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Christmas Stories
Here is a wonderful selection to read and share. From Santa Claus and his helpers to a family putting up their tree, the characters in these stories embrace the Christmas spirit. There is mystery and magic, laughter and mischief, the joy of shared times and plenty of delicious food - many of the ingredients which have been delighting Enid Blyton's readers for more than seventy years.
352 pages, Paperback
Published September 4, 2014
66 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Enid Blyton
5,134 books6,314 followersSee also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
May 5, 2022
A delightful read that weaves a wonderful magical world of Christmas season. The book is at two levels- On one level it is all about how a closely knit family gets ready for the festive season and on the other level it talks about the origins of popular Christmas customs. As with her other books, this one also is also about the values of honesty, love and kindness. A must read for all who want to get lost in her magical world!
January 1, 2020
Fun stories about Christmas! 🎅🏻🎄
December 7, 2025
Está a chegar a época natalícia e, para afastar o Grinch que há em mim, o melhor é dedicar algumas páginas ao espírito de Natal.
Enid Blyton é a autora da minha infância. Li tudo o que havia publicado e é, talvez, a grande responsável por me ter tornado leitora desde muito cedo. Para resgatar esse espírito mais juvenil, esse gosto pelo Natal sem o achar demasiado comercial e consumista, li este Histórias de Natal, que mais não é do que uma novela, Um Natal em Família, dividida em onze partes e intercalada com contos.
Cada parte da novela apresenta a origem de uma tradição natalícia. Gostei particularmente da do visco e da do azevinho — não fazia ideia.
No entanto, ler estas histórias, em 2025, escritas entre 1933 e 1956, mostra-nos o quanto algumas tradições mudaram ou até deixaram de existir. Mas fica a nostalgia da época e relembra-me quando, cá em casa, a miudagem ficava maluca a olhar pela janela, a imaginar ver o trenó com as renas e os seus guizos a tilintar, e quando o Pai Natal, de repente, entrava pela porta da frente para fazer as delícias dos meus sobrinhos.
Enid Blyton é a autora da minha infância. Li tudo o que havia publicado e é, talvez, a grande responsável por me ter tornado leitora desde muito cedo. Para resgatar esse espírito mais juvenil, esse gosto pelo Natal sem o achar demasiado comercial e consumista, li este Histórias de Natal, que mais não é do que uma novela, Um Natal em Família, dividida em onze partes e intercalada com contos.
Cada parte da novela apresenta a origem de uma tradição natalícia. Gostei particularmente da do visco e da do azevinho — não fazia ideia.
No entanto, ler estas histórias, em 2025, escritas entre 1933 e 1956, mostra-nos o quanto algumas tradições mudaram ou até deixaram de existir. Mas fica a nostalgia da época e relembra-me quando, cá em casa, a miudagem ficava maluca a olhar pela janela, a imaginar ver o trenó com as renas e os seus guizos a tilintar, e quando o Pai Natal, de repente, entrava pela porta da frente para fazer as delícias dos meus sobrinhos.
December 21, 2017
Like most short story collections, the quality of the stories collected here varies a bit, but I was genuinely surprised by how good the book was as a whole.
Blyton spends a lot of time explaining (by means of her framing sequences) how so many of the traditions we associate with Christmas actually predate Christianity by quite some time and explores their origins. As such, this book manages to be entertaining and educational.
A pretty good Christmas read if you can cope with a large dose of saccharine twee.
Blyton spends a lot of time explaining (by means of her framing sequences) how so many of the traditions we associate with Christmas actually predate Christianity by quite some time and explores their origins. As such, this book manages to be entertaining and educational.
A pretty good Christmas read if you can cope with a large dose of saccharine twee.
December 17, 2023
I have often read English and Irish people referring to reading Enid Blyton as children. I now understand the appeal. These stories featured kind and compassionate children. Even the few children who acted up, mended their ways. This collection features a father telling his children stories that explain various aspects of Christmas traditions in England.
November 10, 2016
3 stars for the very young or the very nostalgic.
Some stories are more entertaining than others. And interspersed throughout, there is an ongoing story of a family celebrating Christmas and working out how all the old Christmas traditions came about.
In typical Enid Blyton style, the good children get rewarded, the bad get their comeuppance and are redeemed. She definitely believed in karma!
Some stories are more entertaining than others. And interspersed throughout, there is an ongoing story of a family celebrating Christmas and working out how all the old Christmas traditions came about.
In typical Enid Blyton style, the good children get rewarded, the bad get their comeuppance and are redeemed. She definitely believed in karma!
December 25, 2025
Foi O livro deste Natal. Lemos durante semanas (o Goodreads diz que começámos a ler no dia 14 de Novembro), todos os serões, chegando ao ponto de gravar vídeos do Matias a ler quando o Pedro estava num congresso e enviar-lhe. Rimos que nos fartámos, ganhámos um monte de piadas familiares novas ('é magnífico!') e enriqueceu ainda mais o nosso espírito natalício. Algumas das histórias serão meio tontinhas ou não envelheceram particularmente bem, e a parte do (a Gabi agora faz aspas) "Pai Natal" é um bocado ridícula, mas não quero saber: gostei muito na mesma.
Estrelas finais:
Eu: 4
Pedro: 2
Matias: 3
Gabriela: 5
Estrelas finais:
Eu: 4
Pedro: 2
Matias: 3
Gabriela: 5
December 25, 2021
Listened to in audio format
What a delightful set of christmas stories. This book comprises of 25 short stories. 11 chapters are entitled A family christmas this a long story about 4 children Ann, Peter, Susan and Benny who learn about christmas traditions. In between are short snappy stories with a moral theme, Children who are thoughtful and helpful are always rewarded. For the adults there is an unintentional joke in the story A hole in Santa's sack, or maybe I have a dirty mind.
Overall a nice christmas story for kids.
What a delightful set of christmas stories. This book comprises of 25 short stories. 11 chapters are entitled A family christmas this a long story about 4 children Ann, Peter, Susan and Benny who learn about christmas traditions. In between are short snappy stories with a moral theme, Children who are thoughtful and helpful are always rewarded. For the adults there is an unintentional joke in the story A hole in Santa's sack, or maybe I have a dirty mind.
Overall a nice christmas story for kids.
December 27, 2021
Enid Blyton is one of those authors who guided me through my childhood. I got all my mother's old copies and I devoured them. She has this lovely way of telling stories about naughty kids fixing their own problems in the end when they see the light. She always comes up with amazing character arcs and some impressive emotional development, especially if you realize that her books were children's books, aimed at younger readers.
The tales in this story are clearly tales of their time. A lot of customs and traditions are now outdated and no longer done. And also the moral lessons this book contains are now considered overdone. Also, we all know that honest and kind people don't always get what they deserve and the other way round, although it's quite nice to believe the world works like that if you're trying to be a decent, nice and kind human being.
However, these stories do capture the Christmas magic, the Christmas traditions and that warm and happy Christmas feeling. There is a very big role for Santa Claus in this book, but at the centre is a family with very curious kids wanting to know everything about their traditions. I quite liked how honest the parents were in answering their questions and telling the original tales. I was even more surprised when the link between Sinterklaas and Santa Claus, one even the Dutchies like to forget about, was mentioned.
I think this story collection is old fashioned, maybe, but still great to get into the right mood for this time of the year.
The tales in this story are clearly tales of their time. A lot of customs and traditions are now outdated and no longer done. And also the moral lessons this book contains are now considered overdone. Also, we all know that honest and kind people don't always get what they deserve and the other way round, although it's quite nice to believe the world works like that if you're trying to be a decent, nice and kind human being.
However, these stories do capture the Christmas magic, the Christmas traditions and that warm and happy Christmas feeling. There is a very big role for Santa Claus in this book, but at the centre is a family with very curious kids wanting to know everything about their traditions. I quite liked how honest the parents were in answering their questions and telling the original tales. I was even more surprised when the link between Sinterklaas and Santa Claus, one even the Dutchies like to forget about, was mentioned.
I think this story collection is old fashioned, maybe, but still great to get into the right mood for this time of the year.
December 12, 2022
Uma colectânea de pequenos contos para as crianças que acreditam no Pai Natal. São contos muito inocentes, simples, que idolatram as famílias convencionais, na época natalícia.
Foram escritos desde 1933 até aos anos cinquenta, logo, também datados.
No entanto são contos deliciosos, pela sua candura e pela parte educativa, pois revelam a origem de muitas das tradições natalícias inglesas e mundiais.
Não há Natais perfeitos e estes também não o serão no mundo real, mas constituíram uma agradável e calorosa leitura.
Foram escritos desde 1933 até aos anos cinquenta, logo, também datados.
No entanto são contos deliciosos, pela sua candura e pela parte educativa, pois revelam a origem de muitas das tradições natalícias inglesas e mundiais.
Não há Natais perfeitos e estes também não o serão no mundo real, mas constituíram uma agradável e calorosa leitura.
January 4, 2024
Utterly charming! I loved every bit of this book, from the overarching family story, to the short tales in between. A relatively quick read and very much worth the effort. The perfect way to get into the holiday spirit!
December 24, 2022
3.5 A cute collection of Christmas stories for the little ones!
December 10, 2020
My plan for this book was a small countdown until Christmas, but I wanted to finish it sooner because it had some very beautiful stories and I didn't feel like letting it go. 🎁
Each Christmas story in the book is very beautiful and some even refer to Christmas traditions and customs, for example: mistletoe. 🍃
The stories have characters with perhaps unrealistic qualities, we are talking about extremely good children, children who admit their mistakes.I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it's hard to believe because we each do something stupid somewhere in the year until "Santa Claus" comes. 🎅🏽
My favorite story was the longest in the book, "A week before christmas", which is about a poor family who has almost no money for the holidays, and an inattention of their mother brings them even less money, seemed the most realistic and I liked it. 📝
I loved the book and I recommend it to all readers with a Christmas craving!🎄🤗
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Each Christmas story in the book is very beautiful and some even refer to Christmas traditions and customs, for example: mistletoe. 🍃
The stories have characters with perhaps unrealistic qualities, we are talking about extremely good children, children who admit their mistakes.I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it's hard to believe because we each do something stupid somewhere in the year until "Santa Claus" comes. 🎅🏽
My favorite story was the longest in the book, "A week before christmas", which is about a poor family who has almost no money for the holidays, and an inattention of their mother brings them even less money, seemed the most realistic and I liked it. 📝
I loved the book and I recommend it to all readers with a Christmas craving!🎄🤗
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 9, 2022
Um livro muito fofinho que explica todas as nossas histórias de Natal (como o nome indica).
Por exemplo, o porquê de se pendurar azevinho.
Porque se trocam prendas no dia 25 de Dezembro?
Porque se decoram árvores para serem as árvores de Natal?
Um livro precioso que vou reler nos próximos natais.
Por exemplo, o porquê de se pendurar azevinho.
Porque se trocam prendas no dia 25 de Dezembro?
Porque se decoram árvores para serem as árvores de Natal?
Um livro precioso que vou reler nos próximos natais.
November 29, 2022
A delightful book about Christmas and the most typical traditions. Short stories about Children and their Families and the Christmases that can be prepared with Love and Tenderness!
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 31 December 2017.
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 31 December 2017.
December 27, 2023
Enida Blaitone ir mana mīļākā bērnu rakstniece. Cik grāmatu gan nav izlasīts mazai esot! Šajā grāmatā sarindojušies skaisti Ziemassvētku stāsti! Katrā gada obligātais pienākums - caur šiem stāstiem sagaidīt svētku sajūtu.
January 25, 2016
Good stories! I like the alternating between chapters of the main story interspersed with other short stories. Quite enjoyed the grown up voices but no so much the children's :-/
December 20, 2018
Very cute and magical. Got all the Christmas feels
December 15, 2020
So cuteeeeee!
May 25, 2022
Enid Blyton books were such a huge part of my childhood so this was super nostalgic to listen too!!
December 23, 2021
Absolutely adorable book. The Audible narration is fantastic.
December 17, 2023
What a fantastic find! Definitely one I'll return to often. The audio version was a treat, too!
December 27, 2023
This book was a delightful Christmas book to listen to as a family. 10 stars.
December 28, 2023
I was very disappointed when in the first story the tool robber was human being and not a magical snowman or smth
December 31, 2025
Хареса ми, че някои истории разказваха за произхода на различни коледни традиции.
December 27, 2025
quando tinha 6 os meus pais leram-me e eles só dizem magnífico
September 20, 2019
I grew up reading Enid Blyton, and I hope my future children do as well. I have kept all of my copies of Malory Towers, Famous Five and Secret Seven, and I'm sure I still have some others as well. I think there's a certain something about Enid Blyton that needs to be in a child's life, that no other children's author has managed to replicate.
I enjoyed this tittle collection of short stories, and there are 26 of them, so it's perfect for reading one a day on the run up to Christmas to your children, and building up their excitement. There's also a continuing story told in alternate chapters scattered throughout.
If you've read Enid Blyton before, you'll know how happy and warm reading these will make you feel inside. Some of them are a little repetitive, particularly if you read them all in a day, like I did. (Tried to keep it covered up what I was reading at work, because it's Enid Blyton, plus, it's only September.)
I am also not loving the recent releases of Enid Blyton books with horrid covers. This one has the cover illustrated either by Quentin Blake or in a Quentin Blake-esque style. I wish they'd stick to the style of when I was young, as the cover of this loses major stars for me. However, this is just due to personal preference. (I was never a fan of the Roald Dahl illustrations either, because of this. And don't get me started on the new Malory Towers books.)
Overall, an excellent book to read to your child, or to get them to read, as they grow older.
I enjoyed this tittle collection of short stories, and there are 26 of them, so it's perfect for reading one a day on the run up to Christmas to your children, and building up their excitement. There's also a continuing story told in alternate chapters scattered throughout.
If you've read Enid Blyton before, you'll know how happy and warm reading these will make you feel inside. Some of them are a little repetitive, particularly if you read them all in a day, like I did. (Tried to keep it covered up what I was reading at work, because it's Enid Blyton, plus, it's only September.)
I am also not loving the recent releases of Enid Blyton books with horrid covers. This one has the cover illustrated either by Quentin Blake or in a Quentin Blake-esque style. I wish they'd stick to the style of when I was young, as the cover of this loses major stars for me. However, this is just due to personal preference. (I was never a fan of the Roald Dahl illustrations either, because of this. And don't get me started on the new Malory Towers books.)
Overall, an excellent book to read to your child, or to get them to read, as they grow older.
March 4, 2021
This was the first Enid Blyton book I've ever read and one of the first read aloud books to my 6yo. With such an impressive repertoire of books behind her, I had high hopes for this collection of Christmas-themed short stories. Twenty-five to be precise, so that you can read one per day, from the 1st of December to the 25th. This premise is excellent, and I wished we'd been diligent enough to actually do it.
Unfortunately, the near century-old writing style didn't click with us. The depictions of families and children feel like a Norman Rockwell painting! Too "perfect," with moral too fleshed out to the point of dialogues not sounding credible. I mean, who talks like that? Did people actually spoke like a 40's commercial back in those days?
The charm of the first stories quickly wore off and impacted negativity in our motivation to keep reading. The true winners were the stories centered not around families but those with a more fantasy-like setting. Santa in his castle... Fir tree talking and thinking... A rat, outwitting a cat to avoid being eaten!
I'm not sure we'll try another Enid Blyton short story collection anytime soon.
Unfortunately, the near century-old writing style didn't click with us. The depictions of families and children feel like a Norman Rockwell painting! Too "perfect," with moral too fleshed out to the point of dialogues not sounding credible. I mean, who talks like that? Did people actually spoke like a 40's commercial back in those days?
The charm of the first stories quickly wore off and impacted negativity in our motivation to keep reading. The true winners were the stories centered not around families but those with a more fantasy-like setting. Santa in his castle... Fir tree talking and thinking... A rat, outwitting a cat to avoid being eaten!
I'm not sure we'll try another Enid Blyton short story collection anytime soon.
January 18, 2022
I read this one with my 9yo over Christmas and into January, after finding it in a charity shop - you can't beat a bit of Enid Blyton!
Obviously Enid's books are fairly old in character but it all adds to the charm of Christmas experienced before I was born. I did like the way it was one story in chapters of sort ("A Family Christmas") interspersed with other short stories from magazines and anthologies.
The main concept of it was stories of how various Christmas traditions began and even I discovered some things I didn't know!
This is probably one we will come back to year after year, a wonderful book.
Obviously Enid's books are fairly old in character but it all adds to the charm of Christmas experienced before I was born. I did like the way it was one story in chapters of sort ("A Family Christmas") interspersed with other short stories from magazines and anthologies.
The main concept of it was stories of how various Christmas traditions began and even I discovered some things I didn't know!
This is probably one we will come back to year after year, a wonderful book.
November 18, 2023
Enid Blyton (2015) ENID BLYTON'S CHRISTMAS STORIES (AUDIOBOOK)
BorrowBox - ABC Audio
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 out of 5 stars
BorrowBox writes, "In this collection there is mystery and magic, laughter and mischief, the joy of shared times and plenty of delicious food - many of the ingredients that have been delighting Enid Blyton's fans for more than 70 years."
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Christmassy, very. Nostalgic, very.
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#EnidBlyton #EnidBlytonsChristmasStories #Book #Books #Read #Reads #Reading #Review #Reviews #BookReview #BookReviews #GoodReads #Christmas #Xmas #MerryChristmas #HappyChristmas #MerryXmas #HappyXmas #HappyHolidays #CrimboReads #Audiobook #Audiobooks #BorrowBox
BorrowBox - ABC Audio
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 out of 5 stars
BorrowBox writes, "In this collection there is mystery and magic, laughter and mischief, the joy of shared times and plenty of delicious food - many of the ingredients that have been delighting Enid Blyton's fans for more than 70 years."
=====
Christmassy, very. Nostalgic, very.
=====
#EnidBlyton #EnidBlytonsChristmasStories #Book #Books #Read #Reads #Reading #Review #Reviews #BookReview #BookReviews #GoodReads #Christmas #Xmas #MerryChristmas #HappyChristmas #MerryXmas #HappyXmas #HappyHolidays #CrimboReads #Audiobook #Audiobooks #BorrowBox
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews