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. 2) The Night Before ChristmasAs 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 Santaâs reindeer. Everyone knows that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (a.k.a Dunder) and Blitzen (a.k.a. Blixem) dutifully pull Santaâs sleigh through the skies to deliver Christmas gifts each year. But, if it werenât for Moore, Santaâs 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 wasnât until 20 years later that Moore took ownership of the tale. |
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