Famous Christmas Poems

Christmas Time

Hurrah — it's Christmas-time again!
The time of crispy weather;
Ah, Love and Cheer are captains then,
And dear ones get together;

Let go the real and fancied grudge —
The tomahawk go bury;
We're all in debt to one great Judge,
So let's be good — and merry.

Lay every grievance on the shelf.
And keep the circle growing;
Who hates his neighbor, harms himself-
We'll reap from what we're sowing;

Decide to do somebody, good —
Just let the grouchy pester;
Enjoy this Christmas as you should,
And be a jolly jester.

Let holly from the curtains swing —
Have mistletoe in plenty;
Break up your wrinkles — laugh and sing —
Make old folks act like twenty;

An innocent kiss will work no ill,
Though cheeks blush like a cherry;
Make some sad heart with pleasure thrill —
It's Christmas-time — be merry!

If fortune hasn't smiled on you,
And you can't give one present,
Brush up your seedy clothes and do
Your best at being pleasant;

Though Christmas finds you wandered far
Away from kindred's bevy,
Don't let hard times your spirits mar —
Let mails with Love be heavy.

Now when you get to feeling good,
Be gentle as a rabbit —
Retain your Christmas smile and cheer,
Until you get the habit;

Just let your war-tools rust and rot —
Though worldlings think you flappy —
A grudge gets even when forgot!
It's Christmas-time — be happy!

Christmas Day

A day of respite, this;
A day of purest bliss
Wherein in love to plan
Good-will to Man.

A festival of Joys
Wherein no thing annoys;
A time of cheer and mirth.
And Peace on Earth.

A time for smiles and play,
And yet withal a day
For thoughtful deeds, and good,
Of Brotherhood.

A day for sunny rifts,
A day for loving gifts;
For Kindness bounteous
God gave it us.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

One of the most beloved Christmas poems ever written, A Visit from St. Nicholas is also known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. This classic poem captures the excitement of Christmas Eve as Santa Claus arrives with his reindeer and gifts for children.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

Read the complete poem, 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, and enjoy a Christmas tradition that has delighted families for generations.

Love Came Down at Christmas

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love Incarnate, Love Divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Glory Be To God On High

The angels are fluttering their beautiful wings
O'er Jesus the Infant, the mighty King of Kings,
While on the wintry air the joyful welcome rings,
Glory be to God on High.

'Tis Christmas day, fond hearts are filled with emotion,
Thanking God for this hallowed day of devotion,
While Christmas lays rejoice from ocean to ocean,
Glory be to God on high,

Sadden'd hearts rejoice, tho' tears from fond eyes stream.
Golden hair and blue eyes, of his coming dream;
Raven locks and black orbs, with their gladness beam.
Glory be to God on high.

Then let us all rejoice this merry Christmas day;
Those who have gone before would now no longer stay,
They are around the Throne, singing this joyous lay,
Glory be to God on high.

The Three Kings

Three Kings came riding from far away,
Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;
Three Wise Men out of the East were they,
And they travelled by night and they slept by day,
For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.

The star was so beautiful, large and clear,
That all the other stars of the sky
Became a white mist in the atmosphere,
And by this they knew that the coming was near
Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.

Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows,
Three caskets of gold with golden keys;
Their robes were of crimson silk with rows
Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,
Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.

Keeping Christmas

Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people.
And to remember what other people have done for you;
To ignore what the world owes you,
And to think what you owe the world;...
And to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe,
And look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness -
Are you willing to do these things even for a day?
Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world -
Stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death -
And that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago
Is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?
Then you can keep Christmas.

And if you keep it for a day,
Why not always?
But you can never
Keep it alone.

The Oxen

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
"Now they are all on their knees,"
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
"Come; see the oxen kneel,

"In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,"
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.