Happy Christmas Eve one and all! I’m sure you’re all settling down for some good old-fashioned Christmas traditions, so I thought I’d throw a few classic stories into the mix. Even if these aren’t under the tree (or somewhere in the house already- they are classics after all!), you’ll probably know most of the stories anyway. The beauty of these tales, is that they can be enjoyed by all ages, so tuck in!
(Thanks to Etolane for sharing the photograph)
1. A Christmas Carol
If number of re-tellings decided whether a story would be considered a classic, then this tale of Scrooge and the three ghosts would definitely make the grade. You can find the original story at Literature.org. There are only five chapters, but it’s still quite a lengthy read!
2. The Snowman
A real classic children’s book written by Raymond Briggs. It was published in 1978 and was made into a short animated movie a few years later. It was first shown in 1982, on Channel 4 late on Christmas Eve. It was an immediate success and has been shown every year since. If your child loves the Snowman, Raymond Briggs has written plenty of other books, including a wonderful and moving biographical account of his parents.
3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
A beautiful and exciting story that sees the young heroes releasing Narnia from the freezing grip of the Snow Queen and allowing Christmas to spread throughout the land. Although The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was written and published first out of the series of books, it is actually second in the internal chronological order, after The Magician’s Nephew.
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A great book for parents who want their children to challenge the commercialism of Christmas. It’s written in inventively rhymed verse: “Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more….”. There are many similarities between A Christmas Carol and The Grinch, not least the fact that both stories have successfully made it onto the silver screen.
5. The Polar Express
Written in 1985, this calm and expressive story book was made into a hugely popular film in 2004. A young boy waits up on Christmas Eve for the sound of Santa’s sleigh bells and instead hears the rumble of a magical train. He boards and, along with many other children, goes on an adventure to the North Pole where he meets Santa Claus.
6. Letters from Father Christmas
A magical collection of the letters JRR Tolkein wrote to his children from Father Christmas. Beautifully illustrated with tales of the scatty Polar Bear, the scary goblins or the hard-working elves, these letters really capture the magic of a family Christmas. Tolkein wrote the letters between 1920 to 1942. The most recent edition of the book, originally published in 1976 by relations of Tolkein, contains nearly all of the treasured letters and illustrations.
7. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
A truly famous Christmas tale, A Visit from St. Nicholas was first published anonymously in 1823 in the New York Sentinel. Several names have been attributed as author, the most popular being Clement Clarke Moore. The contents of the poem, from Father Christmas’ outfit right through to the names of his reindeer, have shaped the way we celebrate Christmas. You can read the poem on Christmas-Tree.com.
8. Nativity Story
The greatest Christmas story ever told! Even if you’re not Christian, the nativity is a beautiful story to share with children. The two main sources of the Nativity are the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The traditional nativity image is of Jesus in a manger. While scholars believe this is accurate, most ascertain that the manger would have probably been in an hollowed out cave rather than a stable.
9. Jack Frost
Jack Frost isn’t just one book. Rather, much like some fairy tales, he is a character who has been developed over the years to become a ubiquitous wintry presence. Most popularly, he is a naughty sprite-like figure: “Look out! Look out! Jack Frost is about! He’s after your fingers and toes!”. His strangest modern incantation is as a superhero in the Marvel Comics.
10. The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was originally written by Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann (better known by his pen name E.T.A. Hoffmann- Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann) in 1816 and was then adapted into a ballet in 1892 for which Tchaikovsky wrote the score. The ballet Coppélia (1870), by Léo Delibes, is also based on a Hoffmann story. Today, The Nutcracker is the most performed ballet of all time with performances traditionally centering around Christmas.
Tags: Children's books, Christmas, story, storytelling, tale, winter