Quotes
Famous Christmas Quotes
These are real Christmas quotes from well-known books, poems, speeches and newspapers, each listed with who said or wrote it. We've left out lines whose origin can't be traced, so you can quote these with confidence.
They're grouped into classic literature, inspiring words, light-hearted lines and faith, ready for cards, captions and toasts.
Quotes from classic Christmas books and poems
- "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." (Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843)
- "God bless Us, Every One!" (Tiny Tim, in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843)
- "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy." (Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843)
- "There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour." (Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, 1843)
- "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents." (Jo March, in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, 1868)
- "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night." (A Visit from St. Nicholas, first published 1823, attributed to Clement Clarke Moore)
- "What can I give Him, poor as I am?" (Christina Rossetti, In the Bleak Midwinter, 1872)
Inspiring Christmas quotes
- "Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." (Calvin Coolidge, 1927)
- "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist." (Francis P. Church, The New York Sun, 1897)
- "Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time." (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
- "Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." (Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz)
- "Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days." (Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers)
- "Christmas is a season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart." (Washington Irving, The Sketch Book)
- "Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!" (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Christmas Bells, written 1863)
Light-hearted Christmas quotes
- "Bah! Humbug!" (Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843)
- "At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year." (Thomas Tusser, 1557)
- "A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world!" (Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843)
Christmas quotes from the Bible (KJV)
- "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)
- "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14)
- "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." (Isaiah 9:6)
- "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)
- "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:5)
When you share a quote in a card or caption, include the author's name so it reads as a quote rather than your own words. A quote followed by one personal line, like "This is how I feel about our family," makes it feel like yours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous Christmas quote?
"God bless Us, Every One!" spoken by Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843) is one of the most famous. Scrooge's "Bah! Humbug!" from the same book is a close rival.
Who said "Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind"?
US President Calvin Coolidge wrote it in a Christmas message in 1927. The full line continues: "To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas."
Where does "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" come from?
It's from an 1897 editorial in The New York Sun written by Francis P. Church, replying to a letter from eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon. It is the most reprinted newspaper editorial in English.
Who wrote "Twas the Night Before Christmas"?
The poem, originally titled A Visit from St. Nicholas, was published anonymously in 1823 and later claimed by Clement Clarke Moore. Some descendants of Henry Livingston Jr. have argued he wrote it, but Moore is the traditional attribution.