Introduction
Silent Night!
Holy Night!
All is calm;
All is bright . . . .
While we sing this carol often during the holiday season, Christmas is rarely silent, rarely calm. With parties and plays, shopping and baking, it is often difficult to find quiet time to remember the reason we celebrate.
We are providing this Christmas Sampler to help you find those moments of quiet reflection and joyful sharing. These stories and poems of Christmas will help you welcome the Christ Child and his message of peace and hope even today.
In the first story of this collection, Christmas in the Stable, we hear the story of the first Christmas from a child's perspective. Children and adults alike will enjoy listening to the story as if it were happening in the child's own stable.
In Christmas Day in the Morning, a man remembers a special gift he once gave his father. Young and old alike will be reminded that some meaningful gifts can't be wrapped neatly and placed under the tree.
Set in a small German town, The Little Clockmaker recounts a Christmas miracle. Through his acts of charity year-round, the little clockmaker teaches us that by giving to those in need we give to Jesus.
In The Christ Child Who Was Too Poor , we hear the story of Omar's Christmas as a child in Nicaragua. Omar reminds us that Christmas is more than material gifts -- "and no one is too poor to have it!"
Flower of the Nativity retells the legend of the poinsettia. In this Mexican folktale, we learn that with faith and perseverance miracles can happen.
As Mary, Joseph and Jesus travel to Egypt and then on to Nazareth in The Three Gifts, they find interesting ways to use the gold, frankincense and myrrh offered to them by the magi. Throughout the story we are reminded of the joy of welcoming strangers and giving to those in need.
In There's No Such Thing as a Poor Christmas a woman shares her mother's message of joyful celebration and gift-giving at a time when money was scarce. Her story helps us recognize that people, not things, are important.
There are also several poems and songs that help us see Christmas in a different light. We hope that you will set some time aside to share this sampling of stories and poems with family and friends.
NOTE: To provide inclusive language, we have made minor changes in some of the text. We have also condensed one story, The Three Gifts, by Jane T. Clement due to space limitations. For a complete copy of this story and fourteen other Christmas stories, order Behold That Star from Alternatives.
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