What IS a Christmas Story?

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Yay! It really is my favorite holiday. It’s all about gratitude, family, friends, food and for some people, football.

Some 20 years ago it meant that Christmas was lurking in the shadows ready to pounce on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

But that trend long ago melted away to Christmas making itself known more like the day after Halloween! Marketing.

I’ve been wracking my creative brain for several years for a great Christmas picture book idea. And every November I read every Christmas picture book I can get my hands on. I love them – well, most of them.

Lately my brain has been wrestling with the question of what really makes a story a Christmas story.

If I look at the shelves in B & N, Hallmark, Wal-mart, Target etc. I would conclude that any book that mentions a Christmas tree, snow, gifts, stars, angels, Santa, toys, polar bears, teddy bears, snowmen  . . . is classified for marketing purposes as a Christmas book.

In the adult book world it seems everyone writes a romance story that is set at Christmas time and gets it on the “Christmas book” list. Again, marketing.

But my question goes a little deeper. What ingredients go into a real Christmas story?

• Definitely the retellings of Christ’s birth qualify as Christmas stories.
• Stories centered around a Christmas tree, ornaments, gifts qualify.
• Surely stories about Christmas family traditions and celebrations fall under “Christmas.”
• How about stories around the theme of selfless acts and giving in December?
• What about stories centered around angelic visitations or miracles that happen during the Christmas season?
• I think of stories about Santa Claus, elves and reindeer. Are these important elements in creating a Christmas story?
• And, of course, there are hundreds of stories about snow people.

Should Christmas stories be about selfless giving? About love? About joy? These are all part of what we call “the Christmas spirit,” aren’t they?

I think what I’m really wondering is does simply setting a story (for children or adults) during the Christmas season really make it a Christmas story?

Or should it have more than that? Should it reflect a deeper truth that is often associated with the Christmas season—even if it’s about snow people or reindeer?

What do YOU think?

Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book series Four Seasons was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at www.jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.