Five Favourite Christmas Bedtime Stories

There’s nothing quite like settling down for a family bedtime story. As Christmas approaches, here at Neo & Nani we’ve been talking about our favourite Christmas bedtime stories – the tales we like to tell on Christmas Eve before Santa’s arrival. So, get those mugs of hot chocolate ready and snuggle under the covers, here are our top five Christmas bedtime stories… The Night Before Christmas It’s probably the best-known Christmas tale of all time and Clement Clarke Moore’s festive poem from 1822 remains a firm favourite for households on Christmas Eve. The series of stanzas are just the right length for lulling sleepy eyes shut. Altogether now: “It was the night before Christmas and all through the house…” Lucy and Tom’s Christmas Shirley Hughes’ Lucy and Tom’s Christmas shares all the traditions of Yuletide without too much concentration on the commerciality. Follow the siblings Christmas as they prepare puddings, plan each other’s presents and wait for the postman. Santa Claus has a busy night A simple story that celebrates Santa’s journey across the globe to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls, Santa Claus has a busy night. At the centre of Lynne Bradbury’s tale is the question: will all the children get their gifts? The Polar Bear Express Before the animated film came the children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, which tells the story of a magical train’s journey to the North Pole. This fantasy story has some good morals to learn, including a warning about losing tickets for public transport. Why not sip your hot chocolate along with the characters on the steam train. The Jolly Christmas Postman There’s a menagerie of much-loved characters to enjoy in Janet and Allan Ahlberg’s depiction of one postman’s struggle to deliver the Christmas post and some fantastic illustrations too. Your children will have new-found admiration for your family postman once they’ve heard about the Jolly Postman’s peddling. Did we include your favourites in our top five? Are there any new tales we should add to the list for next year? What will you be reading your little ones this Christmas? Share your tips below.