Never before has there been such an abundance of Christmas viewing on the TV. With entire channels dedicated to the season and Christmas films churned out every year, you could pick a different programme for each day of advent and still have many left over.
While snuggling up on the couch with the family to watch a Christmas film is great, so is the simple pleasure of losing yourself in a good book. Again, you would be spoilt for choice, with new Christmas-themed novels being written every year.
However, if you are looking for a more traditional read, here is a shortlist of Christmas classics to dive into:
A Christmas Carol
Penned by Charles Dickens in 1843, this much-loved classic has continued to be a hallmark tale of Christmas. The story opens on a bleak Christmas Eve in Victorian London, and we follow the bitter Ebenezer Scrooge on his journey with the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. With a heart-warming ending where lessons have been learned and attitudes redeemed, this story is a perfect choice in the run up to Christmas.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
While this isn’t technically a Christmas novel, there is so much mythology, magic and snow that it feels like one. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are wartime evacuees who stumble across a magical world through a wardrobe door. The children encounter talking animals, a power-hungry white witch and a gentle yet powerful lion king, all against the snowy Narnia backdrop of the C.S Lewis classic. While this is a children’s fantasy book, adults love it as well, and with the strong Christian metaphors throughout, it is a very apt Christmas read.
Little Women
Again, much of this book takes part outside of the festive season, but the story opens and closes at Christmas, making this another story that tends to get re-read during and around advent. Set during the American Civil War, it follows sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy as they face their first Christmas without their father, who is serving in the war. The story is a coming of age tale and is semi-autobiographical of author Louisa May Alcott’s life with her three sisters. As the story unfolds, we see the beautiful differences and harmonies between the sisters’ personalities, and their individual hopes and dreams growing up in Massachusetts.
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
When you hear the phrase “The Nutcracker”, Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet is usually the first thought that comes to mind. Under normal circumstances, many would attend a production over the Christmas season. However, the composer took his inspiration from a novel, where a nutcracker toy comes to life and battles the Mouse King. It was written by E.T.A Hoffman in 1816. Known for his Gothic horror and fantasy tales, this one may be a Christmas classic, but is more to the taste of fans of darker and fantastical themes.
Whether you cosy up with a Gothic horror or a nostalgic Victorian tale, enjoy diving into Christmas across many different eras and worlds this year.
