Life
I can quote Home Alone from start-to-finish. One of my favorite books of all time is A Christmas Carol, so much so that it was a huge part of my honors thesis in college. I live for Handel's Messiah, and every year, I declare that Christmas metal should be added to the periodic table thanks to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. So far, the International Society of Chemicals has disagreed, but I will not be deterred. Nor will I be deterred from spreading Christmas cheer by singing these Christmas quotes loudly for all to hear.
The boss thing about Christmas quotes is that they're literally everywhere. Songs, movies, books, and of course, the bible. Can't overlook the original, can we? But also, they're the funny things your uncle says at the dinner table, or the prayer your Nan gives before each Christmas Eve feast. There's so much out there from which to draw inspiration that the task becomes finding the best, most evergreen quotes to highlight. Christmas may only come but once per year, but those memories are what remain, keeping the spirit of the season alive in your heart all through the many months after the joyous season has gone away. Even on days when you're feeling less than joyful, these quotes will bring you right back to that festive state of mind in no time.
1
“One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.” ― J.K. Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
Having been such a huge fan of the series since its inception, I feel as though I spent my seven years at Hogwarts, celebrating with Luna and Harry and Hermione, and even Ron. Being a Ravenclaw myself, Cho and I would of course have been besties.
Because like Harry, I am an old millennial.
2
“He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. Maybe Christmas, he thought… doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps… means a little bit more!” ― "How The Grinch Stole Christmas"
I love the Grinch, and the 1966 version is the version that played in my house as a child. I have such fond memories watching it at Christmas.
3
"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus."
From the famous letter to Virginia, dated September 1897, written by former civil war correspondent and editor of the New York Sun, Francis Pharcellus Church.
4
"And that’s really what Christmas is all about. Each of us is incredibly blessed in so many ways. But those blessings aren’t just meant to be enjoyed ― they’re meant to be used and shared with those who have less. The Christian faith teaches us that on this day a child was born so that we might have eternal life. And at the heart of many of the world’s great religions is the idea that we’re all better off when we treat our brothers and sisters with the same love and compassion that we want for ourselves."
Unforgettable words from former President Barack Obama's remarks at a speech in 2012, per the White House archives.
5
''Oh, Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here, maybe I can do something about it." — "Miracle on 34th Street"
Said by Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle in the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street.
6
“Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.” ― Bess Streeter Aldrich, "Song of Years"
Song of Years was a wildly popular book about Western Expansion, published in the late 1930s.
7
“It’s Christmas Eve. It’s-it’s the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we-we-we smile a little easier, we-w-w-we-we-we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year we are the people that we always hoped we would be.” ― "Scrooged"
Scrooged, the 1988 version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, is vastly under-appreciated in my opinion. This quote is one of many that prove it.
8
"The holiday season reminds us that the values we share far outweigh whatever differences there are between us. The twinkle of a child's eye, the joy of a grandmother's laughter, the love in the hearts of mothers and fathers for their children, all these blessings are unwrapped on Christmas morning." ― Hillary Clinton
9
“'And how did little Tim behave?' asked Mrs Cratchit, when she had rallied Bob on his credulity and Bob had hugged his daughter to his heart’s content. 'As good as gold,' said Bob, 'and better. Somehow he gets thoughtful, sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard. He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see.” ― Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol"
This line guts me every time I read it. I'm actually listening to the audiobook of it this year, and I was completely gutted.
10
"This is extremely important. Will you please tell Santa that instead of presents this year, I just want my family back. No toys. Nothing but Peter, Kate, Buzz, Megan, Linnie, and Jeff. And my aunt and my cousins. And if he has time, my Uncle Frank. Okay?" ― "Home Alone"
If you don't love this movie, are you even a millennial?
11
"Ever wonder what people got Jesus for Christmas? It's like, "Oh great, socks. You know I'm dying for your sins right? Yeah, but thanks for the socks! They'll go great with my sandals. What am I, German?" ― Jim Gaffigan
From one of the devout Catholic's classic stand-up routines.
12
"The sign of Christmas has also been revealed to us: 'a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes' (Lk 2:12). Like the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, may we welcome in the Baby Jesus the love of God made man for us. And may we commit ourselves, with the help of his grace, to making our world more human and more worthy for the children of today and of the future." ― Pope Francis
Often called "The People's Pope," this is from his Christmas message last year, as reported by Catholic.org.
13
"Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters, Streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope and singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air. The world is encouraged to come away from rancor, come the way of friendship. It is the Glad Season. Thunder ebbs to silence and lightning sleeps quietly in the corner. Flood waters recede into memory. Snow becomes a yielding cushion to aid us as we make our way to higher ground. Hope is born again in the faces of children It rides on the shoulders of our aged as they walk into their sunsets. Hope spreads around the earth. Brightening all things, even hate which crouches breeding in dark corridors." ― "Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem" by Maya Angelou
A true force for good and for change and rightness, Maya Angelou's poem for Christmas is as stunning a work as ever from the prolific poet.
14
“If your Birthday is on Christmas day and you're not Jesus, you should start telling people your birthday is on June 9 or something. Just read up on the traits of a Gemini. Suddenly you're a multitasker who loves the color yellow. Because not only do you get stuck with the combo gift, you get the combo song. "We wish you a merry Christmas ― and happy birthday, Terry ― we wish you a merry Christmas ― happy birthday, Terry ― we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Ye ― Birthday, Terry!” ― Ellen DeGeneres, "Seriously... I'm Kidding"
From her book, Seriously...I'm Kidding.
15
“To the American People: Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.” ― Calvin Coolidge
From his Christmas address in 1927, according to the website Human Events.
After experiencing a traumatic c-section, this mother sought out a doula to support her through her second child’s delivery. Watch as that doula helps this mom reclaim the birth she felt robbed of with her first child, in Episode Three of Romper's Doula Diaries, Season Two, below. Visit Bustle Digital Group's YouTube page for more episodes, launching Mondays in December.
