Christmas Read Alouds – Bringing you all the magic of Christmas, and more…

Did you get excited about Christmas when you were little? Do you remember what made the holiday season magical? For many of us, the word Christmas reminds us of the smell of oranges and spices, twinkling colourful lights, walks in the crisp, frosty air, carol singing… and that warm feeling that spread through us as we read Christmas stories with our parents.

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What is it about those stories that makes us feel so good? What are the magic ingredients that turn a story into a favourite family Christmas read-aloud? 

One thing that makes Christmas so magical is its association with long-lasting family and cultural traditions. Decorating the tree is an important tradition in most households, often the one that marks the very start of the Christmas season at home. Our Christmas read-aloud story The Christmas Delight reminds us that old things and traditions often mean much more to us than piles of shiny new decorations. Speaking of traditions, Christmas is present in plenty of traditional stories, in which the mystery of the myths and legends passed down for centuries add to that feeling that something a bit magical is happening. Do you know the tale of Old Father Frost?

Christmas Delight

Tereza Sebesta • 7 min • 5+ year old

Old Father Frost

Russian tale • 11 min • 3+ year old

Often, things that feel magical come as rather a surprise. The best surprise for many children at Christmas is finding out what’s inside their stocking or under the Christmas tree. In Uncle Aladar and the Perfect Christmas what seems like a nasty surprise turns into a cosy family celebration. There’s a very soft and cuddly surprise for the children in The Christmas Puppy (can you guess what it is?). Perhaps you’d prefer a less conventional surprise? Then why not try our exciting Christmas story about The Christmas Mermaid.

The Christmas Puppy

Marian Dyno Buric • 13 min • 5+ year old

The Christmas Mermaid

Katarina Gondova • 8 min • 3+ year old

Of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a good laugh! And at Christmas we love making light of all the things that go wrong when we try to do things we haven’t done for at least a year… Burnt Gingerbread Biscuits is a bedtime story full of camaraderie, shared moments, and that all-important humour, as the Christmas gingerbread biscuits set out on an unexpected journey…and in The Cloud No-One Liked it’s a bit of fun and laughter that ends up putting Christmas back to rights. The Conceited Christmas Tree is a humorous Christmas story with a serious message about the importance of being kind at Christmas. 

Burnt Gingerbread Biscuits

Katarina Gondova • 11 min • 5+ year old

The Cloud No-one Liked

Hana Do • 7 min • 5+ year old

The Conceited Christmas Tree

Lenka Kulichova • 11 min • 3+ year old

Indeed, the more we think about – and read about – Christmas and its magic, the clearer it becomes that the real magic of Christmas is that it is a celebration of kindness and love for everyone, no matter who they are or what their situation is. Christmas kindness comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and it doesn’t matter how small it is. In Frost, it’s the kindness of the weather outside that helps Jake when he’s feeling sad and lonely. In Christmas for Everyone we meet little Carl, who decides to bake cookies for a lonely neighbour to make her holiday more cheerful. Meanwhile, a good-natured dog shows his little cat friend what kindness is in the Christmas read-aloud Roamer’s First Christmas.

Frost

Tereza Sebesta • 5 min • 3+ year old

Christmas For Everyone

Dominika Sakmarova • 5 min • 5+ year old

Roamer’s First Christmas

Tereza Sebesta • 10 min • 3+ year old

It dances, it sparkles, it appears silently when you’re not looking…No, not Rudolph, the snow! Isn’t it wonderfully magical? Even though white Christmasses aren’t as common as they once were, here in Europe, we can still let our imaginations run wild with them in our Christmas stories. There’s something that just doesn’t feel quite right about a Christmas with no snowmen! You’ll find plenty of snowy stories at Readmio, from Snowflakes and The Snowman to The Stray Reindeer, The Little Star and Reggie’s Snowy Way to School.

Snowflakes

Marian Dyno Buric • 9 min • 3+ year old

The Snowman

Marian Dyno Buric • 7 min • 3+ year old

The Stray Reindeer

Marian Dyno Buric • 11 min • 3+ year old

The Little Star

Marian Dyno Buric • 10 min • 5+ year old

Reggie’s Snowy Way to School

Lenka Kulichova • 7 min • 3+ year old

And of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without the distant tinkle of sleigh bells…or would it? Check out our Christmas bedtime story special, The Christmas Bell. 

The Christmas Bell

Marian Dyno Buric • 13 min • 5+ year old

In most parts of the world nowadays, Christmas is wrapped up in a thick layer of advertising and consumerism. At the heart of it all, though, it remains a beautiful holiday that children cherish and whose magical atmosphere families strive to preserve.

And Readmio is here to help you with that! Get into the Christmas spirit, make yourselves a lovely warm drink, turn on the fairy lights, snuggle up under a blanket with your children, perhaps in front of a roaring fire, and enjoy the magic of time spent celebrating together—with one of our Christmas stories. ‍

We wish you all a joyful and merry holiday season!