Readers, I have an early Christmas present for you today! With Christmas just a few days away, why not pause your regular reading and savor a Christmas story or two? I’ve spent the last several days rounding up some of the best and most famous classic Christmas short stories by authors like L. M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and Charles Dickens.
Some of the authors on this list might surprise you, as they did me. Did you know that L. Frank Baum–author of The Wizard of Oz–wrote a fantasy story about Santa Claus getting kidnapped by daemons? Or that Washington Irving–the man known for his Halloween tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”–also wrote Christmas stories that would serve as inspiration for A Christmas Carol?
There’s also a range of “takes” on Christmas in these stories, from funny to fantastical, serious to sweet. You can read these Christmas stories online for free, print them out, or download them for free to your e-reader. Some include illustrations as well! If you prefer to listen, you’ll also find a link to the audio version, if available.
Treat yourself to some fireside reading and capture the holiday spirit with a bit of old-fashioned storytelling from Christmas past.
20 Classic Christmas Short Stories You Can Read Online for Free
1. “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
Probably one of the most famous Christmas short stories, this is the tale of a young married couple who desperately want to buy beautiful Christmas presents for each other, but lack the money to do so. They each make a sacrifice to buy the other a present, and the results are humorous and poignant.
Read it here | Listen here
2. “A Christmas Dream, and How It Came to Be True” by Louisa May Alcott
Alcott seems to have a genuine love for Christmas. She includes memorable Christmas scenes in her novel Little Women, but she also wrote a number of Christmas short stories and novellas. (You can get them all gathered into one volume here.) Alcott was a fan of Charles Dickens’s Christmas stories, and “A Christmas Dream” is a children’s version of A Christmas Carol.
Read it here
3. “The Elves and the Shoemaker” by The Brothers Grimm
In this familiar tale, a poor cobbler is rewarded for his honesty and hard work when two elves step in to save him from ruin. Like most of the Grimm fairy tales, this one is very short; it would make a nice Christmas bedtime story to read to young children!
Read it here | Listen here
4. “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” by Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas recounts memories of an old-fashioned Christmas from the perspective of a young boy. Thomas uses his skill as a poet to make this a lyrical and sense-engaging story.
Read it here | Listen here (read by the author)
5. “Christmas at Red Butte” by L. M. Montgomery
Montgomery was a prolific writer of short stories, and she has several Christmas and New Year’s stories in her bibliography. (Fourteen are collected here, along with Christmas excerpts from the Anne novels.) A departure from her usual setting of Prince Edward Island, “Christmas at Red Butte” takes place in a log cabin on the Saskatchewan prairie. Sixteen-year-old Theodora manages a home with her aunt, but as they struggle to make ends meet Theodora decides to make a great sacrifice in order to give her young cousins a happy Christmas.
Read it here | Listen here
6. “A Christmas Tree” by Charles Dickens
This short story is told as a memoir, in which the ornaments on a Christmas tree inspire an elderly narrator to reminisce about childhood. There’s no dialogue in this, but if you settle in, unhurried, with a glass of eggnog, you’ll enjoy the meandering trip into memory. (Here’s a list of other Christmas stories by Charles Dickens)
Read it here | Listen here
7. “A Kidnapped Santa Claus” by L. Frank Baum
In this fantasy Christmas tale by the author of The Wizard of Oz, Santa lives in a castle in the Laughing Valley. Santa has helpers, but he also has enemies, and on Christmas Eve he’s lassoed out of his sleigh by five daemons. This short story is a follow-up to Baum’s longer novel, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.
Read it here | Listen here
8. “The Other Wise Man” by Henry van Dyke
Traditionally, when we think of the Wise Men of the Christmas story, we think of three kings. For this story, van Dyke imagines a fourth wise man who misses the rendezvous with the other kings and must journey to visit the Christ Child on his own. The quest that follows is an immersive and richly detailed story.
Read it here | Listen here
9. “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Fancy a Christmas-y mystery? It’s the holiday season in London, and when a stolen jewel turns up in a highly unusual spot, Holmes must use his powers of deduction to discover the identity of the thief.
Read it here | Listen here
10. “The Burglar’s Christmas” by Willa Cather
Written under the pen name Elizabeth L. Seymour, Cather’s story is a retelling of the prodigal son parable, set in Chicago on Christmas Eve. Cather started out as a writer of poetry and short stories; she published “The Burglar’s Christmas” when she was 23, a good 15 years before her first novel.
Read it here
11. “The Tailor of Gloucester” by Beatrix Potter
The tailor of Gloucester is making a splendid waistcoat for the Mayor’s wedding, which will be held “on Christmas day in the morning.” Unfortunately, the coat might not be completed in time, thanks to a vindictive cat!
Read it here | Listen here
12. “The Little Match Girl” by Hans Christian Andersen
This tale is about a poor girl attempting to earn a few pennies on New Year’s Eve by selling matches in the streets. As night draws on, she begins to strike matches for herself, catching glimpses of warmth and comfort as she does so. Although this is a famous “tragic” Christmas story, Andersen viewed it as a happy ending.
Read it here | Listen here
13. “Nutcracker and Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann
The original nutcracker tale is dark and fantastical. In fact, the story as we know it today–from picture books and the ballet–is based on Alexandre Dumas’ adaptation of the original. Dumas’ adaptation is lighter and sweeter. But if you want the full, dramatic story, read Hoffman’s! (For both versions in one volume, Penguin has you covered.)
Read it here | Listen here
14. “Christmas at Thompson Hall” by Anthony Trollope
If you prefer funny, lighthearted Christmas fare, read this story about an English lady living abroad in Paris, who desperately wants to get back to her ancestral home in time for Christmas. This story is included in a nice hardback collection as part of Penguin’s Christmas Classics series.
Read it here | Listen here
15. “A Letter From Santa Claus” by Mark Twain
This sweet, simple letter was written by Twain to his 3-year-old daughter. If you’ve ever had a parent or relative play Santa–perhaps even write you letters as Santa–it’s delightful to think of Twain as a parent carrying out this tradition a hundred years ago.
Read it here
16. “Old Christmas” by Washington Irving
Charles Dickens gets a lot of credit for “inventing” modern-day Christmas. But every author draws their inspiration from somewhere, and Dickens got a lot of his from Washington Irving. Irving’s Christmas sketches describe a jolly, feast-filled holiday in Yorkshire at the estate of Squire Bracebridge, a precursor to Fezziwig’s party in A Christmas Carol.
Read it here | Listen here
17. “The Dead” by James Joyce
In Dublin, Ireland, a group of friends and relatives gather for an annual Twelfth Night party. Through a long evening of merry-making, awkward moments, and a patchwork of conversations, Joyce brings his characters to various epiphanies, large and small.
Read it here | Listen here
18. “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote
This short memoir is based on Capote’s childhood Christmas traditions, which he enjoys with his elderly cousin in rural Alabama.
Read it here | Listen here (read by the author)
19. “A Country Christmas” by Louisa May Alcott
Alcott wrote so many Christmas stories that I couldn’t resist sharing another one. In this story, city girls Sophie and Emily opt for a more “rustic” Christmas when they go to visit Sophie’s cousins in Vermont. While “A Christmas Dream” is written for a young audience, this one for older readers, more along the lines of Little Women.
Read it here
20. “Where Love Is, There God Is Also” by Leo Tolstoy
With its themes of love and generosity, Tolstoy’s wintry tale is a fitting read for Christmas. It tells the story of Martuin the cobbler, a man wearied by sorrow who ultimately finds hope and purpose.
Read it here
Do you have any favourite Christmas stories to read during the holidays? Please share!
More Christmas posts at Tea and Ink Society:
- The Little Women Guide to a Simple, Joy-Filled Christmas
- Lovely Gift Ideas for Anne of Green Gables Fans
- 10 Irresistible Stocking Stuffers for Bookworms
[…] If you’re looking for some shorter reads to close out the year, check out Classic Christmas Short Stories You Can Read Right Now. “Did you know that L. Frank Baum–author of The Wizard of Oz–wrote a fantasy story about […]