Bookish traditions around Christmas time

Christmas books have a whole range of traditions within them and often themes related to important things around this time of year, reminding readers what they love about the holidays.

A popular theme amongst Christmas novels is romance, because readers typically love to enjoy wintery romances around this time of year. There is a selection of contemporary short stories that are popular with young adults around Christmas time such as Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson, and My True Love Gave to Me by Young Adult authors. These are by popular authors that often write fantasy, and contemporary romance becomes popular around the festive season with their wintery love stories. They are short stories which make them easier to read, especially for readers looking for a short break from their studies.

More traditional Christmas stories cover the excitement and magic of being a child on Christmas Eve, such as Clement Clarke Moore’s classic poem ‘The Night Before Christmas’. Fiction like this is popular around Christmas time because it is nostalgic for readers who like to remember childhood Christmases, not to mention it being a classic and beautifully written.  

More recently it has become popular to read murder mysteries as the dark nights and chilly air put people in the mood for a thriller

A clear theme across Christmas novels, especially from the 19th century, is altruism and Christmas as a time of giving, which is evident in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol where Scrooge learns the error of his ways. This also features the classic Christmas tradition of having a turkey for dinner which many readers identify with.

More recently it has become popular to read murder mysteries as the dark nights and chilly air put people in the mood for a thriller. Agatha Christie wrote several holiday murder mysteries like Hercule Poirot’s Christmas and The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, a selection of short stories related to Christmas.

The Christmas break means more time to read all the fiction books you haven’t been able to because of those never-ending reading lists. People’s reading habits change around the festive season. Whilst in the summer it is often enjoyable to read a book outside in the sun and on holiday, at Christmas time it is to cosy up in front of the fire with a book and a hot chocolate. Every year, I love reading the festive stories of Let it Snow and My True Love Gave to Me as they are perfect for the Christmas and New Year season.

Christmas is the perfect time for reading when the weather is cold and there is more time to enjoy a book

Let It Snow features three wintery romances. ‘Jubilee Express’ is about a girl called Jubilee who is travelling on Christmas Eve and after her train breaks down, she meets a boy called Stuart. ‘A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle’ follows two friends Tobin and Duke realising they love each other. ‘The Patron Saint of Pigs’ is a story summarising the magic of Christmas for a couple who are reunited. This collection reminds me of Christmas and I have read it every year since 2015, meaning it has become a Christmas tradition for me.

Similarly, My True Love Gave to Me is a collection of 12 beautiful Christmas stories. My favourite is ‘Midnights’ by Rainbow Rowell, which is about New Year’s Eve every year from 2011-14. Mags meets Noel in 2011 and every New Year’s Eve she wants to be the one to kiss him, but there is always another girl. This is a lovely collection of short stories, easy to read and perfect for Christmas time.

Christmas is the perfect time for reading when the weather is cold and there is more time to enjoy a book. Reading is a lovely escape from university work and a way to relax over the festive period.