1240+ Christmas Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Grab your stocking and set out the milk and cookies! These Christmas short stories will warm your heart and have you whistling Christmas carols before you know it.

🏆 Winning stories

“Marie Antoinette” by Molly Kelash

🏆 Winner of Contest #178

Squat, beige and Soviet, the Marie Antoinette Apartments stood against the stale gray Minneapolis sky. Irony of the worst kind, he thought, blandly ugly and unconscious. He would take exquisitely self-aware irony any day over this three-story architectural monstrosity, “classed up” with tacked on ionic Greek columns, harsh blue LED Christmas lights wrapped inexpertly around them, canned Christmas classics pumping through the air.God, this place was only better than minimum security prison by a hair. But it was all he could afford now, so he’...

150 likes 129 comments 129

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“All I Want For Christmas is Fair Labor Practices” by Elizabeth Henkel

🏆 Winner of Contest #175

“I told you, Billy, I’m out of the game. Have been for a long time.” Gustmas Tinseltrolley took a long, slow sip of his hot cocoa as Billy “The Jingle” Bellringer stood in the living room of his cozy log cabin, deep in the Canadian Rockies. He knew the second the broad-shouldered elf had knocked on his door that, at the least, trouble was afoot. At the most? All of Christmas could be on the line. “The Big Guy needs you, Gus. The kids need you. You were the best gift wrapper the North had since tissue paper was invented. Besides, Claus said ...

106 likes 72 comments 72

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“Burt Brain” by Shawn Forno

🏆 Winner of Contest #73

There’s no sound on earth quite like a bird flying into a sliding glass door. Unlike the white noise of mass extinctions and vanishing rainforests, the singular thud of delicate avian bones against shatter-resistant Duraplex glass is impossible to ignore. It's the sound of the natural and man-made worlds colliding, like the off-key fervor of a bronze temple gong struck by a fresh-faced initiate. Burt Frumbder was savoring the second sip of his first cup of coffee when this one-of-a-kind sound made him jump, spilling this same cup of cof...

323 likes 134 comments 134

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⭐️ Recommended stories

“The Naughty List” by Bärbel Morsch

Submitted to Contest #278

"Little Timmy forgot to brush his teeth. Twice!" Kris Kringle's voice boomed through his workshop as if he was announcing the apocalypse.Ethel Kringle-Claus lowered her crochet needles. "Little Timmy?""Yes, Little Timmy Morgan, 247 Tinsel Drive, Washington," Kris declared with the gravity of a judge about to sentence someone for stealing cars. "And last Tuesday, he didn't clean his room.""There are husbands who never clean their workshop," Ethel remarked drily.Kris deflated slightly and got up from his desk.After three centuries of marriage,...

6 likes 2 comments 2

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“Stargazy Pie” by J. I. MumfoRD

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #229

With rumblings of war rolling along the coastline, the knock startled Cecil. His grip tightened on the pewter plates as a sense of foreboding took hold. Opening the door revealed a handsome stranger, with refined features as if carved from marble. He had jet black hair and eyes that glinted like cold steel.  “Good evening, and happy Christmas” said the stranger in a rich baritone. “My apologies for the intrusion, but it seems my carriage has lost a wheel just up the road. Might I trouble you for some shelter from the cold while my man f...

24 likes 25 comments 25

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“Lovepugs” by Caro Robson

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #229

Montgomery's chubby little body trembles with excited grunts as Poppy pushes open the door. Noticing the stylish reception area, she shushes him, feeling foolish for bringing a pug to a lawyer’s office. Still - she needs him here. He is her only remaining family and she cannot face the reading of her mother’s will without him by her side. A familiar voice rings out from the reception desk, immediately putting her at ease. “This must be the famous Montgomery! The whole town is talking about this handsome fellow.” Poppy had...

22 likes 24 comments 24

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✍️ All stories

“Letter from Mother Christmas” by Tempest Phoenix Smith

Submitted to Contest #278

Can you keep a secret?Once more than one person possesses a secret, the chances are less for it to stay hidden. Father Christmas himself always says that the best place to keep a secret is between your two ears. The more people that know, the greater the risk that the secret will become common knowledge. However, for a keeper of so many secrets such as myself, they often are tickling my tongue wanting to be spoken or making my fingers itch to take up a quill pen and write them down.And, really, after all these years, would anyone mind i...

5 likes 0 comments 0

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“Museum Piece: A Christmas Story ” by Paul Kearns

Submitted to Contest #278

[Note: the protagonist's " issues" in this story are evident to everyone, but overlooked] Museum Piece: A Christmas Story  “Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.”Nathaniel Hawthorne Karl Havers wasn't out of the London’s Nightingale Clinic a week when he got a call from the dead... at least he thought he did.. He hadn't seen Charles Massey since his last day at Uni. In fact, he didn't see him then. He simply never showed up. It took four years for him to reappear - meteorically - as “Chuck” Massey. That's right, Chuck...

3 likes 0 comments 0

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“The Newcomer” by Ima Ghoul

Submitted to Contest #278

 Simon grinned broadly down at his fiancé donned in an ugly Christmas sweater despite the scorching weather. The hot Australian sun had reached its pinnacle, perched high above the scalding and cracked earth; a cold-hearted phenomenon in a cloudless blue sky reminiscent of clear water on a balmy day. The vestiges of green on leaves, withered and parched, lay wilted in the boughs of native eucalyptus while fauna sought shade or became stealthy poachers sipping H20 from containers left out for pets.‘It’s really hot. Are you sure you won’t...

3 likes 0 comments 0

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“The Heist” by Devon Chang

Submitted to Contest #278

It was December 24, 2017, and New York City was alive with holiday hustle. Shoppers, tourists, and commuters flooded the streets, their breath rising in clouds in the frigid air. Christmas lights sparkled in every shop in the city. For most, it was just another busy day, the last-minute scramble for gifts, families waiting for the subway to take them to their grandma’s house, and taxis honking in a rush to JFK. But for me, Jermmy Bobbé, it was the perfect opportunity for something much bigger.  You might be wondering what was this big p...

5 likes 3 comments 3

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“The Naughty List” by Bärbel Morsch

Submitted to Contest #278

"Little Timmy forgot to brush his teeth. Twice!" Kris Kringle's voice boomed through his workshop as if he was announcing the apocalypse.Ethel Kringle-Claus lowered her crochet needles. "Little Timmy?""Yes, Little Timmy Morgan, 247 Tinsel Drive, Washington," Kris declared with the gravity of a judge about to sentence someone for stealing cars. "And last Tuesday, he didn't clean his room.""There are husbands who never clean their workshop," Ethel remarked drily.Kris deflated slightly and got up from his desk.After three centuries of marriage,...

6 likes 2 comments 2

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“A Dish Best Served Sweet” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #277

This story contains themes of betrayal, mental health struggles, physical health challenges (including dental trauma and eating difficulties), revenge fantasies, implied violence, and loss of relationships and trust. Reader discretion is advised.The Weight of TimeNadine sat in her dimly lit apartment, her pen hovering over a worn journal. The room smelled faintly of dust and neglect, the faint hum of the fridge her only company. A single candle burned on a chipped saucer before her, its fragile flame dancing as though it, too, might abandon ...

7 likes 1 comment 1

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“Wicked Heart” by Donald Haddix

Submitted to Contest #277

Wicked Heart This story is one we all know. It is a depiction of the Toy Soldier. Let’s not waste anymore of the 3000 words. It was a bloody battlefield at the North Pole. Blood in the form of silver and gold glitter littered the bodies of Jack, the tin soldier, and the gingerbread men and was seeping everywhere. As Jack lie there injured, he saw his fallen comrades. It was a scene that would live in infamy in his mind forever. As the medics lifted him to safety, he began to fade. We begin this story in the land of Jimmy Vanderpool. Jimmy wa...

43 likes 50 comments 50

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“Wicked Heart” by Donald Haddix

Submitted to Contest #277

Wicked Heart This story is one we all know. It is a depiction of the Toy Soldier. Let’s not waste anymore of the 3000 words. It was a bloody battlefield at the North Pole. Blood in the form of silver and gold glitter littered the bodies of Jack, the tin soldier, and the gingerbread men and was seeping everywhere. As Jack lie there injured, he saw his fallen comrades. It was a scene that would live in infamy in his mind forever. As the medics lifted him to safety, he began to fade. We begin this story in the land of Jimmy Vanderpool. Jimmy wa...

13 likes 3 comments 3

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“The spark ” by Em Everheart

Submitted to Contest #277

Thick snowflakes fell onto my hand as I stretched my arm out of the window. I shuddered and bit my lip in a silent scream as the freezing breeze seemed to creep under my skin and grace my bones. I was so close I could feel it. Just a little more, and I would feel that spark in my fingertips that I longed for. I had been close to feeling it last Saturday when the snow layers had been even thicker than they were now. In a desperate attempt to feel that flame, I had stood up and almost bent outward, reaching for the full moon that taunted me i...

8 likes 1 comment 1

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“Christmas Nostalgia” by Leslie Mamola

Submitted to Contest #277

Sensitivity Warning : This story deals with the loss of a loved one. Fern climbs out of her warm bed and gazes out the window. Heavy snow falls from the early morning sky. The forecast is calling for two feet of snow and a blizzard warning is in effect. She’s glad it’s Christmas Eve and she can stay in for the day. This will be her first holiday without her husband, Ben, who loved Christmas. Although she’s lonely, she’s determined to make the best of the festivities in honor of his memory. She plans to spend her day wrapping presents and ba...

12 likes 4 comments 4

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“A Wicked Presence” by Michael Taylor

Submitted to Contest #277

The cold air was crisp, snowflakes were falling softly and gracefully on that December night. The Livingstone family were outside, James and Mary hanging the lights on their house, whilst David and Lucy were being as children were at 6 and 8, which was throwing snowballs at each other until their fingers were frozen stiff.Lights covered the front of the house like a curtain, all twinkling in unison, it was a sight to behold as was every house on the street, each for its own personal reason.Everyone except James had gone inside the house, war...

14 likes 2 comments 2

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“Sandy Claus” by Nicole N

Submitted to Contest #277

Year after year, Mrs. Claus, would organize the helpers, plot Mr. Claus’s course for the year, create toy plans, test Christmas recipes, feed, train and groom the reindeer and wrap presents. Millions of presents (and the number only grows year after year). All the while, “Santa” gets the credit, the cookies and milk, cards, praise, pictures, parades, and nobody thinks of “Mrs. Claus”. Even the reindeer get treats, songs, and gifts. Year after year, Sandy Claus kept to herself, stayed in “her lane” and accepted her role and the duties that ca...

6 likes 0 comments 0

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“Snowman” by Ed Wooten

Submitted to Contest #277

SNOWMANED WOOTEN     Hello, my name’s Burt, but my friends call me Burr. You’ve seen my image on numerous Christmas cards. You know, the one’s with glistening snow in front of a cabin with smoke coming from its chimney, a celestial sphere in the night sky, and of course, me…a snowman. That’s me to the right in this nostalgic Christmas card that you can find in most Hallmark Stores.      Please pause now and “oohhh and aahhh” about the card’s picturesque image before I bust your nostalgic...

10 likes 3 comments 3

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“Entertaining Arthur” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #276

Yesterday’s Christmas family gathering felt like a year ago as I waited for Arthur in a soggy meadow, wrapped in my new woolly hat and scarf. My father once described Arthur as an eighty-year-old jazz fan whose eventful life read like a boys-own adventure book of twentieth century history. He had a lifetime’s worth of exploits and wasn’t shy about recounting untold anecdotes. I admit Arthur was amusing, it’s just that I questioned everything when I was thirteen-years-old. I thought his stories were far-fetched and made the mistake of sa...

42 likes 32 comments 32

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“The Lost Children” by Grace Ann Brown

Submitted to Contest #277

The woods got lonely in the winter. The tree branches, usually dripping with greenery, were stark and black against the night sky. The life that the forest was usually teeming with was tucked away for the winter. The squirrels that liked to tap dance on my roof were in an acorn-induced food coma. Even the mice that I usually swatted away with my broom had sought shelter for the long, cold nights. It was just me, alone, in my cabin. I was making myself soup when Laura called. "Hello, dear!" I squealed into the phone. My daughter rarely call...

12 likes 0 comments 0

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