Christmas Stories for Children

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen

A sad and beautiful story to remind us all to be thankful and charitable and to appreciate what we have at Christmas time.

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

A young married couple– rich in love, poor in money– buy each other gifts and teach all of us about sacrifice and giving.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

One of the most enduring Christmas stories of all time, a morality tale of the bitter old miser, Ebeneezer Scrooge, who has a change of heart after visits from the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come.

The Elves and the Shoemaker by The Brothers Grimm

A poor shoemaker and his wife are down to their last piece of leather when their fortunes change thanks to help from talented elves.

The Fir-Tree by Hans Christian Andersen

A tree can’t wait to grow up and achieve great things, rather than appreciate the present.

More Christmas Stories for Children

The Last Dream of Old Oak by Hans Christian Andersen

An unlikely conversation between and old oak and a mayfly that delightfully illustrates the wonder of perspective.

Christmas Jenny by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

“Bein’ a missionary to robins an’ starvin’ chippies an’ little deaf an’ dumb children is jest as good as some other kinds, an’ that’s what she is.”

A Christmas Dream, and How It Came to be True by Louisa May Alcott

A children’s take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Alcott shares a delightful story from a young girl’s point of view.

Christmas; or, The Good Fairy by Harriet Beecher Stowe

A precious story about the joy of thoughtful gift-giving and the appreciation of recipients.

Papa Panov’s Special Christmas Stories by Leo Tolstoy

An old man welcomes strangers into his home, a story of compassion and kindness.

The Night Before Christmas: A Morality by William Dean Howells

Clarence Fountain is quite cynical about the pretense of self-deception about Santa Claus as his children grow older; that is, until his family leads him to a complete change of heart.

Merry Christmas Stories for Children by Stephen Leacock

A man struggling to write a Christmas story gets a visit from Father Time to discuss what’s wrong with Christmas, then is treated to Father Christmas’ arrival, rekindling his true belief in the season’s magic.