154 Christmas Quotes To Celebrate The Holiday Joy

These Christmas quotes will help get you in the holiday spirit.

We often refer to Christmas as one of the most joyous times of the year.

Tell us in the comments below which of these Christmas quotes is your favorite.

What are the benefits of reading these Christmas quotes?

Many of us have special memories that evoke the true spirit of Christmas for us.

We have many traditions, customs, and games we play that are unique to our family.

While some cultures and areas may share some customs, there are also many to learn and embrace as we are exposed.

Growing up in a small Irish family, my first Filipino Christmas with my husband’s HUGE family was something to adjust to, but I have also grown to love deeply.

These Christmas quotes will make you want to share:

• the gift of giving and doing acts of kindness
• your time and resources with those you love
• the joy of your fun holiday traditions

One thing that seems to cross many barriers at this time of year is the most well-known Merry Christmas quotes and sayings.

They make us laugh and smile while bringing us together.

Here are some of the best I could find.

Christmas Quotes About Giving The Gift of Love

The gifts and food might be plentiful, but we should all reach down within ourselves to find the spirit of Christmas.

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

2. “Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.” — Mary Ellen Chase

3. “Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.” — Janice Maeditere

4. “Santa is very jolly because he knows where all the bad girls live.” — Dennis Miller

5. “I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.” — Harlan Miller

6. “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” — Charles Dickens

7. “Christmas day is a day of joy and charity. May God make you very rich in both.” — Phillips Brooks

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

9. “Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” — Zuzu Bailey

10. “It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.” — William Thomas Ellis

Popular Christmas Quotes

To help you embrace the season’s true meaning, below is our collection of inspirational, beautiful, and magical Merry Christmas quotes and sayings.

11. “Christmas now surrounds us, Happiness is everywhere / Our hands are busy with many tasks / As carols fill the air.” — Shirley Sallay

12. “Each sight, each sound of Christmas / And fragrances sublime / Make hearts and faces happy / This glorious Christmastime.” — Carice Williams

13. “I like smiling, smiling’s my favorite.” — Buddy the Elf (my personal favorite)

14. “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

15. “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” — Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

16. “I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. 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

17. “Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, of gift-giving, and of families united.” — Norman Vincent Peale

Top Quotes About Christmas

Whether you’re enjoying a white Christmas or are surrounded by palm trees, these Merry Christmas quotes will have you feeling cheerful, merry, and bright!

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

19. “Good news from heaven the angels bring, / Glad tidings to the earth they sing: / To us this day a child is given, / To crown us with the joy of heaven.” — Martin Luther

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

21. “Probably the reason we all go so haywire at Christmas time with the endless unrestrained and often silly buying of gifts is that we don’t quite know how to put our love into words.” — Harlan Miller

More Joyous Christmas Quotes About Life and Love

Despite all the commercialism, always remember that Christmas is all about being a better, kinder person.

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

23. “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas; / Soon the bells will start, / And the thing that will make them ring / Is the carol that you sing / Right within your heart.” — Meredith Willson, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

24. “For centuries, men have kept an appointment with Christmas. Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, home.” — W. J. Tucker

25. “Christmas is not just a time for festivity and merry-making. It is more than that. It is a time for the contemplation of eternal things. The Christmas spirit is a spirit of giving and forgiving.” — J. C. Penney

26. “I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old, familiar carols play, / And wild and sweet / The words repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men!” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

27. “I love the Christmas tide, and yet, / I notice this, each year I live; / I always like the gifts I get, / But how I love the gifts I give!” — Carolyn Wells

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

29. “Let us have music for Christmas… / Sound the trumpet of joy and rebirth; / Let each of us try, with a song in our hearts, / To bring peace to men on earth.” — Mildred L. Jarrell

Merry Christmas quotes to remember

Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year.

30. “Christmas is not a time or 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

31. “I don’t think Christmas is necessarily about things. It’s about being good to one another, it’s about the Christian ethic, it’s about kindness.” — Carrie Fisher

32. “What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal and that every path may lead to peace.” — Agnes M. Pharo

33. “May Christmas lend a special charm / To all you chance to do. / And may the season light your way / To hopes and dreams anew.” — Garnett Ann Schultz, My Christmas Wish

34. “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, / Just like the ones I used to know, / Where the tree tops glisten / And children listen / To hear sleigh bells in the snow.” — Irving Berlin

Nostalgic quotes about Christmas

There’s family time, decorations, Christmas movies, presents, and much more.

35. “I love the excitement, the childlike spirit of innocence, and just about everything that goes along with Christmas.” — Hillary Scott

36. “And the Grinch, with his Grinch feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons; it came without tags; it came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” — Dr. Seuss

37. “The merry family gatherings / The old, the very young; / The strangely lovely way they / Harmonize in carols sung. / For Christmas is tradition time / Traditions that recall / The precious memories down the years, / The sameness of them all.” — Helen Lowrie Marshall

38. “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

39. “This time of year means being kind / to everyone we meet, / To share a smile with strangers / we may pass along the street.” — Betty Black

Beautiful Christmas Quotes and Sayings

Rather than looking on the material side of the holidays, embrace the Christmas spirit and find the season’s true meaning.

40. “For it isn’t the holly, it isn’t the snow. It isn’t the tree, not the firelight’s glow. It’s the warmth that comes to the hearts of men when the Christmas spirit returns again.” — Unknown

41. “There is a Christmas song upon the air, / There is a joy innate within the heart; / An inner sense of peace, a holy light / Illumines life and sets these days apart.” — Edna Greene Hines

42. “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

43. “Christmas in Bethlehem. The ancient dream: a cold, clear night made brilliant by a glorious star, the smell of incense, shepherds and wise men falling to their knees in adoration of the sweet baby, the incarnation of perfect love.” — Lucinda Franks

Christmas Quotes and Sayings

Hopefully, the quotes below will add to your memories and joy at Christmas.

44. “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.” — Henry Van Dyke

45. “Ask your children two questions this Christmas. First: What do you want to give to others for Christmas? Second: What do you want for Christmas? The first fosters generosity of heart and an outward focus. The second can breed selfishness if not tempered by the first.” — Author Unknown

46. “Bless us, Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind; Teach us to be patient and always to be kind.” — Helen Steiner Rice

47. “Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given–when Christmas Day comes, there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.” — Joan Winmill Brown

48. “I’m in love, I’m in Love, I’m on love, and I don’t care who knows it!” — Buddy the Elf

49. “Christmas – that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance – a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.” — Augusta E. Rundel

Quotes to get you thinking about Christmas

Continue to shift your thoughts to the holiday with the following quotes.

50. “Christmas is, of course, the time to be home – in heart as well as body.” – Garry Moore

51. “Christmas gift suggestions: to your enemy, forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to a customer, service; to all, charity; to every child, a good example; to yourself, respect.” — Oren Arnold

52. “Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.” — Steve Maraboli

53. “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.” — Francis C. Farley

54. “Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time.” — Laura Ingalls Wilder

55. “Off to one side sits a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor, perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Their night watch had been interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. God goes to those who have time to hear him–and so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.” — Max Lucado

Funny Christmas Quotes

These quotes about Christmas will put a smile on your face.

56. “There are three stages of man: he believes in Santa Claus; he does not believe in Santa Claus; he is Santa Claus.” — Bob Phillips

57. “One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another Christmas has come and gone, and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.” ― J.K. Rowling

58. “Christmas: the only time of year you can sit in front of a dead tree eating candy out of socks.” — Anonymous

59. “The office Christmas party is a great opportunity to catch up with people you haven’t seen for 20 minutes.” — Julius Sharpe

60. “How do you know when Santa’s in the room? You can sense his presents.” — Unknown

61. “At Christmas, tea is compulsory. Relatives are optional.” — Robert Godden

62. “I’m releasing a holiday song called, “All I Want for Christmas is my Parents’ Freaking Wifi Password.” — Damien Fahey on Twitter

63. “Christmas is a magical time of year… I just watched all my money magically disappear.” — Unknown

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of magic quotes about the power of the unseen.

64. “Let’s be naughty and save Santa the trip.” — Gary Allan

65. “I love Christmas. I receive a lot of wonderful presents I can’t wait to exchange.” — Henny Youngman

Other beautiful Christmas Quotes

These quotes will remind you of the many things that help the holiday season to feel special.

66. “Christmas gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us.” — David Cameron

67. “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

68. “Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide-open heart that thinks of others first.” — George Matthew Adams

69. “There’s nothing cozier than a Christmas tree all lit up.” ― Jenny Han

70. “Christmas is a good time to take stock of our blessings.” — Pat Boone

71. “Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection.” — Pindar

72. “From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas bring us closer to each other.” — Emily Matthews

73. Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” — Winston Churchill

74. “This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone.” — Taylor Caldwell

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

More Christmas quotes and sayings

See if you can recognize any of these Christmas sayings and quotes.

76. “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” — Charles M. Schulz

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

78. “If my Valentine you won’t be, I’ll hang myself on your Christmas tree.” — Ernest Hemingway

79. “Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.” — G.K. Chesterton

80. “The smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood.” — Richard Paul Evans

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

82. “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 Severeid

83. “It’s easier to feel a little more spiritual with a couple of bucks in your pocket.” — Craig Ferguson

84. “God put Santa Claus on earth to remind us that Christmas is supposed to be a happy time.” — Bil Keane

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

Christmas quotes about the true meaning of Christmas

86. “To catch the real meaning of the “spirit of Christmas,” we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the ‘Spirit of Christ.'” — Thomas S. Monsoon

87. “Christmas is not for the gifts we exchange. It’s not about sleigh rides or sweet candy canes. Nay, Christmas is simple. A time to recall Christ’s gift of atonement He gave to us all.” — Richelle E. Goodrich

88. “If we do not set aside time to focus together on what God’s Word tells us about the promise of Christ, on Christmas morning, we can find ourselves surrounded by mounds of torn gift wrap, our laps full of presents, but with hearts that are empty and unprepared.” — Nancy Guthrie

89. “There’s so much more to Christmas than what we see and hear on the radio and television. The whole thing is about Jesus.” — Billy Graham

Quotes about the specialness of Christmas

Remember the reason for the season with these Christmas quotes.

90. “The very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world was that he might offer up his life as a sacrifice for the sins of men. He came to die. This is the heart of Christmas.” — Billy Graham

91. “All the Christmas presents in the world are worth nothing without the presence of Christ.” — David Jeremiah

92. “Every day is Christmas. Every day Christ embraces us with His love, peace, and joy.” — Lailah Gifty Akita

93. “May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

94. “That is my prayer for you this Christmas—that you would experience the fullness of Christ… that you would be amazed that Christ can be so real to you.” — John Piper

95. “If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: ‘God with us.’” — John F. MacArthur

Christmas Quotes From Books

These quotes are from popular books and novels about Christmas or mentioning the holiday.

96. “The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting.” — Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

97. “Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.” — Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

98. “One can never have enough socks. Another Christmas has come and gone, and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”  — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

99. “Always winter but never Christmas.” — C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

100. “She lighted another match, and then she found herself sitting under a beautiful Christmas tree… Thousands of tapers were burning upon the green branches, and colored pictures, like those she had seen in the show windows, looked down upon it all. The little one stretched out her hand towards them, and the match went out.” — Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Match Girl

More Christmas Book Quotes

Enjoy a few more book quotes about Christmas.

101. “The dance, like most dances after supper, was a merry one; some of the older folks joined in it, and the squire himself figured down several couple with a partner, with whom he affirmed he had danced at every Christmas for nearly half a century.” ― Washington Irving, Old Christmas

102. “At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.” — Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express

103. “I don’t want Christmas season to end because it’s the only time I can legitimately indulge in one particular addiction: glitter.” — Eloisa James, Paris in Love

104. “Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth, sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.” — Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anway

105. “It was the beginning of the greatest Christmas ever. Little food. No presents. But there was a snowman in their basement.” — Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Christmas quotes about Santa to spread the holiday cheer

What’s a list of Christmas quotes without the mention of Santa?

106. “You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I’m telling you why—Santa Claus is coming to town.” — Haven Gillespie

107. “Nobody shoots at Santa Claus.” — Samuel Butler

108. “The greatest thing is not to believe in Santa Claus; it is to be Santa Claus.” — Pat Boone

109. “Some people are born for Halloween, and some are just counting the days until Christmas.” — Stephen Graham Jones

110. “Santa Claus had the right idea. Visit people only once a year.” — Victor Borge

111. “I’m the only one who still believes in Santa Claus!” — Edith Piaf

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

113. “Everything that you want Santa to be, he is.” — Mick Foley

114. “The name is Bond … Santa Bond. I’ll have an eggnog, shaken, not stirred.” — Michael Scott

115. “Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present remembered.” — Phyllis Diller

Christmas quotes to fill you with joy

Find Christmas joy with the help of the following quotes.

116. “Christmas is for everyone, adults and children alike. Allow this season to fill your heart, and let go of the things you dislike.” — Julie Hebert

117. “Christmas is a magical time for both the young and old.” — Diane Cirafesi-Keszczyk

118. “I love the smell of Christmas trees, singing Christmas carols, baking my family’s favorite cookies, wrapping presents, and decorating my house!” — Debbie Trafton O’Neal

119. “The kind of love that was so intently demonstrated at Christmas is truly amazing and life-changing.” — Jason C. Dukes

120. “Lights sparkle from streetlamps, Christmas trees and bicycles.” — Charlot King

121. “Nothing seems to bring people together like Christmas.” — Steven Dodrill

122. “Christmas is a special time of year when family and tradition blend together into magical holiday grandeur.” — Candy Christmas

123. “Christmas is a special time for joy.” — Dr. James Evans McReynolds

124. “It’s Christmas Time; It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s a season of love, joy, peace, and cheer!” — Dana Sheree Coe

125. “Christmas is a magical time whose spirit lives on in all of us no matter how old we grow.” — Sirona Knight

Festive and inspiring Christmas quotes to spread joy and cheer

These quotes show how the holiday is about more than getting and receiving gifts.

126. “Bringing the past and the present together with a tradition that was timeless to those who had grown up with Christmas tree.” ― Fred Neuschel

127. “Christmas is the season for giving. I always enjoy sharing the gift of music with friends, family, students, and their parents during this special time.” ― Dennis Alexander

128. “We decorate our homes for this wonderful season. A large evergreen tree proudly stands in the main family room. Beautiful rainbow colored lights seem to dance to the tune of Christmas carols.” ― Theresa Ann

129. “Christmas was considered a magical time in which the normal rules of everyday life–indeed, even the rules of nature–were suspended.” ― Bernd Brunner

130. “Christmas tree will eventually be, emphasizing that it is a symbol of those who went before Christ, waiting.” ― Anne Neuberger

131. “Yet, the beautiful trees which we make a central feature of our Christmas celebration can be used as lovely symbols of Jesus and his coming to our world at the first Christmas.” ― Rev. Cecil Andrew Newell

132. “Christmas is a day of happiness and excitement.” ― Herbert Henry Wernecke

133. “It seemed like the little Christmas tree wasn’t so little after all. It seemed to grow taller and wider with all the decorations on it.” ― Patricia Erickson

134. “Christmas is about giving gifts to loved ones. It is one time of the year even the emotionally most inexpressive can send a sentimental Christmas card.” ― Pedro Hernandez

135. “Christmas is a season of celebrating the birth of our Savior and a time of sharing gifts with those we cherish and love.” ― Jack Countryman

Merry Christmas quotes to get you in the holiday spirit

Prepare for the holiday with the following quotes.

136. “Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” — Edna Ferber

137. “Christmas makes me happy no matter what time of year it comes around.” — Bryan White

138. “Christmas is a box of tree ornaments that have become part of the family.” — Charles M. Schulz

139. “May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope; The spirit of Christmas which is peace; The heart of Christmas which is love.” — Ada V. Hendricks

140. “Let us keep Christmas beautiful without a thought of greed.” — Ann Garnett Schultz

141. “Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.” — Robert Lynd

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

143. “The world has grown weary through the years, but at Christmas, it is young.” — Phillips Brooks

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

145. “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light. From now on, our troubles will be out of sight.” — Hugh Martin

Merry Christmas quotes to help you find the true meaning of the season

Be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas in the following quotes.

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

147. “Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance — each beautiful, unique, and too soon gone.” — Deborah Whipp

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

149. “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” – Will Ferrell, Elf

150. “Christmas is sights, especially the sights of Christmas reflected in the eyes of a child.” — William Saroyan

151. “The Christmas spirit is a spirit of giving and forgiving.” — James Cash Penney

152. “Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold.” — Josephine Daskam Bacon

153. “Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace.” — Pope Francis

154. “It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.” — Mother Teresa

Did these Christmas quotes brighten your celebrations?

Hopefully, they reminded you of the spirit of Christmas and put you in the mood for holiday cheer.

Maybe you can use some of these Merry Christmas quotes in your family cards this year!

No matter how you observe Christmas, here’s to wishing you and your family a happy and healthy holiday.

Cheers!

Tell us your favorite Christmas memory in the comment section below, and share these Christmas quotes with your loved ones on social media.