I frequently re-read A Christmas Carol, and I buy the annual Christmas novelette that Anne Perry writes using one of the minor characters from her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt or William and Hester Monk series.

I admit I have a copy of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas which is stashed in one of my many Christmas decoration boxes. I like the original animated version too; it is like comfort food to me.

I re-read A Christmas Carol last year. The comments about books we learned in school made me recall the short story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. I liked it when I read it in Gr.8 so am going to search that one out. But I would love to read some old fashioned novels that contain descriptions of Christmas. Does Little Women have any? It has been about thirty years since I read that one, and again, I was recently reminded of it from a post here.

Well apparently there Christmas descriptions in Little Women. I was googling "Old Fasioned Christmas books" when what to my wondering eye should appear but an old RP post from 2009. Some lovely reading there so I have included the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: RP Christmas post 2009

Every December I bring out CHRISTMAS JOY by Susan Branch and snuggled down to read of all her cozy Christmas traditions and ways to celebrate the season.
Her recipes are also very enticing.

It always gets me in the mood for the holiday season.

I try to get books set in cold places to off-set the Aussie heat in December. I turn on the A/C to a cold setting and try to get in the right mood!

A classic Christmas tale over here is The Box of Delights by Poet Laureate John Masefield. It is a companion work to The Midnight Folk a 'Summer' story. Both tales of magic and courage. I have heard it on the BBC and they have also made a drama of it, but have yet to read it! I notice it is available for one penny plus postage so must order a copy as an early present to myself.

Question: For how long in the US has this period in late December to the New Year been known as a Holiday. Over here we call it Christmas and the word 'holiday' refers to any time off work/school but especially when people actually go away from home and spend time elsewhere. To a lesser extent the same is true for Easter, although it is usually cold/wet etc so folk are less inclined to travel . . . unless it is to find some sun 'abroad'.

I think from Thanksgiving through New Year constitutes "holiday season".

Has England avoided the political correctness that has gone overboard, imo, when it comes to Christmas? For example, when I went to school we had Christmas concerts, now we have Winter Festivals.
When I think of the Holiday season (for Christmas) I think of the time when lights and Christmas decorations start appearing on houses. Around here, that should start happening the last week of November. Generally, I think we refer to the times we go away from home and spend time elsewhere as a vacation. We are vacating our home...hehehehe.

Re: Xmas political correctness, have you seen the opposition to the Dutch character of "Black Pete"? There is an article in the Washington Post about this.

Yes, Ann, I saw an article about Black Pete.

And, Vee, our political correctness had all but eliminated the word Christmas in case it offend someone who doesn't celebrate it, but I noticed last year that workers at checkout counters were beginning to say Merry Christmas again rather than Happy Holidays. Our case is that apparently one can talk about God but not Jesus or anything to do with Him, e.g., Christmas music but not carols. It's absurd, IMO, but I suppose it had become very hard to ignore by people of other faiths since in the shops the season has come to be earlier and earlier.

I bought a very pretty Thanksgiving pie plate earlier this week, on sale to get rid of the very last fall things and make more room for Christmas stuff. It said on the back that it is ovenproof. That's another thing I'm tired of--being told the obvious such as the coffee is hot and that you can bake in a pie plate.

Okay; rant over.

My go-to Christmas reading is a collection of Icelandic Christmas poems that always get me in the holiday mood.

As for other Christmas reading, I reread A Christmas Carol every few years. For the last three years I have read Dickens' other Christmas stories, but none of them compares with this one. Time for another reread.

I highly enjoyed Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis, which is a collection of holiday-themed short stories, many of them with a science fiction theme. I think it may be time to reread that one as well.

Other enjoyable holiday reads were some of the Shirley, Goodness and Mercy stories by Debbie Macomber. I also recall liking A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg, although I can admit that it is somewhat saccharine.

Janalyn and Carolyn political correctness is 'getting that way' but not, as yet, with Christmas. So we still wish each Happy/Merry Christmas. cards still have nativity scenes on them (though getting less easy to find), carols are sung . .. rather than 'White Christmas' or 'Jingle Bells'. Considering what a very non-religious country we have become, in terms of church attendance, we still go through the motions of observing these 'holidays'. Children still attend a 'religious' assembly at school each morning and are taught some sort of 'Religious Education' and soon will be taking part in endless nativity plays before the end of term.
I presume nothing like this happens in US schools.
As far as I know people of 'other faiths' don't take offence at being wished 'A Happy Christmas.'
We used to have a very popular Irish comedian on TV, Dave Allen. Who told the following 'story'.
Three little boys meet back at school in January.
Paddy. On Christmas Eve we went to Midnight Mass and when we got home we opened all out presents. I got lots of toys
George. On Christmas morning we went to church and then opened our presents before dinner. I got lots of toys.
Ruben. On Christmas morning Daddy took us to his toy factory where we looked at all the empty shelves then we flew to the Caribbean for two weeks.
And no-one is offended.

The owner of my local shop in the UK wasn't a Christian but he told me he had to buy Xmas presents for his children as otherwise they felt left out!

Thanks, everyone! I have quite a list going now.

Netla, any chance the Icelandic poems have an English translation? The Connie Willis sounds interesting, too.

Janalyn, I'm a Grinch fan, too, and love the animated version with Boris Karloff. Hate the Ron Howard one, and I'm not sure I'll ever forgive him for that desecration. Thanks for the link.

Carolyn, I did not know of Anne Perry and that series looks like fun.

Veer, I will look for The Box of Delights. In my neck of the woods, from Thanksgiving through Twelfth Night and including Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, New Year, and any other festival that might fall during this time, is know as The Holiday Season or just The Holidays and has been since before "politically correct" was a term anyone used. We take vacations and celebrate holidays here.

Yoyobon, I checked out Christmas Joy on Amazon and it looks delightful. I'm for any book that includes cookie recipes.

I also saw two books on Bas Bleu, The Christmas Book of Mysteries and Murder for Christmas.

One other little book that I love is John Jules Norwich's The Twelve Days of Christmas. It has wonderful illustrations by Quentin Blake and is a series of letters sent by the recipient of the twelve gifts to the giver.

Merryworld, you reminded me that I have a Xmas murder book in one of my bookcases!
"The Twelve Deaths of Christmas" by Marion Babson. I should catalogue my books... one of these days!

>Netla, any chance the Icelandic poems have an English translation?

Merryworld, as a matter of fact they have been translated. The book is called Christmas is coming and the author is Jóhannes úr Kötlum. It was published as a chapbook only last year. I even found a listing for it on Amazon ("unavailable", unfortunately).

These poems are based on Icelandic folktales about the old troll-woman, Gryla, her pet, the terrible Christmas cat, and her 13 rascally sons who descend on the human world in the 13 days leading up to Christmas. I've posted a link to a partial English translation of one of the poems, which has been broken up into sections with explanations.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Yule Lads

Netla - I loved that, and would like to hire a few of those guys (the cleaning ones)! Also, how interesting that 250 years ago the government passed a law prohibiting parents from frightening their children with tales of boogeymen and monsters. Rather amazing.

Rosefolly told me about a children's book she liked called Fair's Fair by Leon Garfield. I looked for it at the library and liked it so much I ended up buying it for myself. It's a picture book set in 18th century London, I think. ( it's in an upstairs bookcase so I don't have it handy to verify details). It's one of my go to Christmas books every year.

As a child, one of my favorite books with a Xmas theme was "A Bird's Christmas Carol" by Kate Douglas Wiggins. I still have my very old copy. It's a sad story but I love the description of the poor Irish family next door to Carol's wealthy, but generous home.

I envy all of you who have grandkids. You get to introduce all of these picture books to them. Well one day, I hope. In the meantime, I guess I will read to the cats.

Janalyn, I have grandchildren but I missed out on their childhoods because of distance problems but I now have four Great-grandchildren living quite near and am able to drop in with books on my visits.
I hope the cats like being read to! I used to watch TV with my little spaniel sitting with me. She liked Judge Judy and stayed awake for that program!

Aaaaahhhh...........Judge Judy *sigh*

A woman with a rapier wit and a keen eye for the blowhard liar.

She proves repeatedly that there is no cure for stupid....and it apparently is rampant !

Arthur C. Clarke's (very) short story, The Star is a favorite. Yes, I know it is not cheerful, but I think everyone here knows I have a bit of a dark side.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Star by Arthur C. Clarke

Also I second the Connie Willis book. I have read it the last two years and have just been thinking of it again. At the end she has a wonderful section on additional reading - books, stories, poetry.

And A Christmas Carol, both the written version and the 1951 film with Alistair Sim, is a perennial favorite. Basically I have it memorized and can speak the lines along with the actors.

This is not a Christmas story, but I always think of it as one. Arthur C. Clarke again, and again not cheerful. This is me, after all.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Nine Billion Names of God

Came across the following the other day, and wondered how many of you are nodding after reading it?

âÂÂOne can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.âÂÂ
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I bought the Connie Willis book and will savour that over the next few weeks. Thanks for that recommendation as I had no idea she had written it. Many of her books haunt me, she is a great writer. Doomsday Book, Passage, for example.

Glad you are enjoying the Willis book! It is a keeper.

One of the poems she recommends is T.S. Eliot's Journey of the Magi. I read this over and over - it says something different every time.

Although I don't feel this page presents the poem very attractively, it also contains a recording of Eliot reading it

Here is a link that might be useful: Journey of the Magi by T.S. Eliot

I thought of another book that I have called How Far to Bethlehem by Norah Lofts. It has been ages since I read it; need to reread.

Netla, I re-read Connie Willis's Christmas short story collection most Christmases.

And I also watch my favorite holiday movie, Love, Actually.

Rosefolly

I like Mr. Ives' Christmas. It is a story of hope and forgiveness in the midst of tragedy. A very human tale, upbeat without being sentimental.

I discovered a really charming "new to me" book that is Christmas-y: Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien.

It's a series of letters that Father Christmas (via Tolkien) writes and sends to Tolkien's children and they are wonderful, poignant, and hilarious. It's a lovely gentle read and I must admit to a tear in my eye towards the end of the book as the children get older.

But I adore this book. (That reminds me: I need to get it back from one of my friends. I know it's just sitting in his office neglected on a shelf.)

I came across this The Birds's Christmas Carol while trying to find a title for the Christmas connection game. I cant use it because Christmas is in the title, lol, but read the book as it is online. Published in 1886 by Kate Wiggins, it is the story of a young book loving girl, born on Christmas Day in New York who becomes ill....yes, sappy but what I would expect of s story of that time. What is interesting are the descriptions of the Christmas celebrations, and how it was celebrated. Some class contrasts, as well. I have included the link and read it for how a family Christmas was celebrated 150 years ago. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: The Birds' Christmas Carol