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Chicken Soup for the Soul: Merry Christmas!: 101 Joyous Holiday Stories
Anyone who loves this special time of year will enjoy these heartwarming and entertaining stories of family bonding, holiday hijinks, the joy of giving, community spirit, and family and religious traditions.
You’ll laugh out loud at some stories; others will make you tear up a little. They’ll all leave you smiling and eager to share the holidays, filled with new ideas and enthusiasm for this special time of year.
And we don’t forget Hanukkah either, with plenty of stories about the whole holiday season, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. There’s something for everyone in these joy-filled pages.
You’ll laugh out loud at some stories; others will make you tear up a little. They’ll all leave you smiling and eager to share the holidays, filled with new ideas and enthusiasm for this special time of year.
And we don’t forget Hanukkah either, with plenty of stories about the whole holiday season, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. There’s something for everyone in these joy-filled pages.
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2015
16 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Amy Newmark
372 books178 followersAmy Newmark is the bestselling author, editor-in-chief, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Since 2008, she has published 191 new Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, most of them national bestsellers in the U.S. and Canada, more than doubling the number of Chicken Soup for the Soul titles in print today.
Amy is credited with revitalizing the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, which has been a publishing industry phenomenon since the first book came out in 1993. By compiling inspirational and aspirational true stories curated from ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences, Amy has kept the thirty-year-old Chicken Soup for the Soul brand fresh and relevant.
Follow Amy on Twitter @amynewmark. Listen to her free podcast, The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, the Podcasts app on iPhone, or by using your favorite podcast app on other devices.
Amy is credited with revitalizing the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, which has been a publishing industry phenomenon since the first book came out in 1993. By compiling inspirational and aspirational true stories curated from ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences, Amy has kept the thirty-year-old Chicken Soup for the Soul brand fresh and relevant.
Follow Amy on Twitter @amynewmark. Listen to her free podcast, The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, the Podcasts app on iPhone, or by using your favorite podcast app on other devices.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 17, 2021
(This is a reprise of a review for a CS4TS book I finished on 11/27/2021)
Strictly speaking, I am not a fan of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. When I have picked up any old copy and turned to a random story, I find them unnecessarily syrupy and pontificating. Believe me, I loathe pontificating.
I cannot explain why the The Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas books differ. It may be that I already have soft spot in my brain--errr, my heart, I mean--for Christmas. It may be that, like the reformed Ebenezer Scrooge, I genuinely carry Christmas in my heart all through the year. It may be that I am a shameless, committed Christmas addict, one addiction for which I hope no one ever finds a cure. But whatever the reason, I find the CS4TS Christmas books to be pure potato chip reading. By that, I mean when I open a bag of chips, I solemnly promise that I am only going to eat a couple, one at a time. Before long, I will have worked my way to the bottom of the bag, scarfing down double fistfuls until even the inevitable crumbs at the bottom are gone. Similarly, right before I put the light out at night, I vow that I am only going to read a few stories from one of the CS4TS Christmas books and THEN I will go to sleep. But I look up at the clock and it's much too late for me to get a proper night's rest. In either case, I can only shrug and admit my weakness.
Not all of the stories in the books are cheesy cheerful, and not all of them have a happy ending. But they do evoke Christmas memories of holidays long past and not-so-past. They make me feel that those of us who do celebrate Christmas have much in common; it's good to know I am not the only one who feels about Christmas the way I do. I would never presume the wherewithal to lecture someone who does not celebrate Christmas. But to anyone interested in knowing, I would say that these books have lifted my Christmas spirits when they are lagging, and have become a part of my own holiday tradition.
Strictly speaking, I am not a fan of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. When I have picked up any old copy and turned to a random story, I find them unnecessarily syrupy and pontificating. Believe me, I loathe pontificating.
I cannot explain why the The Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas books differ. It may be that I already have soft spot in my brain--errr, my heart, I mean--for Christmas. It may be that, like the reformed Ebenezer Scrooge, I genuinely carry Christmas in my heart all through the year. It may be that I am a shameless, committed Christmas addict, one addiction for which I hope no one ever finds a cure. But whatever the reason, I find the CS4TS Christmas books to be pure potato chip reading. By that, I mean when I open a bag of chips, I solemnly promise that I am only going to eat a couple, one at a time. Before long, I will have worked my way to the bottom of the bag, scarfing down double fistfuls until even the inevitable crumbs at the bottom are gone. Similarly, right before I put the light out at night, I vow that I am only going to read a few stories from one of the CS4TS Christmas books and THEN I will go to sleep. But I look up at the clock and it's much too late for me to get a proper night's rest. In either case, I can only shrug and admit my weakness.
Not all of the stories in the books are cheesy cheerful, and not all of them have a happy ending. But they do evoke Christmas memories of holidays long past and not-so-past. They make me feel that those of us who do celebrate Christmas have much in common; it's good to know I am not the only one who feels about Christmas the way I do. I would never presume the wherewithal to lecture someone who does not celebrate Christmas. But to anyone interested in knowing, I would say that these books have lifted my Christmas spirits when they are lagging, and have become a part of my own holiday tradition.
December 6, 2017
Amy Newmark et al (Ed.) (2015) CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL MERRY CHRISTMAS! 101 JOYOUS HOLIDAY STORIES
Cos Cob. CSS
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 5 out of 5 stars
The sleeve reads, "101 Joyous Holiday Stories for a Merry Christmas Season! Anyone who loves this special time of year will enjoy these heartwarming and entertaining stories of family bonding, holiday hijinks, the joy of giving, community spirit, and family and religious traditions. You'll laugh out loud at some stories; others will make you tear up a little. They'll all leave you smiling and eager to share the holidays, filled with new ideas and enthusiasm for this special time of year. And we don't forget Hanukkah either, with plenty of stories about the whole holiday season, from Thanksgiving through New Year's. There's something for everyone in these joy-filled pages."
Amongst the 101 stories... Here be a few of the ones I loved the mostest...
"Our First Christmas Tree" by Ferida Wolff
"Artificial Unintelligence" by Ernie Witham
"The Ugly Christmas Tree" by Mary Vigliante Szydlowski
"Island Bliss" by Lynn M. Obermoeller
"Presents Or Presence?" by Casie Petersen
"Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?" by Mary Kay Bassier
"Eggnog With Pickles" by Carole Marshall
"Big Teddy" by Joanne Faries
"Our Home For The Holidays" by Andrea Bates
"The Twig Tree" by B.J. Taylor
"The Gift Of Song" by Danielle Soucy Mills
"Santa's Secret GPS" by S.K. Nausea
"The 129-Year Snow" by Debra Mayhew
#AmyNewmark #AmyNewmarketal #CSS #ChickenSoupForTheSoul #ChickenSoupForTheSoulMerryChristmas #AmyNewmarkChickenSoupForTheSoul #AmyNewmarketalChickenSoupForTheSoul #AmyNewmarkChickenSoupForTheSoulMerryChristmas #AmyNewmarketalChickenSoupForTheSoulMerryChristmas #Christmas #MerryChristmas #Xmas #Santa #SantaClaus #FatherChristmas
Cos Cob. CSS
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 5 out of 5 stars
The sleeve reads, "101 Joyous Holiday Stories for a Merry Christmas Season! Anyone who loves this special time of year will enjoy these heartwarming and entertaining stories of family bonding, holiday hijinks, the joy of giving, community spirit, and family and religious traditions. You'll laugh out loud at some stories; others will make you tear up a little. They'll all leave you smiling and eager to share the holidays, filled with new ideas and enthusiasm for this special time of year. And we don't forget Hanukkah either, with plenty of stories about the whole holiday season, from Thanksgiving through New Year's. There's something for everyone in these joy-filled pages."
Amongst the 101 stories... Here be a few of the ones I loved the mostest...
"Our First Christmas Tree" by Ferida Wolff
"Artificial Unintelligence" by Ernie Witham
"The Ugly Christmas Tree" by Mary Vigliante Szydlowski
"Island Bliss" by Lynn M. Obermoeller
"Presents Or Presence?" by Casie Petersen
"Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?" by Mary Kay Bassier
"Eggnog With Pickles" by Carole Marshall
"Big Teddy" by Joanne Faries
"Our Home For The Holidays" by Andrea Bates
"The Twig Tree" by B.J. Taylor
"The Gift Of Song" by Danielle Soucy Mills
"Santa's Secret GPS" by S.K. Nausea
"The 129-Year Snow" by Debra Mayhew
#AmyNewmark #AmyNewmarketal #CSS #ChickenSoupForTheSoul #ChickenSoupForTheSoulMerryChristmas #AmyNewmarkChickenSoupForTheSoul #AmyNewmarketalChickenSoupForTheSoul #AmyNewmarkChickenSoupForTheSoulMerryChristmas #AmyNewmarketalChickenSoupForTheSoulMerryChristmas #Christmas #MerryChristmas #Xmas #Santa #SantaClaus #FatherChristmas
December 19, 2015
WHAT’S A NICE JEWISH GIRL LIKE ME DOING IN A CHRISTMAS BOOK?
I’m happy, as a Jewish writer, to be included in the new “Chicken Soup For The Soul” Christmas collection, which promises “101 Joyous Holiday Stories.” (Actually, my own contribution is more Flippant than Joyous. But “100 Joyous Holiday Stories and One Flippant Holiday Story“ doesn’t really fly as a subtitle.)
Over the years, Chicken Soup has welcomed a number of Jews into their holiday collections. “I was in the last one,” my pal Risa Nye told me. “Oy! My bubbe would plotz.”
So why would a Jew want to be in a Christmas book?
For one thing, it pays $200. Plus, as another pal joked when she heard the news, “If there’s chicken soup, there should be at least one Jew, right?”
There are, in fact, seven Jews in this new collection. So what did we add to a book destined to be shelved in the “Christian Living“ section?
Shari Cohen Forsythe describes the time a law school friend’s family welcomed her into their home for the holidays. “Talk about a gefilte fish out of water!” she jokes. But her friend’s mother had taken the time and trouble to seek out the one synagogue in town and ask the rabbi what a Jewish girl would want for Hanukah. It was, of course, a menorah and candles! “I learned,” concludes Forsythe, “that simple acts of kindness can remain in your heart forever.”
Judy Davidson writes about the night that she, her husband and their young kids shouldered the mammoth task of creating a Christmas celebration for a local homeless shelter. Did these observant Jews have any problem with staging a fabulous Christmas? Not at all. “Judaism teaches that helping others is a commandment,” writes Davidson, noting that performing this mitzvah only solidified her own family’s sense of Jewish identity.
Susan J. Gordon takes on the topic of secular businesses who attempt to honor Jewish traditions that they don’t really understand, in a piece about coaching a well-meaning local bank manager on the fine points of lighting a menorah, which, she has to explain, is a sacred act central to the celebration of Hanukah, and NOT just the Jewish equivalent of putting up a Christmas tree.
My own contribution, “When Should The Christmas Lights Come Down?” was inspired by a friend’s decision to leave his holiday lights up all winter “to ward off winter gloom“ and the responses he got when he posted about his decision on Facebook, ranging from “Great idea!” to “Bah humbug.”
Several of the stories are about mixed marriages. Andrea Bates, married to a non-Jew, describes “raising our little Jewish southern girl” in a home in which her daughter places her Hanukah gifts beneath a Christmas tree -- which is crowned with a Star of David. Ferida Wolff, whose daughter married outside the faith, tells of crafting an impromptu Christmas tree for visiting grandchildren.
Lisa Pawlak, whose mom was Protestant and whose dad was a Jew, ended up marrying a Panamanian Catholic, resulting in a wealth of holiday traditions, including a menorah, dreidels, latkes, stockings, a tree, fireworks and arroz con pollo. “We embrace a spirit of adventure,” she writes,” along with the richness of our family’s cultural diversity and absolute certainty of our underlying love for each other.”
The one thing all these stories have in common is an enduring sense of Jewish identity. All of us have found that, even as we encounter and embrace a diversity of traditions, we remain Jews.
You can have a Christmas tree in your house, put on a Santa suit and distribute holiday gifts to the homeless, or delight in the gigantic illuminated rotating Frosty the Snowman on your neighbor’s roof and still be Jewish.
Why be a Jew in a Christmas book? When I reached out to ask my fellow contributors, I got a variety of responses:
“In the long tradition of Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond and Irving Berlin,” said Shari Forsythe “Jews like to sing, compose songs and write about Christmas - I guess I am no exception.”
“Culture and custom and celebration all blend at the holiday time, whether Christmas or Hanukkah,” observed Ferida Wolff. “And anything that brings people closer together is a joyous thing.”
“I expect that virtually all of the readers will be non-Jews,” Susan J. Gordon told me. “I hope that my story will encourage them to reflect on how the holiday world looks from a non-Christian perspective.”
Being a Jew at Christmas can be a challenge. As the airwaves fill with carols and the stores crowd with holiday shoppers, it can feel as if we’re being steamrolled by a gigantic Christmas Cheer machine, driven by Santa and spewing songs, gifts, tinsel and trees.
It’s enough to make a person feel invisible. And nobody likes that. Being a Jew in a Christmas collection is an opportunity to tell its largely Christian readership: We’re here! We’re Jewish! And here’s what “the most wonderful time of the year” means to us.
(Roz Warren is the author of OUR BODIES, OUR SHELVES: A COLLECTION OF LIBRARY HUMOR. http://ow.ly/LpFgE This piece first appeared on www.womensvoicesforchange.org.)
I’m happy, as a Jewish writer, to be included in the new “Chicken Soup For The Soul” Christmas collection, which promises “101 Joyous Holiday Stories.” (Actually, my own contribution is more Flippant than Joyous. But “100 Joyous Holiday Stories and One Flippant Holiday Story“ doesn’t really fly as a subtitle.)
Over the years, Chicken Soup has welcomed a number of Jews into their holiday collections. “I was in the last one,” my pal Risa Nye told me. “Oy! My bubbe would plotz.”
So why would a Jew want to be in a Christmas book?
For one thing, it pays $200. Plus, as another pal joked when she heard the news, “If there’s chicken soup, there should be at least one Jew, right?”
There are, in fact, seven Jews in this new collection. So what did we add to a book destined to be shelved in the “Christian Living“ section?
Shari Cohen Forsythe describes the time a law school friend’s family welcomed her into their home for the holidays. “Talk about a gefilte fish out of water!” she jokes. But her friend’s mother had taken the time and trouble to seek out the one synagogue in town and ask the rabbi what a Jewish girl would want for Hanukah. It was, of course, a menorah and candles! “I learned,” concludes Forsythe, “that simple acts of kindness can remain in your heart forever.”
Judy Davidson writes about the night that she, her husband and their young kids shouldered the mammoth task of creating a Christmas celebration for a local homeless shelter. Did these observant Jews have any problem with staging a fabulous Christmas? Not at all. “Judaism teaches that helping others is a commandment,” writes Davidson, noting that performing this mitzvah only solidified her own family’s sense of Jewish identity.
Susan J. Gordon takes on the topic of secular businesses who attempt to honor Jewish traditions that they don’t really understand, in a piece about coaching a well-meaning local bank manager on the fine points of lighting a menorah, which, she has to explain, is a sacred act central to the celebration of Hanukah, and NOT just the Jewish equivalent of putting up a Christmas tree.
My own contribution, “When Should The Christmas Lights Come Down?” was inspired by a friend’s decision to leave his holiday lights up all winter “to ward off winter gloom“ and the responses he got when he posted about his decision on Facebook, ranging from “Great idea!” to “Bah humbug.”
Several of the stories are about mixed marriages. Andrea Bates, married to a non-Jew, describes “raising our little Jewish southern girl” in a home in which her daughter places her Hanukah gifts beneath a Christmas tree -- which is crowned with a Star of David. Ferida Wolff, whose daughter married outside the faith, tells of crafting an impromptu Christmas tree for visiting grandchildren.
Lisa Pawlak, whose mom was Protestant and whose dad was a Jew, ended up marrying a Panamanian Catholic, resulting in a wealth of holiday traditions, including a menorah, dreidels, latkes, stockings, a tree, fireworks and arroz con pollo. “We embrace a spirit of adventure,” she writes,” along with the richness of our family’s cultural diversity and absolute certainty of our underlying love for each other.”
The one thing all these stories have in common is an enduring sense of Jewish identity. All of us have found that, even as we encounter and embrace a diversity of traditions, we remain Jews.
You can have a Christmas tree in your house, put on a Santa suit and distribute holiday gifts to the homeless, or delight in the gigantic illuminated rotating Frosty the Snowman on your neighbor’s roof and still be Jewish.
Why be a Jew in a Christmas book? When I reached out to ask my fellow contributors, I got a variety of responses:
“In the long tradition of Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond and Irving Berlin,” said Shari Forsythe “Jews like to sing, compose songs and write about Christmas - I guess I am no exception.”
“Culture and custom and celebration all blend at the holiday time, whether Christmas or Hanukkah,” observed Ferida Wolff. “And anything that brings people closer together is a joyous thing.”
“I expect that virtually all of the readers will be non-Jews,” Susan J. Gordon told me. “I hope that my story will encourage them to reflect on how the holiday world looks from a non-Christian perspective.”
Being a Jew at Christmas can be a challenge. As the airwaves fill with carols and the stores crowd with holiday shoppers, it can feel as if we’re being steamrolled by a gigantic Christmas Cheer machine, driven by Santa and spewing songs, gifts, tinsel and trees.
It’s enough to make a person feel invisible. And nobody likes that. Being a Jew in a Christmas collection is an opportunity to tell its largely Christian readership: We’re here! We’re Jewish! And here’s what “the most wonderful time of the year” means to us.
(Roz Warren is the author of OUR BODIES, OUR SHELVES: A COLLECTION OF LIBRARY HUMOR. http://ow.ly/LpFgE This piece first appeared on www.womensvoicesforchange.org.)
December 30, 2017
101 Joyous short holiday stories
December 20, 2022
Absolutely heartwarming! One of my favorite holiday reads are the Christmas for the Soul. A wide variety of stories from the magic of Christmas. Highly recommend!
January 12, 2025
Lots of personal stories of Hannukah and Christmas by regular people. Some funny, some about the realities of life. Each story short and different. A fair collection.
December 14, 2025
Good little short stories if you're wanting something light and to get you into the mood for the season
December 8, 2015
Humorous stories of Christmas intermingled with heart moving stories will keep anyone reading for more. I especially enjoyed the story of the Christmas tree and the squirrel who shared the den with the family dog and cat and "That Darn Cat" where Grandma learns that cats are sweet animals.
January 9, 2016
I loved this book. The different stories were fantastic. It is nice to see how different families celebrate Christmas and the Christmas Season and how love and togetherness is the theme throughout no matter what traditions are followed. I can't wait to read another.
January 18, 2016
Lots of different heart-warming Christmas stories. It's nice to read about the good in people, the traditions, the sharing, giving and celebrating with family.
Thanks to mom for the Christmas present, I loved it :-)
Thanks to mom for the Christmas present, I loved it :-)
January 12, 2017
This was a wonderful book to read at the Christmas season. Some stories actually made me cry and most were very touching and heart-felt. I would recommend this book as a light-hearted read-it was very uplifting.
January 19, 2016
Heartwarming collection of Christmas stories that allowed me to extend my holiday season a little more. As always with Chicken Soup, tissues need to be close at hand.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews