Simplifying Christmas - Part 4 - Read aloud time

One of my family's favorite (and simplest) traditions at Christmastime was reading aloud a Christmas chapter book.  We'd usually start on December first and read throughout the month.  If the book was fairly long, I'd divide the number of pages by the number of days we had to read before Christmas and read that many pages each day.

Here are a few of the books we enjoyed...

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson.  Written in 1971, it's still a classic that all ages enjoy year after year.

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.  There are so many variations of this book, as well as movie adaptations but nothing compares with the original by Dickens.  Fairly long and best for older children and teens.

The Birds' Christmas Carol, by Kate Douglas Wiggins.  This little book was written in 1888 and is a sweet story about a little girl named Carol.  Have tissue ready...it's a tear jerker.  :)

The 24 Days before Christmas, by Madeleine L'Engle.  My kids were big fans of The Wrinkle in Time books so they were excited to find this book by their beloved author.

The Gift of the Magi, by O Henry.  Another classic from long ago (1906), this tale of sacrifice and love is always appropriate this time of year.

And a list of Christmas stories to read aloud to the family is not complete without the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, found in the New Testament, Book of Luke.  This is a Christmas Eve favorite.

With all the crazy, hectic things going on, sitting down and reading with your children gathered around, is a simple, bonding experience that your children will remember long after they're grown.