Olivia Cantadori ‘23

Staff Writer

Top Three Christmas Stories

Whether watched on screen, or read in books, Christmas stories are timeless. 

Three stories that have stood the test of time, becoming iconic holiday favorites are “A Christmas Carol,” “The Nutcracker and The Mouse King,” and “The Night Before Christmas”.

“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens has taught people of all ages the value of generosity and kindness. It tells the story of Ebinzer Scrooge, who, after being visited by four ghosts – the ghost of his business partner, Marly, the ghost of Christmas Past, the ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come – vows to change his greedy ways.

Charles Dickens wrote this story to expose  the cruelty of the business owners in Britain who employed children for manual labor. The story is meant to shine a light on the purpose of Christmas, teaching people not to be greedy and materialistic,  but to give to others, especially those less fortunate. This is a definite lesson that many still need to be reminded of. 

“The Nutcracker and The Mouse King” by  E.T.A Hoffman is originally a Prussian story about a young girl, Marie Stahlbum, who’s Christmas nutcracker toy comes to life. After defeating the Mouse King, the Nutcracker takes Marie to a kingdom of dolls. 

The story was made into a ballet, which is commonly known today. The music was created by the famous Russian composer Tchaikovsky. Since then it has been one of the most popular stories of the holiday season, being performed everywhere from elementary school auditoriums to professional stages. 

Finally, “The Night Before Christmas,” is a 32 page poem written in 1823. It’s about the father of a small family, who upon hearing a strange sound in his house on Christmas eve, looks out to see Santa’s sleigh and reindeer and Santa Claus himself, in his living room with a bag of presents. 

This poem, originally published anonymously, was soon accredited to  Clement Clark Moore. Most commonly read aloud to children during the holiday season, the poem has gotten endless praise since its creation. 

These literary works have numerous adaptations which all highlight the importance of love, kindness and selflessness.