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December is the month of plum cake, paper stars, carols and long winter evenings. In India, Christmas is celebrated in homes, schools and churches of every community, and children love it for the lights, the gifts and Santa Claus. It is also one of the best times of the year to read together. If you are looking for Christmas stories for kids, this post has seven of the most loved ones, retold in short and simple English so you can read them aloud in five to ten minutes each.

Some of these stories come from the Bible, some from old European folk tales, and some from famous writers like Charles Dickens and O. Henry. Each one carries a gentle lesson about kindness, sharing, gratitude or love. At the end you will find a list of books to take each story further, a few Christmas activities, and answers to common questions from parents.

1. The Birth of Jesus: The First Christmas Story

Long ago, in the town of Nazareth, there lived a kind young woman named Mary. One day an angel named Gabriel came to her and said, "Do not be afraid, Mary. You will have a baby boy, and you will call him Jesus. He will be the Son of God." Mary was amazed, but she trusted God and said yes.

Mary was to marry a gentle carpenter named Joseph. Before the baby was born, the ruler of the land ordered everyone to go to their family's home town to be counted. So Joseph and Mary set off on a long journey to Bethlehem. Mary rode on a small donkey and Joseph walked beside her.

When they reached Bethlehem, the town was full of travellers. Joseph knocked on door after door, but every inn was full. At last, one innkeeper saw how tired Mary was and said, "I have no room inside, but you may rest in my stable." That night, among the cows, sheep and donkeys, baby Jesus was born. Mary wrapped him in soft cloth and laid him in a manger, a wooden box that held hay for the animals.

On the hills outside the town, some shepherds were watching their sheep. Suddenly the sky filled with light and angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth." The angels told the shepherds about the baby, and the shepherds hurried to the stable to see him. They knelt down in wonder.

Moral: Great things can begin in the humblest places. The innkeeper had only a stable to give, but his small kindness became part of the most famous story in the world.

Little children love this story with pictures. My First Illustrated Bible Story: The Birth of Christ tells it in big, bright pages for early readers.

2. The Three Wise Men and the Shining Star

Far away in the East lived three wise men who studied the stars. One night they saw a new star, brighter than any they had ever seen. "This star means a great king has been born," they said. "Let us follow it and find him."

They packed gifts and rode on camels for many days and nights across deserts and hills. The star moved ahead of them and showed them the way. At last it stopped over a small house in Bethlehem. Inside, they found Mary and the child Jesus.

The wise men bowed low and opened their treasure boxes. The first gave gold, a gift fit for a king. The second gave frankincense, a sweet smelling resin burned in prayer. The third gave myrrh, a precious oil. Then they went home by another road, full of joy.

Moral: When we truly want something good, we must be patient and keep going, just as the wise men followed the star for so long. This story is also why we give gifts at Christmas.

Read it with My First Illustrated Bible Story: The Three Wise Men. The whole New Testament series is also available as a boxed set of 10 books.

3. Saint Nicholas: The Real Story Behind Santa Claus

Every child knows Santa Claus, the jolly man in a red suit who brings presents on Christmas Eve. But did you know Santa began as a real person? About 1,700 years ago, in a town called Myra, lived a kind bishop named Nicholas. He had grown up rich, but he believed that money should be used to help others.

In his town lived a poor man with three daughters. The family had no money at all, and the father was very worried about their future. Nicholas wanted to help, but he did not want any praise for it. So one night he crept up to their house and dropped a small bag of gold coins through the window. The next morning the family could not believe their luck.

Nicholas did the same thing a second time. On the third night, the window was shut, so he climbed up and dropped the bag down the chimney. It landed in a stocking that had been hung by the fire to dry. That is why, even today, children hang stockings at Christmas and wait for gifts that come down the chimney.

Over hundreds of years, the story of Saint Nicholas travelled across the world. In Holland he was called Sinterklaas, and in English that became Santa Claus.

Moral: The best kind of giving is quiet giving, when we help someone without wanting anything back.

4. The Elves and the Shoemaker

This is a short fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm, and it is perfect for a winter bedtime. Once there was a good shoemaker who worked hard but became very poor. One cold evening he had only enough leather left for one pair of shoes. He cut the leather, left it on his table, and went to bed, wondering how he would feed his family.

In the morning, he found a beautiful pair of shoes on the table, sewn so finely that not one stitch was out of place. A customer came in, loved the shoes and paid double the price. With that money the shoemaker bought leather for two pairs. Again he cut it and went to bed, and again in the morning the shoes were ready. This went on night after night, and soon the shoemaker and his wife were no longer poor.

One night, just before Christmas, they hid behind a curtain to see who was helping them. At midnight, two tiny elves in ragged clothes climbed onto the table and sewed with lightning speed. When the work was done, they ran away.

The shoemaker's wife said, "Those little elves have helped us so much, and yet they are shivering in rags. Let us make them some clothes." So she sewed two little shirts, coats and trousers, and the shoemaker made two pairs of tiny shoes. On Christmas Eve they left the gifts on the table. When the elves found them, they put on their new clothes, danced with joy and sang, "Now we are fine and smart to see, no longer shoemakers we need be." They never came back, but the shoemaker's family was happy for the rest of their lives.

Moral: When someone helps us, we should thank them and help them in return. Gratitude is a gift too.

You will find this tale and many more in The Complete Grimms' Fairy Tales.

5. A Christmas Carol: The Story of Scrooge

This famous story was written by Charles Dickens in 1843, and it is still one of the most loved Christmas stories ever told. Ebenezer Scrooge was a rich old man in London who was also very mean. He loved money more than people. When his kind clerk, Bob Cratchit, asked for Christmas Day off, Scrooge grumbled. When his cheerful nephew wished him a merry Christmas, Scrooge said, "Bah! Humbug!"

On Christmas Eve, Scrooge was visited by the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, who was bound in heavy chains. "I made these chains in my life by being selfish," said Marley. "Three spirits will visit you tonight. Listen to them, or you will end up like me."

The Ghost of Christmas Past showed Scrooge his lonely childhood and the happy young man he had once been. The Ghost of Christmas Present showed him Bob Cratchit's poor but loving family, and their little son Tiny Tim, who was ill but always cheerful. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come showed him a sad future in which nobody cared that Scrooge had died, and Tiny Tim was no longer there.

Scrooge woke up on Christmas morning a changed man. He laughed, he sent the biggest turkey in the shop to the Cratchit family, he raised Bob's pay, and he became a second father to Tiny Tim. As Tiny Tim said, "God bless us, every one!"

Moral: It is never too late to change. Kindness and sharing make us far happier than money ever can.

For children aged 7 to 10, try the illustrated abridged edition of A Christmas Carol, which has review questions at the end. Older readers and adults can read the full text in the deluxe hardbound edition.

6. The Nutcracker

On Christmas Eve, a girl named Clara (in the original book her name is Marie) received a special gift from her godfather: a wooden nutcracker shaped like a little soldier. Her brother grabbed it and broke it, and Clara wrapped it up gently and laid it under the Christmas tree.

At midnight, the clock struck twelve and something magical happened. The toys came to life and grew as big as Clara. An army of mice, led by the seven headed Mouse King, marched out from under the floor. The Nutcracker led the toy soldiers into battle. When the Mouse King was about to win, Clara threw her slipper at him, and the Nutcracker defeated him.

The Nutcracker then turned into a handsome prince. He took Clara on a journey through a forest of snowflakes to the Land of Sweets, where candy flowers danced and the Sugar Plum Fairy welcomed them. When Clara woke up under the tree the next morning, she was not sure if it had all been a dream.

Moral: Caring for something small and broken can lead to great adventures. Courage can come from the most unexpected people, even a little girl with a slipper.

The original story by E. T. A. Hoffmann is available as Nutcracker and Mouse King.

7. The Gift of the Magi

This short story by O. Henry is best for children aged 9 and above, and adults love it too. Della and Jim were a young couple who loved each other very much but had very little money. They had only two treasures. Della had long, beautiful hair that fell to her knees. Jim had a gold watch that had belonged to his father and grandfather.

On Christmas Eve, Della had saved only a little money, not enough for a good gift. So she went to a hair shop, had her beautiful hair cut off and sold it. With the money she bought a fine chain for Jim's gold watch.

When Jim came home, he stared at her short hair in shock. Then he gave her his present: a set of beautiful combs for her long hair, the very combs she had wished for. He had sold his gold watch to buy them. For a moment they were sad. Then they held each other and smiled, because they understood that each had given away their greatest treasure for the other.

Moral: The real value of a gift is the love behind it, not its price.

How to Make Christmas Story Time Special

These stories work best when you make reading a small family ritual in December. Here are a few simple ideas.

• A story a day: read one story each evening in the week before Christmas, so the seventh story lands on Christmas Eve.
• Use a small light: switch off the big lights and read by a lamp or fairy lights. Children remember the mood as much as the story.
• Ask one question: after each story ask, "What would you have done?" It turns listening into thinking.
• Act it out: the Nativity and the Three Wise Men are easy to act with a shawl, a paper star and a doll.
• Do a kindness: after reading about Saint Nicholas, let your child choose a quiet gift for someone, like a drawing for a grandparent or old clothes for a donation box.

If you are building a bedtime reading routine, our post on bedtime stories for kids has seven more short fairy tales, and how to develop reading habit in child has practical tips that work all year.

Christmas Activities and Books for Kids

Christmas holidays are long, and children need something to do between the cake and the carols. Activity books are a screen free way to keep them busy.

• Christmas Activity Book For Children - Festive Fun: puzzles, mazes, colouring and drawing with a Christmas theme.
• Festive Fun Christmas Activity Book with Stickers: younger children love sticking stars, trees and Santas.
• Children's Holiday Collection Boxed Set: includes A Christmas Carol and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, a nice gift for older children.
• My First Illustrated Bible Stories, New Testament: ten short picture books including the birth of Jesus.
• Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen: classic tales from the writer of The Snow Queen, lovely for winter evenings.
• Snowy Stories-Storytime: short winter stories for little ones.

You can browse many more picture books and story collections in our story books for kids section, and craft and puzzle books in activity books.

Christmas in India: A Note for Parents

Christmas is celebrated across India, not only by Christian families. In Goa and Kerala you will see star lanterns hung outside homes. In Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, streets and churches are lit up, and Park Street in Kolkata is famous for its lights. In the North East, especially Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Christmas is the biggest festival of the year, with church choirs and community feasts. Many schools hold Christmas plays and carol singing, and children often come home asking who Santa is and why we give gifts. These stories give them the answers in a way they will remember.

Like our Diwali and Children's Day posts, these stories are a gentle way to teach children about festivals other people celebrate. Learning the stories behind each other's festivals is one of the best ways to raise kind, curious children.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the real story of Christmas for kids?
The Christmas story is about the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem, the shepherds who heard the angels, and the wise men who followed a star with gifts. Story 1 and story 2 above tell it in simple words.

Which Christmas story is best for a 3 or 4 year old?
Short picture books work best. The Birth of Jesus, The Three Wise Men and The Elves and the Shoemaker are simple and gentle. Keep it to five minutes and let the child turn the pages.

Is A Christmas Carol scary for children?
The ghosts can be a little spooky for children under six. For ages 7 and up, an illustrated abridged edition is just right. You can skip or soften the parts with Marley's chains for younger listeners.

Who wrote The Gift of the Magi?
It was written by the American writer O. Henry and first published in 1905. It is one of the most famous short stories ever written about giving.

How can I use these Christmas stories in school?
Teachers can read one story a day in the last week before the winter break, ask children to draw their favourite scene, or turn The Elves and the Shoemaker into a short class play. Each story's moral makes a good one line thought for the day.

We hope these Christmas stories for kids bring a little extra warmth to your home this December. Pick one tonight, switch on the fairy lights, and read it aloud. Merry Christmas from all of us at BooksFactory.