Christmas Stories

Here we are at Christmas Eve Eve and I have been thinking about traditions (of course!) and how this makes the season special. Traditions follow us from childhood to adulthood and create a cocoon of comfort and familiarity, to holidays especially.  Traditions at our house include certain decorations, foods, music, movies and Christmas stories.  We “replay” them each season for comfort and joy!

Each year when I unpack our Christmas decorations I rediscover a lovely Christmas story book called A Christmas Cup of Tea by Tom Legg.  We first heard this story, many years ago, on the radio (one of those long Christmas Eve commutes that calls for lots of radio listening).  We loved the story so much we searched and found a hard copy for future reading.

Over the years we have given this book/story as a gift many times and still enjoy reading it each year. It’s a beautiful story of giving and love, with a reminder that small acts of kindness make a big difference in others lives.  Click HERE to see the YouTube video of the story being read aloud.

Many people read Christmas stories of various types and this can become an annual tradition during the holidays.  Here are some other popular stories for family gatherings or for a solitary reading.

1. Read the Original Christmas Story (Nativity): Click HERE  or if you want to hear it Click HERE

2.To read many of the great stories, such as The Little Match Girl, The Gift of the Magi, A Christmas Carol, etc., click HERE.  This website is a great resource with 50+ stories, books and poems to enjoy.

3. Another favorite is “The Night Before Christmas”.  Did you know:

• the poem was written by Clement Clark Moore in 1822.
• Prior to writing this poem he was a well known scholar in the field of religion, languages, politics, and poetry.
• It wasn’t until 20 years after writing the poem that he acknowledged that he authored this work.
• He was embarrassed that his scholarly works were overshadowed by this poem that he considered frivolous.
• He finally published the poem in a book of his works at the request of his children.

Do you have a favorite story shared at the holidays?  Send me an email and I will share your picks.

Quote of the Week:

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.   – Norman Vincent Peale

Enjoy the week ahead!