A feast of Christmas books

This Christmas, I decided to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes, which is reading books. I decided to look for books on Christmas. My first discovery in this journey is that I could not find any meaningful book about Christmas written by Philippine authors. I find this unusual because the Philippines is reputed to be the country with the longest Christmas celebration from September to January.

There are a few classic Christmas books that should be read by anyone who has not yet read them.

The first is “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. Dickens’ book was written in 1843. This well-known story is about Ebenezer Scrooge and his four ghostly encounters which transformed him from a Scrooge who hated Christmas – note how the name “Scrooge” has become part of our vocabulary – to a more positive person.

Another classic is the book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss. This is not just a Christmas book, but a classic children’s book. The grumpy Grinch learns that “Christmas does not come from a store.” It is surprising that so many people have heard of the Grinch but have not actually read this book. Its lesson is as relevant now as it was in 1957 when it was written.

The “Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry remains one of my favorites since I first read it in my grade school days. Written in 1905, this classic tale is about Jim and Della, a young newly married couple without much money and each one trying to figure out what to get the other for the holiday. They make supreme sacrifices to afford their presents for each other. They learn the powerful lessons of Christmas about love and that the best gifts go beyond material things. I will not reveal the ending for those who have not yet read the book.

“The Christmas Train” by David Baldacci was written in 2001 and in 2017, was made into a Hallmark Christmas movie. This is the story of a journalist who must take a cross-country train ride from Washington DC to Los Angeles to be on time for a story opportunity. He is not thrilled about it but along the way, he meets different types of people and the lessons they teach him make this an unforgettable Christmas story.

The shortage of Filipino Christmas books has