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Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket
In Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket, Lucy Rose tries to talk her folksy Aunt Cyrilla out of bringing her big, bulgy, funny-looking basket to the city to deliver Christmas goodies to their relatives in the city. When their train is stranded during a snow storm, Aunt Cyrilla and her fellow passengers team up to provide a proper Christmas morning for the little ones in their care.
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Published January 1, 2018
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About the author
L.M. Montgomery
1,862 books13.3k followersLucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 15, 2024
So yes indeed, and like with the majority of L.M. Montgomery’s Christmas themed short stories, I also first encountered her 1903 short story Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket in the edited by the late Rea Wilmshurst anthology Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories (and have probably reread Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket at least twenty times since then, both during every Christmas season and equally beyond that, with each of my rereads being magical and with every rereading experience showing me something novel with regard to Lucy Maud Montgomery’s presented narrative, such as for example this time around, I have noticed that aside from Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket being obviously and naturally in many ways sweetness personified, there is also quite a bit of gentle and engagingly fun humour present in Montgomery’s printed words).
But albeit that my critical reading self does of course very much realise and absolutely acknowledge that L.M. Montgomery text for Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket is both majorly predictable and with exaggerated saccharine emotionality, well, my heart always expands with reading joy at Montgomery’s printed words, I am always left smiling at how Aunt Cyrilla and the rest of the stranded train passengers manage to make the best of being stuck in the middle of nowhere due to a raging snowstorm, and yes indeed, how Aunt Cyrrilla’ large and filled to the absolute brim with delicious food and Christmas presents baskets almost is in Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket an actual character in and of itself, a delightful entity full of everything bright and beautiful, full of body and soul sustaining nourishment and happiness (both in the present tense and in my opinion also in the foreseeable future, since when the train is finally on the move again, not only Aunt Cyrilla but also her wonderful Christmas basket have spread lasting and retainable holiday pleasure to everyone, and indeed, also to those individuals who at the beginning of Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket were upset, unresponsive, grouchy and depressed).
And thus, while Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket is certainly not anything in-depth and heavy-duty, as a short and tenderly sweet Christmas season reading treat it is (and always has been since my first delighted perusal) a totally and absolutely enjoyable gemstone of tender wonder and delight, with enchanting messages of Christmas hope and cheer, and yes indeed, highly and warmly recommended.
But albeit that my critical reading self does of course very much realise and absolutely acknowledge that L.M. Montgomery text for Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket is both majorly predictable and with exaggerated saccharine emotionality, well, my heart always expands with reading joy at Montgomery’s printed words, I am always left smiling at how Aunt Cyrilla and the rest of the stranded train passengers manage to make the best of being stuck in the middle of nowhere due to a raging snowstorm, and yes indeed, how Aunt Cyrrilla’ large and filled to the absolute brim with delicious food and Christmas presents baskets almost is in Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket an actual character in and of itself, a delightful entity full of everything bright and beautiful, full of body and soul sustaining nourishment and happiness (both in the present tense and in my opinion also in the foreseeable future, since when the train is finally on the move again, not only Aunt Cyrilla but also her wonderful Christmas basket have spread lasting and retainable holiday pleasure to everyone, and indeed, also to those individuals who at the beginning of Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket were upset, unresponsive, grouchy and depressed).
And thus, while Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket is certainly not anything in-depth and heavy-duty, as a short and tenderly sweet Christmas season reading treat it is (and always has been since my first delighted perusal) a totally and absolutely enjoyable gemstone of tender wonder and delight, with enchanting messages of Christmas hope and cheer, and yes indeed, highly and warmly recommended.
June 11, 2024
5 stars. This is absolutely going to the top of the list as one of my favourite Christmas stories EVER.
Good setting? Check! Who doesn’t love the good old-fashioned country setting?
Plot? Check! With all the excitement of being trapped in a train during a blizzard, but complete comfort and happiness instead of anxiety.
Engaging characters? Check! I want to be an Aunt Cyrilla when I grow up—practical, comforting, wise, and totally unworried by what people think of her. Lucy Rose is sweet, and I like her arc. As for the passengers—they’re barely detailed, and yet they’re so vibrant! The hurting old rich lady, the sweet lonely shop girl, the poor helpless mother, the hearty innocent kids, the noble boyish soldier, and the forgotten warmhearted minister… they’re such a lovely cast and I almost wish I could read more of them.
The humour is Montgomery’s own, and the sweet message just fills you up with Christmas Spirit—but is also good for every day of the year.
A Favourite Quote: Geraldine was so stylish, and might think it queer; and then Aunt Cyrilla always would carry it on her arm and give cookies and apples and molasses taffy out of it to every child she encountered and, just as often as not, to older folks too. Lucy Rose, when she went to town with Aunt Cyrilla, felt chagrined over this—all of which goes to prove that Lucy was as yet very young and had a great deal to learn in this world.
Good setting? Check! Who doesn’t love the good old-fashioned country setting?
Plot? Check! With all the excitement of being trapped in a train during a blizzard, but complete comfort and happiness instead of anxiety.
Engaging characters? Check! I want to be an Aunt Cyrilla when I grow up—practical, comforting, wise, and totally unworried by what people think of her. Lucy Rose is sweet, and I like her arc. As for the passengers—they’re barely detailed, and yet they’re so vibrant! The hurting old rich lady, the sweet lonely shop girl, the poor helpless mother, the hearty innocent kids, the noble boyish soldier, and the forgotten warmhearted minister… they’re such a lovely cast and I almost wish I could read more of them.
The humour is Montgomery’s own, and the sweet message just fills you up with Christmas Spirit—but is also good for every day of the year.
A Favourite Quote: Geraldine was so stylish, and might think it queer; and then Aunt Cyrilla always would carry it on her arm and give cookies and apples and molasses taffy out of it to every child she encountered and, just as often as not, to older folks too. Lucy Rose, when she went to town with Aunt Cyrilla, felt chagrined over this—all of which goes to prove that Lucy was as yet very young and had a great deal to learn in this world.
July 1, 2024
This was a sweet short story, and I loved Aunt Cyrilla with her overstuffed basket that ended up being more useful than she ever dreamed. (Although, I have to admit, I cannot picture what kind of basket she was carrying that could hold all of that--I really need a picture here!) XD I loved the way the group of strangers came together to take care of each other, and Lucy Rose's new appreciation for her aunt's unconventional ways. <3
December 15, 2018
Short and sweet. I would expect no less than sweet from LM Montgomery.
January 2, 2021
Short heartwarming read from a favorite author
December 6, 2018
L. M. Montgomery is one of my favorite author. Her Christmas stories are so heartwarming and positive.
October 30, 2019
A wonderful, short Christmas story.
December 1, 2019
A lovely Christmas tale.
November 25, 2020
A happy, little Christmas story.
December 6, 2024
Aunt Cyrilla carries a huge basket around, full of food and goodies. She gives things out to neighbors and friends. And Lucy Rose hate the basket. She thinks it’s tacky and cumbersome. However, one Christmas Eve, Lucy Rose learns the value of giving and learns to cherish her aunt’s basket. This is a very sweet, heartwarming story.
December 11, 2021
A sweet and classic short story. I have only ever seen movies of Anne of Green Gables but the same vibes came through from those to this short story. I like a vintage holiday story and this was a nice 5 minute read.
September 22, 2022
Audio book. Short, sweet story at Christmas time.
May 7, 2023
In true Maud fashion, I left this read wanting to expand my horizons in the area of character and fortitude. My only sadness is that it ended much too quickly as short stories do.
June 19, 2025
A lovely story about sharing the true spirit of Christmas.
December 22, 2025
Today I read 3 Christmas stories by Montgomery and liked them so much. Maybe I can find a Christmas collection of all those stories.
March 21, 2024
Um conto natalino simples, fofo e encantador. Uma ótima pedida para aqueles dias que só queremos quentinho no coração.
A simple, cute and charming Christmas tale. A great choice for those days when we just want something warm in our hearts.
A simple, cute and charming Christmas tale. A great choice for those days when we just want something warm in our hearts.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews