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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

On the fifth day of Christmas



Everyone has their own unique Christmas traditions. Some are fun and festive, others are more solemn in nature. One tradition that almost every family has is the sharing of traditional Christmas stories. As a child and now as an adult, I love to read the well-known Christmas tales each season. I've included (in order of publication years) five tales that I think are the most loved classics. If you click on the links below each picture, you'll be taken to a free audio version of each story. Enjoy! And don't forget to enter my giveaway for 5 Golden Rings (a.k.a. Krispy Kreme Donuts)!


1) The Nutcracker (and the Mouse King)

Some might be surprised to know that this classic tale didn't start as a ballet. Nope. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was written by E. T. A. Hoffmann two hundred years ago in 1816. The young girl in the original story had the name of Marie, but somehow, over the years, her name evolved into Clara--the name we usually know her by.

I first read the story of The Nutcracker when I got a cheap copy of the book through my school book order. Who doesn't love school book orders? I'd save my quarters and buy whichever book was less than $1. As a musician, I've played music from The Nutcracker ballet many times and I always think of the first time I read the little paperback book.

Listen to the story here:  The Nutcracker



2) The Night Before Christmas

As a child, I remember working feverishly one Christmas to memorize this poem/story. Why? No reason. Just because. I know my attempts that Christmas were not unique to me alone. The Night Before Christmas is arguably the most read and most memorized stories of all the Christmas stories in existence.

Besides the fun rhymes, what do we get to credit author Clement Clark Moore for? Naming Santa’s reindeer. Everyone knows that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (a.k.a Dunder) and Blitzen (a.k.a. Blixem) dutifully pull Santa’s sleigh through the skies to deliver Christmas gifts each year. But, if it weren’t for Moore, Santa’s reindeer might have remained unnamed.

According to legend, Moore wrote this famous story as a poem for his children for Christmas in 1822. The following Christmas, a family friend submitted the poem to the newspaper and they published it anonymously. It wasn’t until 20 years later that Moore took ownership of the tale.

Listen to the story here:  The Night Before Christmas


3) A Christmas Carol

Have you ever wondered why we say Merry Christmas to each other? Have you ever called anyone a scrooge? Have you ever said Bah Humbug when you weren’t quite feeling the Christmas spirit?

The phrase “Merry Christmas” didn’t become popular until after the publication of Charles Dickins’ A Christmas Carol in December 1843 and scrooge is even listed in the dictionary as 'any miserly person.' It only took Dickins 6 weeks to write this beloved story and after disagreements with the publishing house, he published the story himself. The story has never been out of publication since its release more than 170 years ago. It has inspired countless films, broadcasts, plays, and paintings.

I think few people would argue that A Christmas Carol is one of the most influential Christmas tales of all time.

A theme in many of Charles Dickens’ stories, including A Christmas Carol, is poverty. Poverty was something Dickins knew all too well. When Charles was young, his father was thrown into debtor’s prison and Charles was forced to work in a factory at the age of 12. His experiences in the factory stayed with him for life and greatly influenced his writing.

Listen to the story here:  A Christmas Carol


4) How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Not only did scrooge make it into Dictionary.com’s  database, so did grinch (n. a person or thing that damages or spoils the pleasure of others).

Most people have seen the film The Grinch starring Jim Carrey or the animated version from the sixties. I’m pretty sure every school class plays one version or another at least twelve times during the Christmas season. But, the story didn’t start out as a movie. Nope. Dr. Seuss wrote the story in 1957 and many believe he used himself as a model for the Grinch. 

Watch the story here:  How the Grinch Stole Christmas

How well do you know this beloved story? Find out below.

Quiz: How the Grinch Stole Christmas


  1. What is the name of the town from which the Grinch attempted to steal Christmas?

  2. Whenville
    Whoville
    Whyville
    Whatville

  3. What is the name of the Grinch's dog?

  4. Sam
    Fido
    Woof
    Max

  5. What is the real name of Dr. Seuss?

  6. Theodor Geisel
    Marion Morrison
    Samuel Clemens
    John Philip Sousa

Good luck!



5) The Polar Express


I'll admit it. I hesitated to include this story in the five golden classics. Published in 1985, this story isn't nearly as old as the others on my list. But, after going over all my options of great stories, I knew I had to include it. As far as classic Christmas stories go, I don't think The Polar Express is going to disappear as a favorite any time soon.

In 1986, The Polar Express received the Caldecott Medal and in 2012 it was named as one of the Top 100 Picture Books of all time. 

What's the most important thing we learn from "The Polar Express"? To believe. Believe in ourselves, believe in others, and most importantly...believe in the magic of Christmas.

Listen to the story here: The Polar Express

Which holiday classic is your favorite?





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Thanks for reading! And don't forget to enter my giveaway for 5 Golden Rings (aka Krispy Kreme Doughnuts).



Check out my blog here: Author Tifani Clark or look me up on Facebook.


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Sherry Gammon

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