Some of the most popular literature since the 19th century has been Christmas themed. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (1843) remains a cornerstone, with its timeless themes of generosity, transformation, and the importance of community. Alongside it, works like Clement Clarke Moore's A Visit from Saint Nicholas (1823), better known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and the enduring appeal of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (1985) have solidified Christmas as a time for both nostalgia and wonder. These works continue to be widely read, adapted, and celebrated each holiday season, shaping how we view Christmas through the lens of literature.

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, was groundbreaking in its portrayal of Christmas as a time of generosity, family, and social responsibility, which resonated deeply with Victorian society. Its enormous success not only popularised the idea of a “moral Christmas” but also helped shape the way Christmas was celebrated and represented in literature. Furthermore, whilst establishing itself as a timeless holiday classic, the success of A Christmas Carol also set the stage for the now common publishing of Christmas-themed books that are marketed and consumed specifically during the festive season. 

Dickens inspired a surge of Christmas-themed short stories, poems, and novellas in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Yet fast-forward to 1957, the commercialisation of Christmas literature hit a new level. It started to appeal to a wider audience with children’s books becoming a major part of the genre. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas brings a more playful and whimsical twist to the holiday, while still imparting lessons about the true meaning of Christmas. The Grinch’s transformation from a heartless, miserly character to one filled with love and goodwill presents these themes with Seuss’s signature humour and colourful illustrations, appealing to younger audiences and delighting readers with its imaginative, slightly irreverent tone. While Dickens used Christmas to critique society and advocate for moral change, Seuss offered a more child-friendly approach to similar themes, making Christmas joyfully accessible while still carrying an underlying message of kindness, generosity, and redemption. This shift from the moral gravity of Dickens to the fun, fantastical world of Seuss reflects how Christmas literature has expanded, embracing both serious reflection and lighthearted celebration in its evolution.

The evolution continues to the 1980’s where works such as The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (1985) solidified Christmas as a time for nostalgia. The book’s magical narrative, paired with Van Allsburg’s detailed illustrations, tap into the wonder and innocence of childhood, yet still maintaining the theme of the spirit of Christmas seen in the festive literature of the previous century. Another example playing with nostalgia is Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman (1978), which grew in popularity throughout the 1980s and 1990s, especially with its animated film adaptation (1982). The wordless book tells the story of a young boy who builds a snowman that comes to life, capturing the magic and fleeting beauty of winter and Christmas. Both these examples show how Christmas literature evolved to use children as protagonists to portray the magic of Christmas we so often lose by growing up.

Once in the 21st century we can see a shift again in the themes and portrayals of Christmas stories. There is now more variety than ever before; we have stories such as 2001’s Skipping Christmas by John Grisham (departing from his usual legal thrillers), which tells the story of a couple who decide to forgo Christmas celebrations and travel instead, only to find their community’s pressure and expectations hard to escape. The book blends humour with heart and critiques the commercialisation of Christmas. This shows the evolution of themes again from the pure, wonderful and nostalgic to a still positive but more realistic portrayal of Christmas. Moreover, in other contemporary works romance is commonly used to allow adults to really connect with the Christmas spirit being portrayed through the more realistic environments laid out by the authors.

These contemporary Christmas stories maintain the classic themes of love, generosity, and magic, but with modern twists, making them relevant to today’s readers. Whether through humour, romance, or heartfelt drama, these works continue to capture the imagination and spirit of Christmas for people of all ages.

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