Top 50 Christmas Stories for the Holidays
Top 50 Christmas Stories for the Holidays
1. "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore
The most classic holiday story of all time to start your Christmas read-a-thon. From visions of sugar plums to Santa's cherry-red nose, the images in this poem can't be accurate. Don't forget to really blow that last line: "Merry Christmas to everyone, and good night to everyone!"
2. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A grumpy old man, a poor family and three time- and space-traveling ghosts - three ingredients for a perfect Christmas story. Even if you start saying `` bah humbug, '' the ending will make Christmas Carol you just as happy as the Cratchit family and their giant turkey (like most of Dickens's works).
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
“All the Whos in Who-ville liked Christmasa lot… but the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville , didn't.“Our green and moody antihero tries to ruin Christmas for the Whos - only to find out that the true spirit of Christmas isn't as capitalistic as it thought.
4. "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
That awkward moment when you sell your hair to buy your husband a watch chain, but he sells his watch to buy you some nice combs. Despite the loss of their most prized possessions, the husband and wife in this story realize that their mutual sacrifice represents a far greater gift - their undying love and devotion to one another.
5. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by ETA Hoffmann
This magical toy story that comes to life is perfect for anyone wanting to relive their childhood fantasy (namely, killing an angry mouse king). Young Marie Stahlbaum receives a nutcracker who takes her into a secret world of bitter pop-versus-mouse warfare - a world of passion, rivalry and romance that later served as the basis for Tchaikovsky's famous ballet.
6. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
If you loved the Tom-Hanks-led adaptation, you'll love the original even more, with its dreamy story and detailed illustrations. On a dark and snowy Christmas Eve, our young storyteller boards the Polar Express and is whisked away to the North Pole ... where he meets the very red-haired man with jelly belly who makes all Christmas wishes come true.
7. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Best known for its TV adaptation (with an intro by David Bowie), The Snowman remains one of Britain's favorite Christmas stories. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of a young boy whose snowman comes to life one evening and takes him on a magical journey around the world. It's sweet and funny, and has an ending that still packs an emotional punch 40 years later.
8. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
On Hogswatch Night, the good children of Ankh-Morpork eagerly await a visit from the Hogfather, who brings them sausages and toys under cover of darkness. But when a faction of evil bureaucrats sends a hit man to take down the Hogfather, it's up to Death himself to save the day by dressing up as the jolly old man.
9. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
Equal parts hilarious and genuine, Sedaris' supposedly autobiographical account of working as a department store elf is a holiday story for the jaded among us. From breaking up fistfights to educating kids about the truly nefarious nature of Santa Claus, the setbacks of Sedaris' alter-ego "Crumpet the Elf" provide a refreshing reminder that sometimes it's okay to just want to get past the holiday season. to have.
10. Letters from Santaletters by JRR Tolkien
This published portion of Tolkien's annual Christmasto his children has since been equally loved by the general public. In Tolkien's letters, 'Father Christmas' and his elf secretary purr tales of mischievous polar bears, gift wrapping and the spectacular Northern Lights, which are sure to please readers young and old alike.
11. "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" by Hans Christian Andersen
The titular soldier falls in love with a paper ballerina, but a jealous goblin conspires to tell them apart. This children's fairytale nonetheless carries a profound message about never giving up on love, even though everything seems lost
12. Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck
Another lavishly illustrated story, this follows a father and son who discover that the best Christmas gifts are not always tangible. 15-year-old Rob gets up early at Christmas to do his dad's work on their farm - and when his dad realizes what Rob has done for him, his reaction will overwhelm you in the best possible way.
13. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
When the priceless "Blue Carbuncle" jewel is stolen, who better to solve the case than the esteemed Detective Sherlock Holmes? However, as Holmes and Watson begin to unravel the question of who stole the carbuncle, they discover that this grand holiday mystery - revolving around a Christmas goose, of course - is only getting more intriguing.
14. Stick Man by Julia Donaldson
In this book, Stick Man faces an age-old dilemma: Will he be home in time for Christmas? Between an over-enthusiastic dog and a nest-building swan, Stick Man's prospects don't look too good… that is, until he meets a friend with a magical sled that can fly him anywhere he wants.
15. The Box of Treats by John Masefield
This fantasy children's novel undoubtedly lives up to its name: it is the spellbinding adventure of Kay Harker, a boy who discovers a “box of treats” on his train home from boarding school. Realizing that both he and the box are endangered by an evil wizard, Kay embarks on a journey through time and space to save his life, his friends and even Christmas itself.
16. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
No matter how many times you've read it, this one is always worth revisiting around Christmas time. From snowy tea time with Mr. Tumnus to the mystical figure of Aslan, CS Lewis' classic novel is a perfect slice of holiday magic.
17. The Gift by Cecelia Ahern
From the author of PS I Love You comes this modern fable. Lou is a man whose busy schedule puts a strain on his family life. One winter, he meets a strange homeless man outside his office and decides to help him turn his fortune. Compared by critics to A Christmas Carol, this book is perfect for a lazy break by the fire.
18. "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen Best
known for being loosely adapted in Frozen, this fairy tale has long been a staple of Christmas bundles. The Snow Queen tells the story of the children Kai and Gerda, who are warned by Kai's grandmother about the Snow Queen, a powerful creature who eventually captures and corrupts Kai. When Gerda finally finds him, he's turned into a cold, cruel facsimile of herself - but she manages to save him by using (what else?) The power of love and warmth.
19. "The Twelve Terrors Of Christmas" by John Updike
In this satire, Updike points out the many sketchy, dark and downright strange aspects of the holiday season. For example, Santa Claus - what is doing those other 11 months of the year? Coupled with Edward Gorey's Gothic drawings, this darkly comic pamphlet will make you think seriously (and drink away the inconvenience) this Christmas season
20. Little Women by Louisa May AlcottAlcott
Although the book spans several years, the defining moments of the girls' lives usually take place on December 25th: it is the day their story begins, and also the joyous occasion of their father's return from the war. So yes, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are undoubtedly the queens of Christmas - but their stories will warm you every day of the year.
21. Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
The Belgian supersleuth doesn't seem to be taking a break, even at the most beautiful time of the year. Called to investigate the murder of a millionaire, he must solve a mystery involving a locked room, secret illegitimate children and an abundance of uncut diamonds.
22. "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen strikes again in one of his most famous (and devastating) works. The slender match girl struggles to sell matches on New Year's Eve and then lights them to try to warm herself up. She has grand, golden visions of Christmas trees and a hearty feast - and when she finally runs out of matches and freezes to death, her grandmother's ghost helps her ascend to heaven while the rest of us sob in our lawyer.
23. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
The undisputed king of legal thrillers turns his hand to write a comedy of mistakes in this 2001 novel that features exactly zero jurors or murderers. When Luther and Nora, with an empty nest, decide to save money by "skipping Christmas" and the expense of cleaning up their house, they get the ire of their neighbors, who are determined to win a seasonal decorating contest.
24. "A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote
Capote's lifelike Christmas story follows a young boy named Buddy and his cousin on their holiday escapades - making fruit pies and drinking whiskey, cutting down a huge tree and exchanging homemade gifts . Even though their family is poor and the cousins are far apart in age, they enjoy the sheer joy of Christmas… and Buddy never forgets this Christmas, especially after he and his cousin have lost touch.
25. The Gospel of Luke, which pictures
the Immaculate Conception and the Nativity, this is the story of the Nativity that most Christians know and love. Thanks to the Gideons available in most hotel rooms in the US.
26. Santa by Raymond Briggs In
This breakthrough entry from the British Christmas laureate, Santa is re-imagined as a curmudgeonly widower from the North of England. Set during Christmas Eve, this illustrated book charts both his magical and mundane jokes, from breaking into Buckingham Palace to drinking a bottle of brandy by his fireplace.
27. "Christmas Day at the Workhouse" by George Robert Sims
Readers of Charles Dickens will already have a pretty good idea of how grim working-class conditions were in industrial Britain. In this satirical poem, Sims tells the story of an old man in a home for the poor and recalls the tragedy that befell his wife last Christmas. And George Michael thought he was bad!
28. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
Not only is this the best Harry Potter episode (in our totally unbiased opinion), it's also the one that gets the most out of Christmas at Hogwarts - with the added drama of the Triwizard tournaments traditional Christmas bauble. From laughing at Ron's robes to painting about Hermione and Krum's turn, not to mention all the intrigue surrounding Karkaroff and Snape,Yule Ball section Goblet of Fire 'is simply an iconic piece of literature.
29. Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
This collection happily follows in the vein of Gibbons' original parody. In the title story, the local pastor is "spiritually escorted" to the Starkadders' farm after seeing a crate of wine delivered, to find the atmosphere slightly less than cheerful - with the Starkadders soon to share their classic "Christmas pudding". of coffin nails and bad tokens. Needless to say, these eccentric characters (made even more so by the holidays) are sure to put a smile on your face.
30. "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern
Christmas Day 1943. A man contemplates suicide and wishes he was never born - only to make the wish seemingly come true. The man then finds out that almost everyone he knows is worse off without him, and returns to his old life with a new perspective. For those who think this plot sounds familiar, it's because Stern's humble little Christmas story eventually became the basis for Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life!
31. "Christmas Is A Sad Season For The Poor" by John Cheever
Charlie, the elevator operator, feels sorry for himself on Christmas morning: he's poor, he's lonely, and to add insult to injury, he has to work. But after complaining to the building's wealthy tenants about his plight, Charlie is invited to more holiday parties than he can handle, and finally realizes he should have been careful about what he wanted - kind of like in It's a Wonderful Life, but with a less positive ending. Classic Cheever.
32. "Auggie Wren's Christmas Story" by Paul Auster
Paul Auster has no idea what to write for the New York Times Christmas. That is, until he runs into his friend Auggie Wren, who tells him a holiday story he'll never forget. This story-in-a-tale is a clever meta-commentary on the sentimentality and morality we expect from Christmas stories, even though real life is rarely so neatly packaged.
33. Miracle On 34th Street by Valentine Davies
Another quintessential Christmas movie that started as a story! While you may be skeptical of this department store Santa at first, old "Kris" will warm your heart and win you over with his antics. But can he also convince a courtroom in his favor?
34. The Christmas Mystery's novel lamb by Jostein Gaarder
This Norwegian children has an advent calendar for stories, a toy comes to life and a girl named Elisabet who hasn't been seen for years - or is it? Follow our young hero Joachim as he delves into the mystery of the Advent calendar and the missing Elisabet, who may be closer than he thinks.
35. "Mother Christmas" by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl's holiday poem "Mother Christmas" is a cute, funny and surprisingly feminist tribute to his eponymous figure. With just three verses, this is probably the easiest to read on this list too!
36. Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
While you can't beat the Charlie Brown Christmas special, Calvin and Hobbes is the best comic to actually read this time of year. From Calvin's musings on what it means to be 'good' to Watterson's blatant insult to holiday consumerism, this comic will always make you laugh - and sometimes tear it up a bit- at the escapades of its titular heroes.
37. At Christmas by Anton Chekhov
There's nothing like dense Russian prose to keep you warm this winter. Christmas is actually a very moving story of family love: young Yefimya got married and moved, but her parents are illiterate and cannot write to her, although they miss her desperately. So when Christmas comes, they hire a writer to write for them - and when Yefimya receives their letter, she weeps with irrepressible sadness and joy.
38. The Burglar's Christmas by Willa Cather
This lively story describes the Christmas Eve of a young Chicago man who wanders the streets, starving and looking for a way to get money or food. Frustrated after missing the chance to break into a young woman, he decides to rob a large mansion ... but whatever (or rather who) he finds inside keeps him dead in his tracks.
39. Sharpe's Christmas by Bernard Cornwell
It is Christmas 1813 and Major Sharpe is fighting Napoleon's troops in the north of Spain. In order to prevent a garrison of enemy soldiers, women and children from escaping back across the border, Sharpe's situation becomes more difficult when he realizes that the French regiment is led by his old friend, Colonel Caillou.
40. "The Beggar Boy at Christ's Christmas Tree" by Fyodor
Dostoevsky Dostoevski's answer to "The Little Match Girl'' is another serious tear jumper. A small child wanders alone through an unfamiliar city, deprived of his mother and rejected by everyone he meets. Suddenly he feels warm despite the bitter frost outside, and is welcomed into the "Christmas tree of Christ'' - which, of course, is another metaphor for heaven.
41. "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan
The Joy Luck Club author sketches a one-page vignette about her childhood, describing her embarrassment at her family's traditional Chinese meal on Christmas Eve. It's a nice, short piece that captures many of the growing pains felt by first-generation immigrants.
42. "The Three Kings" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Longfellow,
best known for "Paul Revere's Ride," also wrote another poem about another memorable journey. As a retelling of the magicians' story, it certainly beats the boring lyrics of "We Three Kings" - which, as we know, can only be improved with a camel drag.
43. "The Fir-Tree" by Hans Christian Andersen
Our latest entry from Andersen is the poignant story of a fir tree throughout its life. When the tree is young, it wants to grow so badly that it cannot appreciate its youth, only to be cut down and disposed of when it is still small. The fir tree is decorated and observes Christmas festivities, but he does not know that this will be the end of his service; in fact, his life ends before it can actually begin, making this a quintessentially bittersweet Andersen story.
44. "Little Piccola" by Nora Smith
Little Piccola lives in Italy, and her Christmas is not one of snowfall and Santa Claus, but of warm sunshine and orange groves. Despite the beautiful weather, Piccola yearns for a real Christmas after hearing local Americans talk about it. So she leaves a shoe (instead of a stocking) by her fireplace - and what appears in it is a surprising delight to Little Piccola and the reader alike.
45. "The Other Wise Man" by Henry van Dyke
Did you know there was a fourth Wise Man? Well, according to Henry van Dyke, at least - but he stopped to help a dying man and missed the birth of Jesus altogether. Nonetheless, this other wise man still believes his destiny is to meet the Son of God, and spends the next 30 years seeking Jesus, doing kind deeds along the way. That is, until he finally realizes that it's not who you met, but who you are that really counts.
46. Arthur's Christmas by Marc Brown
It's a wonderful kind of day for Arthur and DW when Christmas is rolling again. But our favorite fictional aardvarks also have a dilemma: What should they get for Santa? DW is more preoccupied with her own Christmas wish list, but Arthur is determined to find the perfect gift for the Claus who has everything - whatever it takes.
47. The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaolastories
The acclaimed author of Strega Nona turns his hand to holiday with this picture book. It's a sweet tale of what the poinsettia - or flor de la Nochebuena, meaning "Christmas Eve flower" - means to Mexican families, and how the spirit of Christmas is encapsulated in its bright red petals.
48. Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline's Christmas turns into chores when all the other girls get sick and she has to play a nurse. Luckily, Madeline has someone to look after her: a mysterious (and magical) benefactor who just might save Christmas after all.
49. Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh
Olive may be a Jack Russell Terrier, but she knows her purpose: to fly in the air and help pull Santa's sleigh (why else would her name appear in the song ?). Olive's presence inevitably causes some confusion among her "fellow" reindeer. But when Santa gets in trouble with his births, it's this little terrier's time to shine.
50. A Die Hard Christmas by Doogie Horner
What would Christmas be without the likeness of the East German terrorist and his quest for bearer bonds? In this illustrated version of the classic action movie, NYPD agent John McClane's seasonal story is versed as a parody of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” - a fitting bookend for this list, isn't it?
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