We’re back with another installment in our holiday story series. Over the last couple of years, we’ve looked at the history behind classics like Frosty the Snowman, The Grinch, The Night Before Christmas, and more. This week, we’re adding two stories that families return to every December. Both are simple on the surface, but each has a history that adds depth to the magic.
The Polar Express
The Polar Express was published in 1985 by Chris Van Allsburg, an author and illustrator known for creating mysterious, dreamlike worlds. The story follows a boy who boards a midnight train headed straight for the North Pole, where he’s given a bell from Santa’s sleigh. What makes the tale memorable is its quiet message: only those who truly believe can hear the bell ring.
Van Allsburg based the train on memories from his childhood in Michigan, where freight engines passed through on winter nights. The book won the Caldecott Medal and became a favorite almost immediately. Nearly twenty years later, in 2004, it was adapted into a feature film that introduced the story to a new generation, but the book’s soft, glowing illustrations are what families return to every year.
Kids might be surprised that the final line of the story never changes, even though every reader ages. The older you get, the harder it is to hear the bell. John and Crosley would probably insist theirs still rings loud and clear—especially during a late-night red-eye run.
The Gift of the Magi
O. Henry wrote The Gift of the Magi in 1905, and it has been part of holiday reading traditions ever since. The story follows a young couple, Jim and Della, who want to give each other meaningful Christmas gifts but don’t have the money to do it. Each decides to sacrifice something important—Della cuts and sells her long hair to buy Jim a watch chain, while Jim sells his watch to buy combs for her hair.
O. Henry was known for stories with clever twists, but this ending isn’t meant to trick readers. Instead, it highlights a simple truth: real generosity often shows up in quiet, everyday choices. The title refers to the biblical Magi, wise men who brought gifts they believed were worthy, just as Jim and Della try to do for one another.
The story has been adapted into plays, films, and countless classroom retellings. Its message, that love matters more than the gifts themselves, lands just as clearly today as it did more than a century ago.
As December picks up speed, revisiting stories like these gives families a moment to pause and talk about what they value. Wonder, belief, generosity, and bravery, holiday classics may look different, but they tend to echo the same themes. If your family has a favorite winter tale you’d like us to explore next, let us know.