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Christmas
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148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 1912
8 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Zona Gale
209 books27 followersAmerican author, playwright, and the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, in 1921 for
Miss Lulu Bett
, her dramatic adaptation of her novel of the same name.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 15, 2020
"I donno," said Mary, thoughtfully, "but what, when folks stop chasing after Christmas and driving it before them, Christmas may turn around and come to find them."
This is a thought-provoking story of a community seeking, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, to observe the festival in a non-commercial manner. The characters are so human, so real. The narrative flows flawlessly. As if these factors were not enough, Christmas A Story is infused with a subtle sense of awe and wonder at the grace and mystery of the sacred energy which manifests itself in all of creation. In my short list of favourite Christmas stories, this one has captured a firm second place (behind the truly "wonder-ful" Rock Crystal by Adalbert Stifter).
This is a thought-provoking story of a community seeking, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, to observe the festival in a non-commercial manner. The characters are so human, so real. The narrative flows flawlessly. As if these factors were not enough, Christmas A Story is infused with a subtle sense of awe and wonder at the grace and mystery of the sacred energy which manifests itself in all of creation. In my short list of favourite Christmas stories, this one has captured a firm second place (behind the truly "wonder-ful" Rock Crystal by Adalbert Stifter).
December 19, 2024
A sweet Christmas story, if a bit predictable. I enjoyed most of it, but wasn't a big fan of the passages when the narrative came to a halt so the author could ramble philosophically.
December 31, 2017
A small town falls on hard times and through much persuasion, decides to skip Christmas. A lone woman finds that her small nephew, now orphaned, is coming to live with her on Christmas Eve. The town decides to do things to welcome him that are 'not really for Christmas,' but of course....he is a small boy, and so they really ARE! The spirit of love and brotherhood shines through as Christmas softens hearts and is reborn in this tiny village. Sweet read.
December 10, 2016
I listened to this as an audio book and I thought that it was a very cute and loving story
November 15, 2020
Gettin’ my Christmas on early this year!
Zona Gale’s story, published in 1912, suggests that the commercialization of Christmas was already a thing by then. Old Trail Town (a small, fictional Wisconsin town), has fallen on tough economic times. The town’s one factory owner (interestingly named Ebenezer) has shut down in favor of cheaper operations in the city; and the only two merchants are still grappling with the townspeople’s debt incurred last Christmas. At a town meeting in October, the three petition to stop any observance of Christmas by the town that year. The idea here being that, materialism is so synonymous with Christmas, in order to curb money-spending, we have to abolish the holiday altogether. A baby-out-with-the-bathwater situation.
Most townsfolk add their names to the petition, and most earnestly try to adhere to the mandate. It’s more or less easy for various characters, but not difficult at all for Mary Chavah, who never observes Christmas. But Mary gets some surprising news which will not only change her views on Christmas and on her own self, but will ripple outward to affect the entire town.
After a bit of a clunky start, this turned into a surprisingly lovely story. It was somewhat predictable, but I enjoyed it and found myself wanting to pick it back up. There’s lots here to chew on, and there’s sections in the second half where characters refer to Old Trail Town as “our little town” or “a little town.” It easily conjured for me the phrase “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and I’m thinking that was no accident.
I hovered between 3 and 4 stars the entire time. There were some sections where the writing was just a bit awkward; yet there were spots where it was downright inspiring. So I’m rounding up to 4 stars because in the end, it grabbed my heart, and I can easily see myself reaching for this short story at some future Christmastimes.
Zona Gale’s story, published in 1912, suggests that the commercialization of Christmas was already a thing by then. Old Trail Town (a small, fictional Wisconsin town), has fallen on tough economic times. The town’s one factory owner (interestingly named Ebenezer) has shut down in favor of cheaper operations in the city; and the only two merchants are still grappling with the townspeople’s debt incurred last Christmas. At a town meeting in October, the three petition to stop any observance of Christmas by the town that year. The idea here being that, materialism is so synonymous with Christmas, in order to curb money-spending, we have to abolish the holiday altogether. A baby-out-with-the-bathwater situation.
Most townsfolk add their names to the petition, and most earnestly try to adhere to the mandate. It’s more or less easy for various characters, but not difficult at all for Mary Chavah, who never observes Christmas. But Mary gets some surprising news which will not only change her views on Christmas and on her own self, but will ripple outward to affect the entire town.
After a bit of a clunky start, this turned into a surprisingly lovely story. It was somewhat predictable, but I enjoyed it and found myself wanting to pick it back up. There’s lots here to chew on, and there’s sections in the second half where characters refer to Old Trail Town as “our little town” or “a little town.” It easily conjured for me the phrase “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and I’m thinking that was no accident.
I hovered between 3 and 4 stars the entire time. There were some sections where the writing was just a bit awkward; yet there were spots where it was downright inspiring. So I’m rounding up to 4 stars because in the end, it grabbed my heart, and I can easily see myself reaching for this short story at some future Christmastimes.
December 1, 2017
This is a beautiful story, symbolic in meaning. The author writes of a little town suffering from economic disaster and Ebenezer the rich man, who has brought on the hardships. The businessmen of the town decide to forego Christmas.
Mary Chavah has given up on Christmas, also. Through a twist of fate, she is blessed with a young boy on Christmas Eve. Leading up to this, there is a sense of expectancy of something about to be born, or born anew, of life. This is not only within Mary Chavah's being but also among the townsfolk.
The author writes prolifically and contemplatively in various passages, so that some of her words have deep insight to the very meaning of life. And life is what is bestowed upon this little town. Mary's last name is Chavah (Hebrew meaning "life" or "living being," which the book does not mention, but it is another metaphorical play on words.
The entire Christmas story is symbolized in some manner, yet the narrative stands alone on its own.
This book is recommended to any lovers of the Christmas season.
Nite: The book is also entitled "Crhistmas."
Mary Chavah has given up on Christmas, also. Through a twist of fate, she is blessed with a young boy on Christmas Eve. Leading up to this, there is a sense of expectancy of something about to be born, or born anew, of life. This is not only within Mary Chavah's being but also among the townsfolk.
The author writes prolifically and contemplatively in various passages, so that some of her words have deep insight to the very meaning of life. And life is what is bestowed upon this little town. Mary's last name is Chavah (Hebrew meaning "life" or "living being," which the book does not mention, but it is another metaphorical play on words.
The entire Christmas story is symbolized in some manner, yet the narrative stands alone on its own.
This book is recommended to any lovers of the Christmas season.
Nite: The book is also entitled "Crhistmas."
January 7, 2014
Old Trail Town is not that bad really. The children are playful and well-fed and the whole place has a kind of Yankee sensibility taken too far, like a weak version of The Lottery. Zona Gale's Christmas, A Story, which I audiobooked before Christmas, starts with Old Trail Town holding a town meeting to determine the fate of Christmas. You see, Old Man Ebenezer has shut down his factory, the main jobs provider in the town, because he can manufacture wheelbarrows more cheaply in his other, city, factory. The town's merchants, both of them, supplied last Christmas on credit and the town's bills are past due. So Old Trail Town has a choice: Christmas or no Christmas. Some ladies of the town bring up objections: "My children haven't popped corn all winter so it will seem special on Christmas night?" "What if we only do handmade gifts?" "What about Jesus?" The clergy approve of cancelling Christmas, and Christmas is voted cancelled. See how terrible Old Trail Town is?
Mary Chavah, old maid of Old Trail Town, doesn't keep Christmas anyway. She's persnickety, and set in her ways. Jenny, Bruce's wife, Bruce being Ebenezer's nephew, comes by Mary Chavah's house with secret exciting news: Jenny is expecting. Bruce and Jenny live in the city now, and Jenny is home to lie in. She's already made economical presents out of only $2 worth of material and thinks the whole Christmas ban is preposterous.
There's a lot of back and forth and around in Old Trail Town. It's an introspective place when people aren't going to extremes in town meetings. Even Old Ebenezer looks up at the sky and wonders what life would be like if his son had lived. Christmas, A Story is unlike anything I've ever read, weaving between fifteen protagonists down to Theophilus Thistledown, the turkey who will not be killed for Christmas. It jumps between spots of plot and long soliloquies about the nature of man and generosity. One passage, where Old Ebenezer walks down the street and sees only places of commerce and not a community, is right out of The Great Good Place, which we discussed last summer. Being called Christmas, A Story, I knew that there must be Christmas after all. The way it happens is this: Mary Chavah gets a letter from Out West saying that her sister is dead and her newly orphaned nephew is being put on a train to come live with Mary. Mary questions and equivocates, and says, "What could I do with a child?" In the locked-up chambers of heart, though, she likes the idea, and she goes into town to buy a pitcher and basin with dogs on it. Mrs. Busybody says, "You'd better not be buying a Christmas present, Mary Chava," and Mary says, "My sister's boy is coming to stay with me" and asks Mrs. Busybody to stay at the house and tend the fire and heat the soup while Mary goes to pick up the boy from the train station on the evening of December 24th. Mrs. Busybody tells every person in Old Trail Town, and the whole town choreographs a festive potluck, some edict-breaking outliers happen to bring a tree, and the people of Old Trail Town circumvent their own Christmas ban.
Christmas, A Story is unique to our modern sensibilities if nothing else. I ended up liking it, but I'm not over the moon on it by any means.
http://surfeitofbooks.blogspot.com/20...
Mary Chavah, old maid of Old Trail Town, doesn't keep Christmas anyway. She's persnickety, and set in her ways. Jenny, Bruce's wife, Bruce being Ebenezer's nephew, comes by Mary Chavah's house with secret exciting news: Jenny is expecting. Bruce and Jenny live in the city now, and Jenny is home to lie in. She's already made economical presents out of only $2 worth of material and thinks the whole Christmas ban is preposterous.
There's a lot of back and forth and around in Old Trail Town. It's an introspective place when people aren't going to extremes in town meetings. Even Old Ebenezer looks up at the sky and wonders what life would be like if his son had lived. Christmas, A Story is unlike anything I've ever read, weaving between fifteen protagonists down to Theophilus Thistledown, the turkey who will not be killed for Christmas. It jumps between spots of plot and long soliloquies about the nature of man and generosity. One passage, where Old Ebenezer walks down the street and sees only places of commerce and not a community, is right out of The Great Good Place, which we discussed last summer. Being called Christmas, A Story, I knew that there must be Christmas after all. The way it happens is this: Mary Chavah gets a letter from Out West saying that her sister is dead and her newly orphaned nephew is being put on a train to come live with Mary. Mary questions and equivocates, and says, "What could I do with a child?" In the locked-up chambers of heart, though, she likes the idea, and she goes into town to buy a pitcher and basin with dogs on it. Mrs. Busybody says, "You'd better not be buying a Christmas present, Mary Chava," and Mary says, "My sister's boy is coming to stay with me" and asks Mrs. Busybody to stay at the house and tend the fire and heat the soup while Mary goes to pick up the boy from the train station on the evening of December 24th. Mrs. Busybody tells every person in Old Trail Town, and the whole town choreographs a festive potluck, some edict-breaking outliers happen to bring a tree, and the people of Old Trail Town circumvent their own Christmas ban.
Christmas, A Story is unique to our modern sensibilities if nothing else. I ended up liking it, but I'm not over the moon on it by any means.
http://surfeitofbooks.blogspot.com/20...
December 25, 2025
Christmas is about Jesus.
🖊 An underlying theme of this story warns against the secularization and commercialization of Christmas (of which the non-religious aspects are not Christmas at all!). The story and its message are pleasant, and the plot moves along at a nice, even pace. The writing is intelligent, and the characters’ dialogues are realistic and believable. 🎄 This was so welcoming.
📕Published in 1912.
જ⁀🟢 E-book version on Project Gutenburg.
જ⁀🟣 Kindle.
🎨Illustrated in only the e-book version on Project Gutenberg.
༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻
🖊 An underlying theme of this story warns against the secularization and commercialization of Christmas (of which the non-religious aspects are not Christmas at all!). The story and its message are pleasant, and the plot moves along at a nice, even pace. The writing is intelligent, and the characters’ dialogues are realistic and believable. 🎄 This was so welcoming.
📕Published in 1912.
જ⁀🟢 E-book version on Project Gutenburg.
જ⁀🟣 Kindle.
🎨Illustrated in only the e-book version on Project Gutenberg.
༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻✬༺༻༺༻
July 24, 2014
Old Trail Town is suffering. The factory has shut down and no one has any money so Christmas will be tough. Or, if the town has its way non-existent. However, the people of Old Trail Town can not let it go so they quietly plan an inexpensive Christmas for an orphan who is coming to a town of strangers on Christmas Eve.
This was a Librivox recording and quite well done. It is much easier on the ears and mind to listen to the same voice throughout as was done here. However, I do appreciate the other readers that take the time to read when and where they can.
This was a Librivox recording and quite well done. It is much easier on the ears and mind to listen to the same voice throughout as was done here. However, I do appreciate the other readers that take the time to read when and where they can.
December 28, 2014
Oddly reminiscent of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And if you think the commercialization of Christmas is a recent complaint, read this and see for just how long people have been complaining about it.
December 22, 2016
Sweet Christmas story. The factory in the small town of Old Trail Town closes down. Because of this the townsfolk decide not to celebrate Christmas. Little by little, Christmas seeps into town as they just can't help but add little touches along the way.
December 29, 2017
The librivox recording of this is quite good.
December 14, 2017
2.75 stars (ok)
Enjoyed the writing itself but found the story a little slow-moving.
Enjoyed the writing itself but found the story a little slow-moving.
February 4, 2019
youtube
December 17, 2019
Well... the story itself is a bit heartwarming, though... Uh.
December 25, 2025
Zona Gale’s story, “Christmas’ is an interesting and heartwarming story that does not start as that way, it seems to be the cancellation of Christmas because of the hard times come upon the town who lost one of the factories owned by a resident, Ebenzer Rule because of finances. A petition is signed by almost all and the kids sadly are burying Santa Claus. I liked this story yet, I find fault in looking at Christmas not in its true light of the Savior Jesus Christ being born. It seemed that the town should have rallied around that but the ending has an ending that brings true fellowship to the town. This was my first time reading Zona Gale.
Story in short- Mary Chavah has not cared for celebrating Christmas since her mom died but there is many hidden reasons for Mary to be bitter as well as other townspeople.
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert
Mary Chavah is happy about the town’s decision about Christmas until her mind starts to change when Jenny Wing who is now Mrs. Bruce Rule comes back home to have her first baby after the couple left when his uncle Rule closes up his factory. Mary starts to feel wonderful knowing that her friend is to have a baby which happens on Christmas. Mary who knows nothing of children is told by her nephew, John Blood that her sister Lily’s son who is to stay in Idaho but his younger brother is to live with his aunt. The problem is Mary is at first resentful because she has been angry at her sister since she married the man, that she loved Adam Blood. Her hearts starts to beat again after thinking the young boy was not coming and knowing the loss now. Ebenezer Rule had harden his heart some but his heart warming towards his nephew and niece, Ebenzer lost his wife and child many years died, he lets the anger go and the decided to give Mary a toy that his son had liked. It seems kind of like story of Christmas with gifts brought to the new child and at the end many including Mary changed her heart towards Christmas. Cute!
Story in short- Mary Chavah has not cared for celebrating Christmas since her mom died but there is many hidden reasons for Mary to be bitter as well as other townspeople.
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert
Mary Chavah is happy about the town’s decision about Christmas until her mind starts to change when Jenny Wing who is now Mrs. Bruce Rule comes back home to have her first baby after the couple left when his uncle Rule closes up his factory. Mary starts to feel wonderful knowing that her friend is to have a baby which happens on Christmas. Mary who knows nothing of children is told by her nephew, John Blood that her sister Lily’s son who is to stay in Idaho but his younger brother is to live with his aunt. The problem is Mary is at first resentful because she has been angry at her sister since she married the man, that she loved Adam Blood. Her hearts starts to beat again after thinking the young boy was not coming and knowing the loss now. Ebenezer Rule had harden his heart some but his heart warming towards his nephew and niece, Ebenzer lost his wife and child many years died, he lets the anger go and the decided to give Mary a toy that his son had liked. It seems kind of like story of Christmas with gifts brought to the new child and at the end many including Mary changed her heart towards Christmas. Cute!
December 1, 2024
I’m referring to the audiobook in this review.
The first part was padded with a recitation of Christmas traditions from history and other places, as well as a recitation of The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Once it got to Zona Gale’s Christmas story it became a delight. I found the small town language and customs quaint and enjoyable. Once I caught on, I also enjoyed identifying all the Christmas stories embedded in this one. A sweet, sweet, but not saccharine, Christmas diversion.
The first part was padded with a recitation of Christmas traditions from history and other places, as well as a recitation of The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Once it got to Zona Gale’s Christmas story it became a delight. I found the small town language and customs quaint and enjoyable. Once I caught on, I also enjoyed identifying all the Christmas stories embedded in this one. A sweet, sweet, but not saccharine, Christmas diversion.
December 10, 2020
Something light to end the year with. A small town that cancels Christmas when the factory shuts down and nobody can buy Christmas gifts? A single woman who doesn't care for Christmas learns the joys of the holiday when she has to adopt her orphaned nephew on Christmas Eve? I can easily imagine Hallmark making an adaptation of this book.
March 9, 2021
A cute little short story I listen to while painting. A lovely small town that decided to stop celebrating Christmas due to financial difficulties ended up "celebrating" Christmas, after all, to welcome a little orphan boy to town. A very heartwarming short story. Everyone in the town is so kind and thoughtful.
December 2, 2021
A Christmas story with a simple message about kindness during the holiday season. Sadly, the narrator wasn’t quite the one for me. Im grateful for being able to listen to this book for free, but I wish I had read it myself instead. A quick story with an old-fashioned style.
December 15, 2020
Enjoyed the story in the days leading up to Christmas.
September 7, 2022
Good book to teach a child the essence of Christmas , or any other festival
October 20, 2022
Slow at times but still a charming Christmas story.
December 26, 2022
A perfect story for this time of year. It was an interesting and entertaining story. Thank you.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews