Black Friday bled in two directions in 2013. It bled forward into Cyber Monday but, for the first time, it also bled backwards into Thanksgiving Day. It was a black and blue extended weekend for bargain-seeking shoppers while obliterating the concept of “holiday” for retail workers who had to toil in stores or handling online orders. The news coverage of the chaos that ensued across the U.S. reminded me why there is no deal great enough to entice me to a department store during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. And why I tip extra to wait staff at any restaurant I visit on any major holiday. A friend in England told me she is concerned about a similar raucous response to this year’s introduction of Black Friday in the main shopping areas of her country.
Perhaps the commercial and social pressures we face around iconic holidays bring on the nostalgia we feel for Christmases past. Even people who do not celebrate Christmas welcome the cultural symbols. Every year, I look forward to hearing old, familiar songs about Christmas, snow and winter played on the radio. I plant myself in front of the TV with a mug of cocoa or Glühwein (mulled wine) to watch the annual showing of It’s a Wonderful Life. I celebrate my German heritage with marzipan stolen, lebkuchen, pfefferneuse cookies and other seasonal sweets on the dining table to share with family and friends. I’m sure you have your rituals, too.
At this time of year, whether we’re surrounded by loved ones, friends, or in solitude, we yearn for the comfort of the familiar. Seasonal stories of love, friendship, redemption and hope are the ones we return to year after year. Whether told in novels, novellas, memoirs, short stories, poems or illustrations, there’s no shortage of fabulous books to read and share during this reflective holiday season.
What are your favorite Christmas stories? Why are they your favorites? How have they impacted your life and what do they mean to you today?
Here’s my own list of 10 favorite Christmas tales. Almost all of them have been adapted to movies but they retain the most magic in their original printed form:
The Gift of the Magi – O. Henry 1905
A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens 1843
The Little Match Girl – Hans Christian Andersen 1845
The Polar Express – Chris Van Allsburg 1957
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott 1868
Night Before Christmas – Clement Clarke Moore 1823
The Nutcracker – E.T.A. Hoffmann — 1816 (reimagined bestseller with Maurice Sendak illustrations 1984)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas – Dr. Seuss 1957
Olive, the Other Reindeer – J. Otto Seibold 1997
The Cat Who Came for Christmas – Cleveland Amory 1988
One more favorite, in fact my personal favorite Christmas-time story is the one I wrote: Santa Drives a Mini Cooper. As a holiday gift to my blog readers, I am offering a free download of this short story. Simply leave a reply to this blog entry mentioning “Evelyn’s Santa Story” and I’ll be happy to email this little holiday gem to you! I will use the email address you send me but it will not be posted or given to anyone else.