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We’re getting in the festive spirit by looking back at some some of our authors’ all-time favourite fictional Christmases! Read on for some festive book and film recommendations plus magical Christmas memories that are bound to get you excited for the big day!
Every year I watch Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. It is one of my favorite fictional Christmas. I love how he learns a major life lessons then opens the window to a snow covered morning glad he is alive. I still cry every time I learn that Tiny Tim will live. He is right: ‘God bless us everyone.’
love the happy Victorian Christmas depicted in Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. Scrooge gets his redemption, Tiny Tim and family get the huge turkey with all the trimmings, and Ebenezer heads to visit his family. Now that’s Christmas! Plus, Christmassy London in the snow! What’s not to like?
I have two. My first is actually set at Saturnalia not Christmas (but in my book all midwinter festivals count equally). Lindsey Davis’ Roman set book of the same name is one of my favourites. The main couple M. Didius Falco and Helena Justina are exactly the sort of people you’d want to share a festive drink with, everyone can sympathise with the descriptions of excited toddlers and decisions over what to buy elderly relatives, and the police staff night out is one of the funniest scenes I’ve read (who wouldn’t want to dress up as 5ft high giant carrot). My second is the Midwinter feast in A Wager for the Widow because my couple Will and Eleanor finally get together (or do they?)
The film Love Actually – I love all the story strands about the different characters and how they are woven together. A real feel-good film!
My favourite fictional Christmases are the opening scene in Little Women, the ending scene in A Christmas Carol, and the Christmas the protagonists experience in the short story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry.
One of my favorite fictional Christmases is the one Marguerite Kaye and I created in Scandal at the Christmas Ball. That Christmas world features all best of imagined Christmas; a house party with candles and firs, snow and a Yule log, a 12th night ball, a frost fair; a real Christmas with all the trimmings. I love the warm but honest and some times imperfect atmosphere of that house party. I think a lot of us have visions of ideal holidays but in reality few holidays are perfect all the time, only in moments.
I love A Christmas Story for its honesty and hilarity. Elf for its innocence. My all time favorite is It’s A Wonderful Life because it’s a wonderful film.
Bing Crosby’s White Christmas is hands down my favorite holiday movie. I’ve watched it hundreds of times over the years. It’s a story of hope, generosity and romance. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Wham’s Last Christmas video: Big Hair, a snowy ski chalet in the Swiss Alps, George Michael’s smoldering looks in ultra soft-focus, cheesy lyrics that tell a sad-sweet story and a once hidden gay subtext which is now out and proud… One of the best things to come out of the 80s IMHO!
Little Women. Always Little Women. With the oranges, buttered bread, and sausages. As little as they had, they still shared and were grateful.
I love the Christmas in Sarah Morgan’s Christmas Ever After! The family time of both the hero and heroine is realistic (families can be a little annoying ?) and the love and happiness is so wonderful. Also, the romance!
The Bishop’s Wife, I love the skating scene. And An Affair to Remember. As you can see, there’s a bit of a Cary Grant theme going on here!
My fictional Christmases must have snow – probably because we’re usually sweltering here in Sydney, Australia. And that’s why I watch White Christmas every year!
If this wasn’t enough to get you feeling festive, why not have a read of our top Christmas picks!