Tuesday
Dec222009
Christmas Stories
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 11:53 PM 
Over the years I’ve collected many Christmas books. Anthologies of festive tales and poetry. I pile the books somewhere obvious at the beginning of each December - as a reminder to myself to steal an hour or two at some point during the seasonal mayhem, and snuggle down and disappear into the worlds the words conjure up.
This year I decided to share the pleasure. So I sent out invitations and planned to fill my sitting-room with friends of all ages, from small children to ladies in their 80s. And I planned that, by the light of many candles and to the soft background of tranquil carols, we would weave Christmas spells and scatter Christmas stardust. Everyone would bring an offering to read. We would hear festive stories, funny stories, fairy stories. We would read poems. We would tell Christmas jokes. And finally, we would retell the Christmas story itself.
I imagined a gentle evening, not a raucous one. An evening to settle deep into the magic of Christmas. An evening to be present. An evening to wonder. An evening, finally, to tumble out into the frosty night, full of mince pies and laughter and good cheer. To go home and dream Christmas dreams, while the stories still danced in our heads.
But then the snow came.
Our cottage became inaccessible, except to hardy souls prepared to trudge down a steep, snowy field in the dark. And to even reach the snowy field, they would have to negotiate the icy roads into the village.
And so the storytelling gathering was postponed till another year. Which means I’ll be curling up alone, as usual, to dip into the tomes full of memories and riches and quiet contemplation. But that’s no bad thing.
Then again, you could join me. Just take a book, a spare hour and pour yourself a glass of something seasonal. What’s your favourite Christmas story?
Reader Comments (2)
I forgot to mention all books by Jan Brett. She is an american author of children's books. Her illustrations make you swear she is from Finland. GORGEOUS illustrations and wonderful stories all. Google her if she is new to you. Her books make WONDERFUL gifts for young and old.
I LOVE your idea for the Christmas story gathering Helen. I too bring out my host of Christmas books and poems from Thanksgiving until New Years! I do the very same thing and treasure the old acquaintances anew.
A favorite Christmas story of mine is a book I had as a child called "A Gift From The Lonely Doll" by Dare Wright - random house 1966. The spine is tattered and torn from all the love and attention it has received through the years. A Gift From The Lonely Doll tells Edith's story through dreamy black and white photos. Edith is a doll much like a Waldorf Doll made of fabric if any of you is a doll lover as I am. She lives with Mr Bear and Little Bear. Christmas is coming and she is knitting her beloved Mr Bear a muffler (scarf). Every time she is happy she knits a row, every time she is bad she knits 2 rows and so on. By Christmas eve Little Bear takes the scarf out of the basket to see it and it extends from Edith's bed all the way across the room and then some! So she cuts it down and makes mufflers for Uncle Albert Bear and Cousin Charles Bear and LIttle Bear and it is a lovely Christmas.
Merry Christmas One and All from Texas. May your love increase as abundantly as Edith's scarf so that it may be shared with all whom you hold dear and others besides. Shalom and a Prosperous,Love & Literature Filled New Year as well.