has no place in our holiday traditions. It evokes strongly what we perceive as a traditional English Christmas, however.

I tend to agree with us too the novel most readily associated to Dickens, and his most widely recognized and known story, is rather Oliver Twist, though if you limit the sample to people who read a bit more, there will be quite a few challengers, especially among adults (Great Expectations, Tales of Two Cities, Hard Times and so on - i wouldn't be suprised they're known as well by francophone readers as Oliver Twist, Kids don't really read OT widely anymore, and adults will more readily pick another title by Dickens instead.