The Christmas Story Collection
"We interrupt this program for a special report," the TV announces. The scene switches to the North Pole as two news correspondents report on the activities at the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
Read Live from the North Pole
Maggie's tradition of buying herself a gift on Christmas Eve takes an unexpected turn when she visits The Christmas Shop. She meets the store proprietor who has an uncanny ability to pick out the perfect gift for people he meets. One special gift will make this Christmas Eve one that Maggie will never forget.
Lauren has never enjoyed Christmas. She found it to be a depressing time of the year. When she finds a much needed job a few days before Christmas, she questions her abilities to do the work. What she learns in this new job will change her forever.
As Audrey takes a lonely walk on Christmas Eve, she finds an envelope on the sidewalk. While on her quest to find the owner of the letter, she encounters several people who will help make this particular Christmas Eve become a journey of self-discovery and healing.
It's the night before Christmas Eve on an almost sold out Christmas tree lot. While a few customers are looking at the remaining trees, a couple with a little girl enter the lot to look around and an older man also arrives to look at the trees. The tree lot attendant learns something about the couple and the little girl that will change the night for all of them.
Having just rescued an abandoned partially blind senior dog while waiting on a weather delayed train, Andy is headed home on early Christmas morning. Andy and his dog do not go unnoticed for very long. Life and love are about to change both their lives forever.
This short story is an adaptation based on the classic Christmas parable titled
The Man and the Birds. It tells the story of a man who discovers the true meaning of Christmas unexpectedly on a cold and snowy Christmas Eve. A simple yet powerful story that is timeless.
Editor’s Note: The origin and author of
The Man and the Birds is unknown. The late Chicago based news broadcaster
Paul Harvey retold this story for decades on his Christmas radio broadcast.
According to Mr. Harvey, “
the story was originally published by United Press International by Louis Cassels, a longtime friend of mine and colleague. He and I tried for many years to trace the author of these words. We never could and it occurs to me that maybe some things are supposed to be written without credit to any particular individual …”
For 2017, the 20 year anniversary of the holiday Christmas Story project, I wanted to do something different and special. Instead of a new story, I decided to do a contemporary adaptation of
The Man and the Birds. It is my hope that
The Man and the Birds, a powerful yet simple Christmas story, will continue to be told for many years to come and will not be forgotten. Read the original story here:
The Man and the Birds.
A couple is faced with the sadness and despair of losing their beloved dog to cancer on Christmas Eve. Then something extraordinary happens. This special story is dedicated to everyone who has lost a pet.
On one fateful Christmas Eve, a family returning home encounters a small injured dog in need. The right place at the right time and a little luck could help make this a day before Christmas that would not be forgotten.
Christmas can be a lonely and down and out time for some people. One such Christmas Eve follows Sarah who is alone for the holiday season for the first time in many years. She is not looking forward to the night and decides to go for a walk. See what she finds along the way.
A staff member at an animal shelter makes an interesting discovery after closing on Christmas Eve. Although all the animals have found at least temporary homes over the Christmas holiday, what the shelter worker finds is something that will change two lives.
A new neighbor notices something is not right with the elderly lady next door. After finding out what has happened, he decides to take action with the help of his two children. Some Christmas traditions find a way to continue.
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Award Winner
An abbreviated version of "The Christmas Letter" was awarded First Place in the 2012 Holiday Story Contest hosted by The St. Augustine (Florida) Record Newspaper
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Read The Christmas Letter
Bad weather on a Christmas Eve finds a stranded passenger in a train station. He soon discovers something that will guide his actions for the next several hours. He needs a little help from the spirit of the Christmas season to make an important decision become reality and save a life.
On their way to a Christmas Eve gathering, a family of ducks notices something that changes their plans and creates a holiday evening that would not be forgotten. This children's Christmas story is based on characters from The Quackers Family that debuted in 1999. The Quackers Family featured a tale about two young ducklings that get lost and learn valuable lessons along their journey to find home.
On the night before Christmas, Patty, a down and out young woman, searches for answers about life and happiness. What she finds is a simple yet powerful revelation and a priceless Christmas gift.
It's Christmas Eve at a small urban comedy club as an energetic comedian takes the stage. His witty remarks about the oddities of the holiday season keep the crowd smiling. Enjoy the show!
The last day of school before the Christmas holiday break has arrived. Third grade student Kaylee is worried and upset because she does not have a Christmas gift for her mother. With no money to buy a present, Ms. Tyler, her teacher, steps in to provide a valuable life lesson.
A family returns home on the night before Christmas to find their house has been burglarized and ransacked. With all the Christmas gifts stolen the outlook for a happy holiday is bleak. Amid the destruction caused by the burglars is a broken crystal heart, a family heirloom. Young Joey and sister Melissa spend a worrisome Christmas Eve along with their heartbroken parents. What rises from the ashes of this shattered holiday is an unexpected example of the true spirit of Christmas.
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Award Winner
An abbreviated version of "Christmas Crystal" was awarded First Place in the 2006 Holiday Story Contest hosted by The St. Augustine (Florida) Record Newspaper
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Read Christmas Crystal
This Christmas story is also available in print or download:
Included in the 2011 Christmas Cookies Holiday Story Collection Book
The Snowman Contest follows a parent and young son Marvin as they compete in a holiday Snowman Contest. The events of the day lead to greater things and a surprise ending to the contest.
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Award Winner
An abbreviated version of "The Snowman Contest" was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2005 Holiday Story Contest hosted by The St. Augustine (Florida) Record Newspaper
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Read The Snowman Contest
This Christmas story is also available in print or download:
Included in the 2011 Christmas Cookies Holiday Story Collection Book
Angel Rescue is an inspiring story about a family’s discovery that a treasured Angel statue decoration is missing from their front yard the day before Christmas. Once young son Matt discovers the apparent theft suspicions about who stole the angel lead unexpectedly to an important lesson for everyone involved.
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Award Winner
An abbreviated version of "Angel Rescue" was awarded First Place in the 2004 Holiday Story Contest hosted by The St. Augustine (Florida) Record Newspaper
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Read Angel Rescue
This Christmas story is also available in print or download:
Included in the 2011 Christmas Cookies Holiday Story Collection Book
Magic Balloons is a thoughtful account about how a box of balloons can be transformed into a very special gift with "magical" powers. Bert and Cindy learn how a seemingly simple thing like a balloon can turn into a gift which gives much more than they could have ever imagined.
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Award Winner
An abbreviated version of "The Magic Balloons" was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2003 Holiday Story Contest hosted by The St. Augustine (Florida) Record Newspaper
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Read The Magic Balloons
This Christmas story is also available in print or download:
Included in the 2011 Christmas Cookies Holiday Story Collection Book
Lori’s Silent Night shows how a cool and hip radio DJ named Cool Blue can learn a valuable lesson from Lori, a very special young listener. Cool Blue unexpectedly discovers that everyone, including Lori, is both a student and a teacher.
That Christmas Spirit is a holiday story about Darla, a mother who cannot afford a Christmas gift for daughter Amy. Her encounter with a stranger takes her down the path of the Christmas Spirit.
Christmas Carousel details Michelle, a young mother, and her daughter Becky as they try to find out what happened to a car accident victim on Christmas Eve. Their journey brings out the real spirit of Christmas.
War Takes a Holiday chronicles a war-torn village taken over by enemy soldiers during Christmas. The soldiers take away a young girl’s only possession, a small puppy. A mysterious man enters the picture to give the young girl Alecia hope.
Snowflake is an uplifting tale about a young girl named Becky and her attempt to get a small disabled puppy from a pet store to give as a very special Christmas gift. The unexpected conclusion to Becky's quest teaches a heart-warming lesson to everyone present.
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Award Winner
An abbreviated version of "Snowflake" was awarded First Place in the 2002 Holiday Story Contest hosted by The St. Augustine (Florida) Record Newspaper
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Read Snowflake
This Christmas story is also available in print or download:
Included in the 2011 Christmas Cookies Holiday Story Collection Book
The Christmas Duck is a story about a mother and daughter Rebecca who try to find help for an injured duck that they find on Christmas Eve. The Christmas Spirit is alive and well as Rebecca and her mom take on a task others would not bother with.