Christmas quotes for cards and toasts
The best Christmas quotes come with a story, from Tiny Tim's blessing to the newspaper that told a little girl Santa was real. Each one here is checked against its source, with a short line you can use as it is.
The opening of the poem that shaped the modern American Santa Claus: a jolly, round St. Nicholas who arrives on Christmas Eve in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer and comes down the chimney.
Read the full explanation →Jo March grumbles that Christmas is ruined because the family is too poor for gifts. The rest of the chapter shows the sisters discovering that giving to others makes the day.
Read the full explanation →The song of the angels to the shepherds on the night Jesus was born. It praises God and announces peace and goodwill to people on earth.
Read the full explanation →Tiny Tim, a sick little boy from a poor family, asks God's blessing on everyone at the Christmas table. Dickens ends the whole book with it, turning a child's grace into a blessing on the reader.
Read the full explanation →Scrooge, shown his own lonely grave, promises to live by the spirit of Christmas, meaning generosity and kindness, every day of the year, not just on December 25.
Read the full explanation →At a holiday gathering, don't dwell on what the year has taken from you. Count what you still have, because everyone has many blessings and every life has some sorrow.
Read the full explanation →Replying to an eight-year-old who asked if Santa was real, Church argued that love, generosity and wonder are real even though no one can see them, and that Santa Claus is real in the same way.
Read the full explanation →No quotes match these filters yet. New quotes are added every week.
How to use a quote at Christmas
In a card, one line is plenty. Write the quote, add a few words of your own that connect it to the person, and sign off. "God bless us, every one, and especially you this year" feels warmer than a long passage copied from a book.
For a toast at the table, keep it under ten seconds and say it just before everyone eats or lifts a glass. Name the source in a few words, such as "as Tiny Tim says", because it tells people you chose it rather than read it off a mug.
Match the quote to the room. A Bible verse suits a family that goes to church together; Dickens or Little Women works almost anywhere; and a funny line is best saved for friends. If you are not sure, the warm, non-religious lines are the safe choice.