Christmas (Bookshelf)

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday characterized chiefly as a time for getting together with one's family (quality family time), spreading goodwill, feasting, and exchanging presents. Although many of the traditions of Christmas, e.g. the Christmas tree, go back to pre-Christian times, common knowledge holds that it marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Christmas combines the celebration of Jesus' birth with various other traditions and customs, many of which were influenced by ancient winter festivals such as Yule and Saturnalia. Christmas traditions include the display of Nativity scenes and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards, and the arrival of Father Christmas (Santa Claus) on Christmas Eve.

—Excerpted from Christmas on Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

Readers's Choice

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
  Leading the downloads in the weeks before Christmas.
• Twas the Night before Christmas: A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore
  Leading the downloads on Christmas Eve.

Short Stories

• The Gift of the Magi O. Henry
• Christmas Stories And Legends
• Some Christmas Stories Charles Dickens
• In the Yule-Log Glow, Book I: Christmas Tales from 'Round the World
• In the Yule-Log Glow, Book II: Christmas Tales from 'Round the World
• In the Yule-Log Glow, Book 3: Christmas Tales from 'round the World
• In The Yule-Log Glow, Vol. IV (of IV)  (English)
• Nibsy's Christmas Jacob A. Riis
• Two Christmas Celebrations Theodore Parker
• The Potato Child & Others Mrs. Charles J. Woodbury
• The Lost Word, Christmas stories Henry Van Dyke
• Betty's Bright Idea; Deacon Pitkin's Farm; and the First Christmas of New England Harriet Beecher Stowe
• The Christmas Books William Makepeace Thackeray (also in audio)

Short, illustrated Christmas books

• And Thus He Came: A Christmas Fantasy Cyrus Townsend Brady
• The Truce of God Mary Roberts Rinehart
• The Story of the Other Wise Man Henry Van Dyke
• Mrs. Budlong's Chrismas Presents Rupert Hughes
• Man in His Element: or, A New Way to Keep House Samuel W. Francis
• Christmas Outside of Eden Coningsby Dawson
• Uncle Noah's Christmas Inspiration Leona Dalrymple
• The Thin Santa Claus: The Chicken Yard That Was a Christmas Stocking Ellis Parker Butler
• On Christmas Day In The Evening Grace S. Richmond
• The Blossoming Rod Mary Stewart Doubleday Cutting
• The Romance of a Christmas Card Kate Wiggin
• Rosemary: A Christmas story A. M. and C. N. Williamson
• A Reversible Santa Claus Meredith Nicholson
• A Napa Christchild; and Benicia's Letters Charles A. Gunnison
• The First Christmas Tree: A Story of the Forest Henry Van Dyke
• When the Yule Log Burns: A Christmas Story Leona Dalrymple
• The Christmas Angel Abbie Farwell Brown
• Lill's Travels in Santa Claus Land And Other Stories Ellis Towne, Sophie May and Ella Farman
• Mr. Kris Kringle: A Christmas Tale S. Weir Mitchell
• Peace on Earth, Good-will to Dogs Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
• Christmas Comes but Once A Year Luke Limner
• The Christmas Child Hesba Stretton

Novels

• A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
• A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
• The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain Charles Dickens
• The Battle of Life Charles Dickens
• Weapons of Mystery Joseph Hocking
• Santa Claus's Partner Thomas Nelson Page
• Nan Sherwood's Winter Holidays: Rescuing the Runaways Annie Roe Carr
• The Abbot's Ghost, or Maurice Treherne's Temptation: A Christmas Story Louisa May Alcott
• Christmas with Grandma Elsie Martha Finley
• The Burglar and the Blizzard: A Christmas Story Alice Duer Miller
• The Upas Tree: A Christmas Story for all the Year Florence L. Barclay
• A Versailles Christmas-Tide Mary Stuart Boyd
• Evenings at Donaldson Manor: Or, The Christmas Guest Maria J. McIntosh
• Little Maid Marian Amy E. Blanchard

Poetry

• Christmas Eve Robert Browning
• Twas the Night before Christmas: A Visit from St. Nicholas Clement Clarke Moore
• A Visit From Saint Nicholas Clement Clarke Moore
• A Defective Santa Claus James Whitcomb Riley
• Christmas Sunshine
• Christmas Poetry and Hymn Collection 

Children's books

• A Kidnapped Santa Claus L. Frank Baum
• Life and Adventures of Santa Claus L. Frank Baum
• The Story of a Nodding Donkey Laura Lee Hope
• Six Little Bunkers at Grandpa Ford's Laura Lee Hope
• The Story of a Stuffed Elephant Laura Lee Hope
• Campfire Girls in the Allegheny Mountains: or, A Christmas Success against Odds Stella M. Francis
• Christmas in Legend and Story: A Book for Boys and Girls Elva S. Smith
• The Children's Book of Christmas Stories
• The Night Before Christmas and Other Popular Stories For Children

Plays

• Down the Chimney Shepherd Knapp
• Up the Chimney Shepherd Knapp
• The Christmas Dinner Shepherd Knapp
• The White Christmas and other Merry Christmas Plays Walter Ben Hare

Non-fiction

• Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan Clement A. Miles
• The Feast of St. Friend Arnold Bennett
• Yule-Tide in Many Lands Mary Poague Pringle
• A Wonderful Night; An Interpretation Of Christmas James H. Snowden
• A Christmas Sermon Robert Louis Stevenson

Français

• Noël dans les pays étrangers Alphonse Chabot
• La nuit de Noël dans tous les pays Alphonse Chabot
• Contes de Noël par Josette Josephine Marchand Dandurand
• Contes de Noël Madame Henri de la Ville de Mirmont

Suomi

• Joululahjat Theodolinda Hahnsson
• Jouluaattona juomarin kodissa Evald Ferdinand Jahnsson
• Jouluilta Johan Ludvig Runeberg

Miscellaneous

• Christmas Tales and Christmas Verse Eugene Field
• Trifles for the Christmas Holidays H. S. Armstrong
• A Christmas Garland Max Beerbohm
• The Spirit of Christmas Henry Van Dyke
• La Navidad en las Montañas Ignacio Manuel Altamirano
• Punch Among the Planets
• Christmas Entertainments Alice Maude Kellogg
• The Christmas Kalends of Provence: And Some Other Provençal Festivals Thomas A. Janvier
• A Little Book for Christmas Cyrus Townsend Brady
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Music) Roger McGuinn
• I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (Music) Roger McGuinn
• O, Tannenbaum (Music) performed by the Nebe Quartett
• A Righte Merrie Christmasse