List of Christmas-themed literature

The following is a navigational list of notable literary works which are set at Christmas time, or contain Christmas amongst the central themes.

Novels and novellas

• Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot's Christmas
• Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
• Charles Dickens, The Chimes
• Charles Dickens, The Cricket on the Hearth
• Charles Dickens, The Battle of Life
• Charles Dickens, The Haunted Man and The Ghost's Bargain
• Janet Evanovich, Visions of Sugar Plums
• Frederick Forsyth, The Shepherd
• Jostein Gaarder, The Christmas Mystery
• John Grisham, Skipping Christmas
• Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle, Let It Snow
• C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Stephen V. Masse, Christmas Ransom formerly A Jolly Good Fellow
• Christopher Moore, The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror
• Kate Douglas Wiggin, The Birds' Christmas Carol

Short stories

• Hans Christian Andersen, "The Fir-Tree"
• Truman Capote, "A Christmas Memory" (published in Mademoiselle)
• John Cheever, "Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor"
• Agatha Christie, The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
• Agatha Christie, A Christmas Tragedy
• Fyodor Dostoevsky, "A Christmas Tree and a Wedding"
• Fyodor Dostoevsky, "The Beggar Boy at Christ's Christmas Tree" (Mal'chik u Khrista na yolke) (from A Writer's Diary)
• Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle"
• Nikolai Gogol, "Christmas Eve" (from Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka)
• O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi
• E. T. A. Hoffmann, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" (Nussknacker und Mausekönig)
• Leo Tolstoy, "Papa Panov's Special Christmas" (translation of Saillens)
• Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales
• Philip Van Doren Stern, The Greatest Gift
• Kurt Vonnegut, While Mortals Sleep (book of short stories)

Children's

A

• Tony Abbott, Kringle
• Janet and Allan Ahlberg, The Jolly Christmas Postman
• Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express
• Maya Angelou, Amazing Peace
• Ronda Armitage, The Lighthouse Keeper's Christmas
• Avi, The Christmas Rat

B

• L. Frank Baum, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
• Ludwig Bemelmans, Madeline's Christmas
• Val Biro, Gumdrop's Merry Christmas
• Michael Bond, Paddington's Magical Christmas
• William Boniface, Christmastime Is Cookie Time
• William Boniface, The Stars Came Out on Christmas
• Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark, Franklin's Christmas Gift
• Jan Brett, The Animals' Santa
• Jan Brett, Christmas Trolls
• Jan Brett, Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve?
• Jan Brett, The Wild Christmas Reindeer
• Norman Bridwell, Clifford's Christmas
• Norman Bridwell, Clifford's First Christmas
• Raymond Briggs, Father Christmas
• Jeff Brown, Stanley's Christmas Adventure
• Marc Brown, Arthur's Christmas

C

• Pam Conrad, The Tub People's Christmas
• Jane Louise Curry, The Christmas Knight
• Margery Cuyler, The Christmas Snowman

D

• Marguerite De Angeli, Turkey for Christmas
• Marguerite De Angeli, The Lion in the Box
• Terry Deary, Horrible Christmas
• Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Stick Man
• Berlie Doherty, Old Father Christmas
• Lynley Dodd, Slinky Malinki's Christmas Crackers

E

• Howard Engel, A Child's Christmas in Scarborough
• Eleanor Estes, The Coat-Hanger Christmas Tree
• Richard Paul Evans, The Christmas Box
• Richard Paul Evans, The Christmas Candle
• Richard Paul Evans, The Light of Christmas

F

• Vivian French, The Story of Christmas
• Cornelia Funke, When Santa Fell to Earth

G

• Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel, Rotten Ralph's Rotten Christmas
• Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel, The Christmas Spirit Strikes Rotten Ralph
• Don Gillmor and Marie-Louise Gay, The Christmas Orange

H

• Matt Haig, A Boy Called Christmas
• Charles Hamilton (writing as Frank Richards), Billy Bunter's Christmas Party
• Charles Hamilton (writing as Frank Richards), Bunter Comes for Christmas
• Earl Hamner Jr., Lassie: A Christmas Story
• Roger Hargreaves, Mr. Christmas
• Alastair Heim, How the Grinch Lost Christmas!
• James Herriot, The Christmas Day Kitten
• Russell Hoban, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
• William Horwood, The Willows at Christmas
• James Howe and Leslie H. Morrill, The Fright Before Christmas
• Thacher Hurd, Hobo Dog's Christmas Tree
• Thacher Hurd, Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer

I

• Mick Inkpen, Kipper's Christmas Eve

J

• William Joyce (written with Laura Geringer), Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King
• William Joyce, Santa Calls

K

• Eric P. Kelly, The Christmas Nightingale
• Judith Kerr, Mog's Christmas
• Suzy Kline, Horrible Harry and the Christmas Surprise

L

• Lois Gladys Leppard, Mandie and Joe's Christmas Surprise
• Lois Gladys Leppard, Merry Christmas from Mandie
• Astrid Lindgren, Brenda Brave Helps Grandmother (Kajsa Kavat hjälper mormor)
• Astrid Lindgren, A Calf for Christmas (När Bäckhultarn for till stan)
• Astrid Lindgren, Christmas in the Stable (Jul i stallet)
• Astrid Lindgren, The Runaway Sleigh Ride (Titta Madicken, det snöar!)
• Astrid Lindgren, The Tomten (Tomte är vaken)
• Astrid Lindgren, The Tomten and the Fox (Räven och Tomten)

M

• Margaret Mahy, The Christmas Tree Tangle
• Paul L. Maier, The Very First Christmas
• Ann M. Martin, Karen's Christmas Carol
• John Masefield, The Box of Delights
• Stephen V. Masse, The Taste of Snow
• Robert L. May, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Phyllis McGinley, The Year Without a Santa Claus
• Phyllis McGinley, How Mrs. Santa Claus Saved Christmas
• Kate McMullan, Fluffy Saves Christmas
• Claudia Mills, Gus and Grandpa and the Christmas Cookies

O

• Oliver Optic, The Christmas Gift
• Mary Pope Osborne and Ned Bittinger, Rocking Horse Christmas

P

• Peggy Parish, Amelia Bedelia and the Christmas List
• Peggy Parish, Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia
• Katherine Paterson – Marvin’s Best Christmas Present Ever
• Gary Paulsen, Dunc's Undercover Christmas
• Dav Pilkey, Dragon's Merry Christmas
• Daniel Pinkwater, Wolf Christmas
• James Preller, The Case of the Christmas Snowman

R

• Gianni Rodari, The Befana's Toyshop (La freccia azzurra)

S

• Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
• Francesca Simon, Horrid Henry's Christmas
• Francesca Simon, Horrid Henry's Christmas Ambush
• Francesca Simon, Horrid Henry's Christmas Lunch
• Francesca Simon, Horrid Henry's Christmas Play
• Francesca Simon, Horrid Henry's Christmas Presents
• Angela Sommer-Bodenburg, The Little Vampire and the Christmas Surprise
• James Stevenson, The Night After Christmas
• R. L. Stine, Fright Christmas

T

• Charles Tazewell, The Small One
• Nola Thacker (writing as Tom B. Stone), The Fright Before Christmas
• Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight, Eloise at Christmastime

U

• Alison Uttley, Christmas at the Rose and Crown
• Alison Uttley, Little Grey Rabbit's Christmas

W

• Martin Waddell, Little Dracula's Christmas
• Martin Waddell, Mimi's Christmas
• Martin Waddell, Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale
• David Walser and Jan Pieńkowski, Meg's Christmas
• Ian Whybrow, The Christmas Bear
• Ted Willis, Baron Willis, A Problem for Mother Christmas
• Elizabeth Winthrop, Bear's Christmas Surprise
• Elizabeth Winthrop, The Christmas Pageant
• Elizabeth Winthrop, The First Christmas Stocking
• Elizabeth Winthrop, The Little Humpbacked Horse: A Russian Tale
• Elizabeth Winthrop, The Story of the Nativity
• Susan Wojciechowski and P. J. Lynch, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
• Elvira Woodruff, The Christmas Doll

Y

• Carol Beach York – The Christmas Dolls

Poetry

• "Old Santeclaus with Much Delight"
• Clement Clarke Moore, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas")
• George Robert Sims, Christmas Day in the Workhouse
• T. S. Eliot, "Journey of the Magi"
• Viktor Rydberg, Tomten

Collections

• Bettye Collier-Thomas, A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories
• David Sedaris, Holidays on Ice
• J. R. R. Tolkien, Letters from Father Christmas
• Jeanette Winterson, Christmas Days

Nonfiction

• Francis Pharcellus Church, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" (1897 newspaper editorial)