In a cartoon by Liza Donnelly that was published in this magazine in 2012, a little boy stands in his living room surrounded by opened Christmas gifts and cheerfully asks his parents, “When is it time to want more?” It’s a familiar question for many of us during this season—especially for those with small children. As families come together to exchange gifts, the holidays are also a perfect time to celebrate good tidings and the many blessings of the past year. Today, as a thank-you to our readers, we’re bringing you a selection of some of our favorite holiday stories, newly available for easy online reading and sharing. In “Christmas,” a short story from 1975, Vladimir Nabokov writes about a father’s grief over his son’s death and a discovery he makes while packing up his belongings. In Alice Munro’s “The Turkey Season,” an older woman looks back on the holiday she spent as a turkey gutter. In “Christmas Cards,” John Updike recalls the holiday seasons of his youth and the significance of the presents that his family exchanged. Ken Kesey writes about donating money to a man who was down on his luck during the holidays and having a surprising reunion with him a year later. In “Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor,” a short story published in 1949, John Cheever offers a moving tale about generosity, poverty, and unforeseen outcomes. The humorist David Sipress reflects on his childhood in New York, where he grew up celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas. Joan Acocella recounts her ex-husband’s attempts to Italianize their Christmas. Finally, James Thurber retells “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” with inspiration from Ernest Hemingway. After opening all of your presents, we hope that you’ll take a moment to enjoy some of these classic pieces from our archive. Consider them our gift to you. Happy holidays.
“Christmas,” by Vladimir Nabokov and Dmitri Nabokov (trans.)
“Somewhere far away, peasants were chopping wood—every blow bounced resonantly skyward—and beyond the light silver mist of trees, high above the squat log huts, the sun caught the equanimous radiance of the cross on the church.”
“The Turkey Season,” by Alice Munro
“All I could see when I closed my eyes, the first few nights after working there, was turkeys.”
“Christmas Cards,” by John Updike
The taste of Christmas in the little Pennsylvania town of Shillington was compounded of chocolate-flavored piety and a tart awareness of where one stood on the socioeconomic scale.
“Skid-Row Santa,” by Ken Kesey
At the finale of the Christmas show last year, I came out as a skid-row Santa, complete with rubber nose, plastic sack full of beer cans, and a pint of peppermint schnapps to fortify the holiday spirit.
“Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor,” by John Cheever
“His face was blazing. He loved the world, and the world loved him.”
“A Nineteen-Fifties Jewish-American Christmas Story,” by David Sipress
My family, like many Upper West Side Reform Jewish families in the nineteen-fifties, celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas.
“My Ex-Husband and the Fish Dinner,” by Joan Acocella
The menu of his Christmas Eve feast changed from year to year, but certain items remained constant.
“A Visit from Saint Nicholas,” by James Thurber
“The sleigh was full of toys. ‘Who is it?’ mamma asked. ‘Some guy,’ I said. ‘A little guy.’ ”
