The Spirit of Christmas

Henry van DykeJan 2016

Rating 3.9
Word count
6.7K words
Chapters
10

Tags

Motivation and Growth Family BondsLife PhilosophyKindness and GivingChristmas SpiritFantasy ImaginationSpiritual ComfortTruth Goodness BeautyHeartwarming NarrativeAngel ImageryHoliday Tale

Summary

The book opens at the hour of rest in the Country Beyond the Stars. All the silver bells that swing with the turning of the great ring of light which lies around that land are softly chiming, and the sound of their commotion goes down like dew upon the golden ways of the city, the long alleys of blossoming trees, the meadows of asphodel, and the curving shores of the River of Life. This lyrical opening scene evokes a serene, otherworldly land at rest.

Editor's review

Van Dyke's The Spirit of Christmas reads more like a forgotten prose poem than a conventional Christmas story. The opening description of the "land outside the stars"—silver bells turning softly with their halos, their sound like dew falling on golden streets and flowered paths—already establishes the book's atmosphere: quiet, symbolic, theologically tender. Rather than advancing through plot, the author uses allegorical scenes and dialogue to draw the "Christmas spirit" away from the surface of festivity toward giving, humility, and inner renewal. Readers used to fast-paced narrative will need to read slowly; but precisely for that reason, it suits daily short readings during Advent, one small passage at a time, letting the words leave room for echo. The language is rather classical and the imagery dense; reading aloud brings out its rhythm. Its value lies in offering a non-commercial Christmas reading: not through sentimentality, but through contemplation. If you are willing to take ten minutes alone amid the year-end clamor, it will linger longer than most holiday books.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. Assign it across the four weeks of Advent, reading one or two passages a day and leaving time for meditation.
  2. Read aloud, noting the repetition and variation of images such as silver bells, dew, and flowered paths.
  3. Read Van Dyke's The Other Wise Man alongside it and compare the theme of giving in the two works.
  4. After reading, write one sentence about the image that moved you most that day, building a reading record.

Contents

  1. Copyright information
  2. A DREAM-STORY
  3. THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL
  4. A LITTLE ESSAY
  5. CHRISTMAS-GIVING AND CHRISTMAS-LIVING
  6. A SHORT CHRISTMAS SERMON
  7. KEEPING CHRISTMAS
  8. TWO CHRISTMAS PRAYERS
  9. A CHRISTMAS PRAYER FOR THE HOME
  10. A CHRISTMAS PRAYER FOR LONELY FOLKS

FAQ

Is this a long Christmas novel? No. It is short, closer to allegorical prose, with little plot and a focus on imagery and contemplation. Read as a novel it may disappoint; as a holiday short read or read-aloud text it is more suitable.
How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for non-native readers? The language is rather classical, with long sentences and dense imagery, placing it at a moderately advanced level. It is best to read through once for the gist, then look up key vocabulary; reading aloud helps with rhythm, and word-by-word translation is unnecessary.
When is the best time to read it? Best during the Advent season before Christmas, or on any quiet year-end evening when you need to slow down. Reading too much at once weakens the echo of the words; keep each session under ten minutes and pause briefly afterward.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Henry van Dyke Author · American · 1852–1933

Henry van Dyke (1852–1933) was an American minister and writer. He devoted himself to religious and literary writing and is known for the short story The Fourth Wise Man and for his nature essays. Drawing often on faith and nature, his work is warm in tone and thoughtful in spirit, combining encouragement with literary appeal, and it readily resonates with readers of inspirational and personal-growth books. This collection includes his representative work The Spirit of Christmas, which shows how he used holiday and everyday themes to convey goodwill, gratitude, and self-reflection. Public information on the details of his life is limited, so no elaborate account is given here; readers may instead sense the warmth and purpose of his writing through the works themselves.