Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of holiday short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

2660+ Holiday Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Whether you’re looking for a wintery cup of cheer or a ray of sunshine during a summertime festival, our holiday short stories will have you feeling the spirit in no time.

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The Best Holiday Short Stories

From midwinter festivals to summer picnics, there’s no shortage of ways people have found to celebrate, well, just about everything! All year, there are celebrations of love, joy, remembrance, forgiveness, thanksgiving, independence… There are holidays to mark solemn moments we shouldn’t ever forget, and holidays to remind us of the simple pleasures in life we shouldn’t take for granted.

In all this rich cultural diversity, it’s no wonder that holiday short stories are equally varied! From spooky to spiritual and beyond, the holiday short stories in our collection cover all seasons are told in all styles.

Looking for holiday short stories for every day of the year?

Each week, writers submit hundreds of short stories to Reedsy’s weekly writing contest — each of them based on a unique writing prompt. They can be about anything, and in any genre. This page is home to all the holiday stories that have been submitted to the contest, with prize-winning and shortlisted entries right at the top.

If you read anything you like, make sure you ‘follow’ the writer and you’ll be the first to know whenever they publish anything new. And if you think you’d like to give the contest a try, make sure you sign up for our writing prompts newsletter. You'll be in the running for a $250 cash prize plus a shot at publication in Prompted, our new literary magazine!

RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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