Top Five Christmas Stories To Love – Settling down in front of a roaring fire with a book in hand is one of the highlights of Christmas.

It is a wonderful way to get into the spirit of Christmas and share classics that have been enjoyed for centuries, as well as more recent tales that capture the spirit of the festive season. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of wonderfully crafted Christmas stories to choose from, but we’re looking at just five which stand out and are the perfect choice for a read around the fire.

A Visit from St. Nicholas: The One Everyone Knows

You can be you know at least one person who has the whole of A Visit from St. Nicholas, more commonly known as, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, memorised. This famous poem is a standard for many Christmas Eves, it appears in many Christmas films and is a beautiful story about what happens before Father Christmas arrives.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore exudes Christmas spirit and has been read year after year by families around the world. The simplicity of the rhyme and the little details from the dancing sugarplums to the shouts of St. Nick as he calls his reindeer have stood the test of time. First published anonymously in 1823, Moore claimed authorship in 1837. There has been some controversy over the authorship, with Henry Livingston Jr. also claiming authorship.

Despite this, the poem is considered responsible for many of the common and most-believed depictions of Santa Claus and the way we receive gifts each Christmastime.

A Christmas Carol: Unparalleled Success

Arguably the most famous of all Charles Dickens’ tales, A Christmas Carol is his most popular book in the United States, with over two million copies sold in the hundred years since it was first published there. It is even included in Penguin’s top 100 must-read classic books, not just those for Christmas.

A Christmas Carol was written in 1843. A short novella, the story has all the tenets of a classic Christmas tale including ghosts and life-affirming redemption. The story has been adapted so many times it is beloved across the centuries, generations and by people from all backgrounds. In every adaptation, the festive spirit is never dampened.

We follow Ebenezer Scrooge as he’s met by spirits from past, present, and future Christmases, showing him the impact of his miserly ways, on himself and others. The cast of characters around Scrooge, from Tiny Tim to Old Fezziwig, have that classic Dickens feel and keep the pages turning right to the end.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: Beloved throughout the Year

Since its first volume, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis has sold more than 95 million copies in 30 different languages. It is a children’s classic that must be brought out every Christmas, to enjoy the magic of Narnia and meet Father Christmas alongside Lucy and the other siblings.

One of the most remarkable things about this novel is the magic Lewis creates around Father Christmas. When meeting him Lucy “felt running through her that deep shiver of gladness which you only get if you are being solemn and still” and this sense of joy is something we all recognise in meeting the red-robed man with his “a great white beard that fell like a foamy waterfall over his chest”. Lewis treats Father Christmas as a genuine and believable character in his magical story.

Alongside Christmas magic, Narnia is a world steeped in mystery and intrigue, bound to keep everyone hooked as you read. The pure goodness of majestic Aslan is the perfect antidote to the evil of the witch. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is an enduring classic and YouGov positions it as the second most popular children’s book of all time.

The Little Match Girl: The Classic Fairy Tale for the Ages

One of the essential features we can in a Christmas story is a wonderful, feel-good moral. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen is a beautiful little fairy tale, full of tragedy and sadness.

Poignant and thought-provoking, The Little Match Girl tells the story of a poor girl out in the cold selling matches. She is dying of hypothermia and as she lights matches to keep warm, she sees visions of Christmas trees and a huge feast. Despite its devastating ending, the story sees the little match girl going to heaven and her bright and bold imaginations of Christmastime kept her warm and comforted until the end. The story perfectly fits the idea of the Christmas spirit, reminding us we need light and hope in the depths of wintertime.

A Boy Called Christmas: A Timeless Modern Classic

A new story that deserves its spot in this list as much as any other. A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig was published in 2015 and is the start of a magical trilogy. It tells us the origin story of Father Christmas in a positive, bright, and unforgettable way. Fun and fast-paced, the novel is packed full of the magic of Christmas, seemingly impossible things, and everything you could wish for in a Christmas tale. While this isn’t a tale that has endured throughout the centuries, it has all the hallmarks necessary to make it a Christmas classic you can read year after year.

Its popularity as a novel means it will be coming to our screens on Sky Cinema this Christmas, with an all-star cast including Maggie Smith, Toby Jones and Jim Broadbent.

The full trilogy is completed with The Girl Who Saved Christmas and Father Christmas and Me.

Every family has its own favourite Christmas stories. Some may be traditional and linked back to centuries of history. Some are instrumental in directing our Christmas celebrations and how we imagine Santa Claus, the reindeer’s, and elves. Others may be unique to your family and be part of a tradition you partake in every year. If you can’t decide where to start with your Christmas reading this year, these five are the perfect beginning, even if you’ve been reading them year after year.