103 Christmas Quotes to Celebrate The Festive Season & Spread Joy

It’s the most wonderful time of year, with sparkling snowflakes and twinkling lights, happy carols and rosy cheeks, good cheer and warm fuzzy feelings. And as you set out to find joy this festive season, remember that the true spirit of Christmas is wrapped in love, warmth and a sense of togetherness.

Nevertheless, we know you want to wrap these feelings into words, so here we are with this collection of Christmas quotes. Whether you want to live up to the true Christmas spirit, experience the magic of Christmas and Christmas Eve or simply send beautiful “Merry Christmas” texts to your people, this collection will help you find the right words for your feelings.

Write these Christmas quotes on your holiday cards, add them to your Christmas speech or use them as captions to your social media posts—the choice is yours!

Christmas Magic Quotes to Get You In The Holiday Spirit 

With so much happiness and joy in the air—and on everyone’s faces—the vibe of Christmas works like magic. No matter how you celebrate, there’s just something special about the holiday season. Here are some quotes to keep this Christmas magic alive:

• “The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the happy presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” —Burton Hillis

• “We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” —Laura Ingalls Wilder

• “One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas Day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” —Andy Rooney

• “Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” —Norman Vincent Peale

• “Christmas magic is silent. You don’t hear it—you feel it, you know it, you believe it.” ―Kevin Alan Milne, The Paper Bag Christmas

• “The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.” —William Carey Jones

• “Keeping the magic alive can be as simple as going to the mall to sit on Santa’s lap or reading special stories on Christmas Eve.” —Stephanie Land

• “As we give presents at Christmas, we need to recognize that sharing our time and ourselves is such an important part of giving.” —Gordon B. Hinckley

Related: Quotes for Inner Peace

Christmas Spirit Quotes to Celebrate The Season

Gifts, chocolates and fun are integral to the holiday season. But the true spirit of Christmas goes beyond these material pleasures. Capture the heart of the holidays with these festive Christmas spirit quotes that express the true essence of Christmastime:

• “What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.” —Agnes M. Pahro

• “He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” —Roy L. Smith

• “Christmas is forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do yourself.” —Norman Wesley Brooks, Let Every Day Be Christmas

• “I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world.” —Norman Vincent Peale

• “Christmas is a season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.” —Washington Irving

• “For me, the spirit of Christmas means being happy and giving freely…. Christmas is all about family, eating, drinking and making merry.” —Malaika Arora

• “We should try to hold on to the Christmas spirit, not just one day a year, but all 365.” —Mary Martin

• “When you give up yourself, that’s when you will feel the true spirit of Christmas. And that’s giving, that’s serving others and that’s when you feel fulfilled.” —Joel Osteen

Related: Uplifting Quotes for Positive Vibes

Inspirational Merry Christmas Quotes Worth Sharing 

When you’re ready to send your holiday greetings, you might want to go beyond the standard “Merry Christmas” phrasing. Celebrate all the joy, beauty and love the Christmas season brings with warm and unique holiday wishes. Here are nine festive and beautiful “Merry Christmas” quotes to wish your people the happiest of holidays:

• “It’s ‘Merry Christmas’ at our house. Whatever it is at yours, have a happy one. And be good to somebody.” —Stephen King

• “I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.” ―Taylor Caldwell

• “Christmas is the protest of the human race against gloom.” —Frank Crane

• “We clap hands and welcome the peace of Christmas. We beckon this good season to wait a while with us.” —Maya Angelou

• “I say it frankly—on that holy and merry Christmas Eve, all these things seem to me to live and feel.” —Fernán Caballero, Holy Night: A Story of Christmas Eve in Andalusia

• “Oh, Christmas bells, your music swells upon the buoyant winter breeze. I dry my tears and shed my years, when I hear happy sounds like these.” —Walt Mason

• “Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance.” —Oren Arnold

• “The thing about Christmas is that it almost doesn’t matter what mood you’re in or what kind of a year you’ve had—it’s a fresh start.” —Kelly Clarkson

• “Finding the real joy of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in the purchasing of gifts. We find real joy when we make the savior, the focus of the season.” —Thomas S. Monson

Related: Quotes for a Cheerful Spirit

Beautiful Quotes About Christmas And Family

There’s no better time than Christmas to connect with your family and friends. So, when you share the holidays or gather together for your celebrations, don’t forget to tell them how much they mean to you. Try these beautiful quotes about Christmas and family to show your love and appreciation this year:

• “Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.” —Eric Sevareid

• “It’s the time of year when everyone’s together; we’ll celebrate here on Christmas day when the ones you love are there, you can feel the magic in the air—you know it’s everywhere.” —Bryan Adams

• “Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us to think of others rather than of ourselves. It directs our thoughts to giving.” —B.C. Forbes

• “No matter what, I always make it home for Christmas. I love to go to my Tennessee Mountain Home and invite all of my nieces and nephews and their spouses and kids and do what we all like to do—eat, laugh, trade presents and just enjoy each other… and sometimes I even dress up like Santa Claus!” —-Dolly Parton

• “Christmas for me is all about spending time with my family. I cherish any chance we have to spend all day together making gingerbread houses, baking cookies, or sitting around and watching movies.” —Blake Lively

• “Mankind is a great, an immense family… This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.” —Pope John XXIII

• “Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends.” —Margaret Thatcher

• “The glad greeting of Merry Christmas is a pledge of brotherhood. We are one great family. No wonder that Christmas is above all others the family day.” —J. T. Driscoll

• “Christmas wouldn’t be the same if we couldn’t get in touch with all the friends and family who mean so very much. Each Christmas we have shared with friends both far and near has made our years together so memorable and dear.” —Norman Wesley Brooks

• “When Christmas bells are ringing, the carols old and true, of you, dear friend, I’m thinking, and I send my wish to you.” —Mrs. W. Baggott

Festive & Famous Christmas Movie Quotes 

Some of our favorite movies have given us some of the most fun, festive or beautiful lines ever written about the holidays. If you’re looking for some Christmas sayings that share the joy differently, take a look at these famous Christmas movie quotes:

• “Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!” —Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

• “Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind.” —Kris Kringle, Miracle on 34th Street 

• “Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand!” —Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, 1966 animated classic

• “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” —Buddy the Elf, Elf (2003)

• “Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.” —Santa, The Polar Express

• “At Christmas, you tell the truth.” —Mark, Love, Actually (2003)

• “That’s what Christmas memories are made from, they’re not planned, they’re not scheduled, nobody puts them in their Blackberry, they just happen.” —Kelly Finch, Deck the Halls

• “There’s a certain magic that comes with the very first snow. For when the first snow is also a Christmas snow, well, something wonderful is bound to happen.” —Narrator, Frosty the Snowman

• “Christmas is just about my favorite time. Ever since I was a little kid, I always felt like it was my own personal holiday.” —Ernest P. Worrell, Ernest Saves Christmas

• “You’re skipping Christmas! Isn’t that against the law?” —Spike Frohmeyer, Christmas With the Kranks

Magical Christmas Eve Quotes

For many of us, adults and kids alike, the most exciting day of the year is the day just before Christmas. With all the anticipation and childlike joy it brings, Christmas Eve is just as magical as the day it leads to. Here are some Christmas Eve quotes that do justice to the night before Christmas:

• “On Christmas Eve, there’s a service at the church where I grew up, and at midnight, we would always sing, ‘O Holy Night’ with candles.” —Rachel Boston

• “Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart… filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.” —Bess Streeter Aldrich

• “There are no strangers on Christmas Eve.” —Adele Comandini

• “Christmas Eve is my favorite… We make it special. Not just for ourselves, but for others.” —Kiersten White

• “Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve. Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age.” —Terri Guillemets

• “It’s Christmas Eve! It’s the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be.” —Bill Murray

• “I don’t think Christmas is necessarily about things. It’s about being good to one another.” —Carrie Fisher

• “Christmas Eve came at last. The day was bright and beautiful, the ground crisp and hard, and the hoary trees shining like diamonds! What a happy day it brought to many, to most! Even in the poorest village a little green fir branch testified that it was Christmas Eve.” —Amy Campbell

• “Though I sit in darkness this Christmas Eve, I know that the world is fair, and the musical chime of the Christmas bells will ring on the morning air.” —Lilian Whiting

Perfect Sayings to Celebrate Christmas Day 

Mark the day with some Christmas sayings perfect for sharing and gathering together. Celebrate the day to the fullest before it’s gone, and use these words to help you spread the joy in captions, cards or social media posts. These festive Christmas Day quotes will help to express all your feelings about this precious holiday: 

• “Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.” —Helen Steiner Rice

• “Christmas is a bridge. We need bridges as the river of time flows past. Today’s Christmas should mean creating happy hours for tomorrow and reliving those of yesterday.” —Gladys Taber

• “Christmas… is not an external event at all, but a piece of one’s home that one carries in one’s heart.” —Freya Stark

• “Don’t let the past steal your present. This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone.” —Taylor Caldwell

• “Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” —Calvin Coolidge

• “You know how on Christmas Day, the day feels different, even if you’re just sitting in your chair waiting for your girlfriend to put her face on and you haven’t even started any of the festivities yet, the day still feels different. The electrons are fatter and pushier.” —Bill Callahan

• “At Christmas I no more desire a rose than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled shows; but like of each thing that in season grows.” —William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost

• “And so, this Christmas season may our hearts with gladness glow, as we read the blessed story that took place so long ago.” —Alpha L. Buntain

• “Christmas has a special meaning for those of us who are Christians, those of us who believe in Christ, those of us who know that almost 2,000 years ago, the Son of Peace was born to give us a vision of perfection, a vision of humility, a vision of unselfishness, a vision of compassion, a vision of love.” —Jimmy Carter

Sweet Christmas Love Quotes

Christmas is the perfect time for holding your sweetheart close and sharing all that they mean to you. If romance is in the cards this year for you, these sweet phrases can give you some special ways to share your feelings. These beautiful Christmas love quotes perfectly sum up the intrinsic connection between the holidays and the love in the air: 

• “My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others.” —Bob Hope

• “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” —Hamilton Wright Mabie

• “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” —Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

• “Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.” —Peg Bracken

• “Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” —Dale Evans

• “Remember, this December, that love weighs more than gold!” —Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

• “A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.” —Garrison Keillor

• “There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.” —Charles Dickens

• “Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God.” —George F. McDougall

• “Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.” —Ruth Carter Stapleton

Fun Quotes About Christmas Trees And Lights 

Can you imagine Christmas without Christmas trees and lights? Neither can we. There are a few others out there who feel the same way, and they’ve expressed their love for the festivities with these quotes:

• “I love Christmas. I really do love Christmas. I love being with my family and I love snow. I love the music and the lights and all of it.” —Christina Applegate

• “I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy holiday, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” —H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Live and Learn and Pass It On

• “Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.” —Larry Wilde

• “The outdoor Christmas lights, green and red and gold and blue and twinkling, remind me that most people are that way all year round—kind, generous, friendly and with an occasional moment of ecstasy. But Christmas is the only time they dare reveal themselves.” —Harlan Miller

• “The festivity of this holy time is greatly enhanced by our knowing, that while we are rejoicing at the splendor of the lights, at the jubilee of the children and their sparkling eyes, millions of people in every part of the great earth have the same feeling, and that the same thrill of joy pervades the whole world during these evening hours.” —C.C. Shackford

• “Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters, streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope and singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air.” —Maya Angelou, “Amazing Peace”

• “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Of all the trees most lovely! Each year you bring renewed delight, a-gleaming in the Christmas night.” —“O Tannenbaum” (German carol)

• “Freshly cut Christmas trees smelling of stars and snow and pine resin—inhale deeply and fill your soul with wintry night.” —John J. Geddes

• “In prickly green of Christmas wreaths, the holly berries glow, the Christmas trees will sparkle soon, with Christmas fruit bent low…” —Hannah G. Fernald

• “The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect!” —Charles N. Barnard

Short Christmas Sayings to Share 

You don’t always need a lot of words to express your feelings or share the wonder of Christmas. Short Christmas quotes can pack plenty of expression into a short sentence or phrase, so don’t underestimate the power of short holiday quotes when it comes time to celebrate. 

• “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.” —Benjamin Franklin
• “At Christmas, all roads lead home.” —Marjorie Holme
• “Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” —Edna Ferber
• “It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. —William Thomas Ellis
• “The smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood.” ―Richard Paul Evans, The Christmas Box
• “Ring out the glee of Christmas time.” —Paul Laurence Dunbar, “Christmas in the Heart”
• “When it seems the magic slipped away, we find it all again on Christmas Day.” —Josh Groban, “Believe”
• “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” —Charles Schulz
• “Christmas is opportunity while everything else in life is the hope of opportunity.” —Craig D. Lounsbrough

Motivational Christmas Quotes to Help You Make It Through The Holidays

Sometimes the holidays can be a struggle. If you find yourself dealing with stress or anxiety over all the decorating, shopping, meal prep, travel, hosting guests and other aspects this time of year can bring, take heart. This selection of motivational Christmas quotes can help you sail through the holidays with an extra measure of peace and joy:

• “As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.” —Eric Sevareid

• “There is one more good thing about Winter—he brings Christmas. Through the bleak December the thought of the coming festival is pleasant—like the reflection of a fire on our faces…. Christmas Day is the pleasantest day in the whole year.” —Alexander Smith

• “What a blessing Christmas is!… It is the one season of the year when we can lay aside all gnawing worry, indulge in sentiment without censure, assume the carefree faith of childhood, and just plain have fun.” —D.D. Monroe

• “I just think Christmas is a time to embrace all the naughty little things.” —Jade Thirlwall

• “Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year—and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority.” —W.J. Cameron

• “Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a person has to be him or herself.” —Francis C. Farley

• “A holiday is an opportunity to journey within. It is also a chance to chill, to relax. It is when I switch on my rest mode.” —Prabhas

• “Christmas is not just a holiday to me. It’s a season, it’s a lifestyle.” —The Christmas Spirit, Part One (Season 2, Episode 9 of Ghosts)

• “My love of the holiday relates directly to the connectedness it breeds: connection to my family and friends, yes; but even more, a connectivity within our culture. Whether you celebrate Christmas or ignore it or despise it, you certainly cannot escape it.” —Christopher Zumski Finke

• “And thus I drift along into the holidays—let them overtake me unexpectedly—waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: ‘Why this is Christmas Day!’” —David Grayson

• “Of course, this is the season to be jolly, but it is also a good time to be thinking about those who aren’t.” —Helen Valentine

Christmas Sayings Can Help Spread The Joy This Holiday Season 

While this list of Christmas quotes comes to an end, your celebrations have only just begun. Try out a few new holiday sayings this year to help you share the love or use them as inspiration for your own special Christmas greetings. We hope you find happiness and warmth this Christmas season in your own sweet way—be it with family, friends or otherwise. 

You can wait for Santa Claus or become Santa for your kids, sing “Jingle Bells” or listen to Christmas songs, stay at home or go out. Either way, make sure to celebrate this festive season the way your heart wants. Because, as Eric Sevareid has said, “As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.”

This article was published in December 2018 and has been updated. Photo by bbernard/Shutterstock.com