250 Christmas Eve Quotes: Heartwarming Lines for the Night

Below you will find 250 lines for the night before Christmas — from Clement Clarke Moore’s beloved poem and Dickens’ christmas quotes tradition to King James nativity verses, timeless carols, and movie moments. Whether you are writing cards, posting captions, or reading aloud by the fire, you will also find christmas wishes to share when midnight strikes.

Santa’s Eve: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

1. “Don’t expect too much of Christmas Day. You can’t crowd into it any arrears of unselfishness and kindliness that have accrued during the year.” — Oren Arnold
2. “I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.” — Shirley Temple
3. “Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus.” — Francis Pharcellus Church, New York Sun editorial (1897)
4. “There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.” — Francis Pharcellus Church, New York Sun editorial (1897)
5. “You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart.” — Francis Pharcellus Church, New York Sun editorial (1897)
6. “Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.” — Francis Pharcellus Church, New York Sun editorial (1897)
7. “Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!” — Francis Pharcellus Church, New York Sun editorial (1897)
8. “I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.” — Harlan Miller
9. “With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
10. “More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
11. “Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want and their kids pay for it.” — Richard Lamm
12. “”To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
13. “As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
14. “So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
15. “And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
16. “As I drew in my head, and was turning around, down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
17. “He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
18. “A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
19. “His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
20. “His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
21. “The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
22. “He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
23. “He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
24. “A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
25. “He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
26. “And laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
27. “He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle.” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
28. “But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”” — Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1823)
29. “The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.” — George Carlin
30. “Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa.” — Matt Groening, The Simpsons
31. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist.” — Francis Pharcellus Church, New York Sun editorial (1897)
32. “No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever.” — Francis Pharcellus Church, New York Sun editorial (1897)
33. “The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.” — Francis Pharcellus Church, New York Sun editorial (1897)
34. “At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them.” — Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express (1985)

The Nativity Story

1. “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” — Luke 2:9 (King James Version)
2. “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” — Luke 2:7 (King James Version)
3. “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.” — Luke 2:6 (King James Version)
4. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” — Luke 2:10 (King James Version)
5. “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.” — Luke 2:17 (King James Version)
6. “And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” — Luke 2:18 (King James Version)
7. “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” — Luke 2:15 (King James Version)
8. “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” — Luke 2:16 (King James Version)
9. “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,” — Matthew 2:1 (King James Version)
10. “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” — Luke 2:20 (King James Version)
11. “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” — Matthew 2:2 (King James Version)
12. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” — Matthew 2:10 (King James Version)
13. “When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” — Matthew 2:9 (King James Version)
14. “Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.” — G. K. Chesterton
15. “Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.” — C. S. Lewis
16. “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” — Luke 1:31 (King James Version)
17. “Infinite, and yet an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman.” — Charles Spurgeon
18. “Midnight on Christmas Eve is the one hour when the whole world seems to hold its breath between promise and fulfillment.” — Unknown
19. “On Christmas Eve the church bells ring a little softer, as if heaven itself were whispering.” — Unknown
20. “Every lighted window on Christmas Eve is a small prayer against the dark.” — Unknown
21. “Christmas Eve is the church’s lullaby, sung over a sleeping world.” — Unknown
22. “The giving of gifts is not something man invented. God started the giving spree when He gave a gift beyond words, the unspeakable gift of His Son.” — Robert Flatt
23. “God gave us memory that we might have roses in December.” — J. M. Barrie
24. “If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: “God with us.”” — John MacArthur
25. “Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?” — Mark Lowry, “Mary, Did You Know?” (1984)
26. “What Child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping?” — William Chatterton Dix, “What Child Is This?” (1865)
27. “This, this is Christ the King.” — William Chatterton Dix, “What Child Is This?” (1865)

Hymns & Carols of the Holy Night

1. “Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”” — Charles Wesley, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1739)
2. “Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.” — Charles Wesley, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1739)
3. “Joyful, all ye nations, rise; join the triumph of the skies.” — Charles Wesley, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1739)
4. “Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord.” — Charles Wesley, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1739)
5. “Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die.” — Charles Wesley, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1739)
6. “Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!” — Charles Wesley, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1739)
7. “Silent night! holy night! All is calm, all is bright.” — Joseph Mohr, “Silent Night” (1818)
8. “Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child. Holy infant so tender and mild.” — Joseph Mohr, “Silent Night” (1818)
9. “Sleep in heavenly peace! Sleep in heavenly peace!” — Joseph Mohr, “Silent Night” (1818)
10. “Silent night! holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight.” — Joseph Mohr, “Silent Night” (1818)
11. “Glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing Alleluia.” — Joseph Mohr, “Silent Night” (1818)
12. “O holy night! The stars are brightly shining; it is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.” — “O Holy Night” (Adolphe Adam, 1847; English translation by John Sullivan Dwight)
13. “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” — “O Holy Night” (Adolphe Adam, 1847; English translation by John Sullivan Dwight)
14. “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” — “O Holy Night” (Adolphe Adam, 1847; English translation by John Sullivan Dwight)
15. “Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born.” — “O Holy Night” (Adolphe Adam, 1847; English translation by John Sullivan Dwight)
16. “Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace.” — “O Holy Night” (Adolphe Adam, 1847; English translation by John Sullivan Dwight)
17. “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!” — Phillips Brooks, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1868)
18. “Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.” — Phillips Brooks, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1868)
19. “Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.” — Phillips Brooks, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1868)
20. “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” — Phillips Brooks, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1868)
21. “It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old.” — Edmund Sears, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (1849)
22. “From angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold.” — Edmund Sears, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (1849)
23. “Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven’s all-gracious King.” — Edmund Sears, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (1849)
24. “The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.” — Edmund Sears, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (1849)
25. “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.” — “Away in a Manger” (hymn, author unknown)
26. “The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.” — “Away in a Manger” (hymn, author unknown)
27. “Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay close by me forever, and love me, I pray.” — “Away in a Manger” (hymn, author unknown)
28. “The First Noel the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.” — “The First Noel” (traditional carol)
29. “God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.” — “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” (traditional carol)
30. “Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells.” — “Carol of the Bells” (traditional Ukrainian carol; English words by Peter J. Wilhousky)
31. “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.” — John Francis Wade, “Adeste Fideles” (c. 1751)
32. “Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains.” — “Angels We Have Heard on High” (traditional French carol)
33. “Gloria in excelsis Deo.” — “Angels We Have Heard on High” (traditional French carol)
34. “The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown.” — “The Holly and the Ivy” (traditional English carol)
35. “Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child.” — “Coventry Carol” (traditional English carol)
36. “Ding dong merrily on high, in heav’n the bells are ringing.” — George Ratcliffe Woodward, “Ding Dong Merrily on High” (1924)

Songs of the Season

1. “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.” — James Lord Pierpont, “Jingle Bells” (1857)
2. “Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.” — James Lord Pierpont, “Jingle Bells” (1857)
3. “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches.” — “O Tannenbaum” (traditional German carol)
4. “Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green.” — “Here We Come A-Wassailing” (traditional English carol)
5. “We wish you a Merry Christmas.” — “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (traditional English carol)
6. “Now bring us some figgy pudding, and bring it out here.” — “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (traditional English carol)
7. “Good tidings we bring to you and your kin.” — “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (traditional English carol)
8. “Have a holly, jolly Christmas; it’s the best time of the year.” — Johnny Marks, “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (1962)
9. “Rockin’ around the Christmas tree at the Christmas party hop.” — Johnny Marks, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (1958)
10. “He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!” — Haven Gillespie, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (1934)
11. “He’s making a list and checking it twice.” — Haven Gillespie, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (1934)
12. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” — Edward Pola and George Wyle, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (1963)
13. “There’ll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow.” — Edward Pola and George Wyle, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (1963)
14. “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.” — Mel Torme and Robert Wells, “The Christmas Song” (1945)
15. “Jack Frost nipping at your nose.” — Mel Torme and Robert Wells, “The Christmas Song” (1945)
16. “Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.” — Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (1945)
17. “Sleigh bells ring, are you listening.” — Richard Bernhard Smith, “Winter Wonderland” (1934)
18. “In the meadow we can build a snowman.” — Richard Bernhard Smith, “Winter Wonderland” (1934)
19. “Happy holiday, happy holiday, while the merry bells keep ringing.” — Irving Berlin, “Happy Holiday” (1942)
20. “Silver bells, silver bells, it’s Christmas time in the city.” — Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, “Silver Bells” (1950)
21. “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: a partridge in a pear tree.” — “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (traditional English carol)
22. “Five golden rings.” — “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (traditional English carol)
23. “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe last night.” — Tommie Connor, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (1952)
24. “Up on the housetop, reindeer pause.” — Benjamin Hanby, “Up on the Housetop” (1864)
25. “Out jumps good old Santa Claus.” — Benjamin Hanby, “Up on the Housetop” (1864)
26. “Jolly old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way.” — “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” (traditional carol)
27. “Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer pulling on the reins.” — Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman, “Here Comes Santa Claus” (1947)
28. “Must be Santa, must be Santa, must be Santa, Santa Claus.” — Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks, “Must Be Santa” (1960)
29. “Grandma got run over by a reindeer, walking home from our house Christmas Eve.” — Randy Brooks, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” (1979)
30. “Come, they told me, pa-rum-pum-pum-pum.” — Katherine K. Davis, “The Little Drummer Boy” (1941)
31. “May your days be merry and bright.” — Irving Berlin, “White Christmas” (1942)
32. “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.” — Irving Berlin, “White Christmas” (1942)
33. “I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need.” — Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1994)

Dickens & Literary Classics

1. “I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
2. “God bless us, every one!” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
3. “Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; and transport the traveller back to his own fireside and quiet home!” — Charles Dickens
4. “For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
5. “A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world!” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
6. “Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that.” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
7. “I don’t know what to do! I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy.” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
8. “Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father.” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
9. “He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew.” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
10. “It is, indeed, the season of regenerated feeling — the season for kindling, not merely the fire of hospitality in the hall, but the genial flame of charity in the heart.” — Washington Irving, “Christmas” (1819)
11. “Amidst the general call to happiness, the bustle of the spirits, and stir of the affections, which prevail at this period, what bosom can remain insensible?” — Washington Irving, “Christmas” (1819)
12. “Surely happiness is reflective, like the light of heaven; and every countenance bright with smiles, and glowing with innocent enjoyment, is a mirror transmitting to others the rays of a supreme and ever-shining benevolence.” — Washington Irving
13. “The grate had been removed from the wide overwhelming fireplace, to make way for a fire of wood, in the midst of which was an enormous log glowing and blazing, and sending forth a vast volume of light and heat; this I understood was the Yule-log, which the Squire was particular in having brought in and illumined on a Christmas eve, according to ancient custom.” — Washington Irving, “Christmas Eve” (1819)
14. “The scene of early love again rises green to memory beyond the sterile waste of years; and the idea of home, fraught with the fragrance of home-dwelling joys, re-animates the drooping spirit.” — Washington Irving, “Christmas” (1819)
15. “Some say that ever ‘gainst that season comes wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated, this bird of dawning singeth all night long… So hallow’d and so gracious is the time.” — William Shakespeare, Hamlet (c. 1600), quoted by Washington Irving in “Christmas”
16. “I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me.” — Charles Dickens, Preface to A Christmas Carol (1843)
17. “He knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
18. “Bah! Humbug!” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
19. “There’s more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
20. “”Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.” — Louisa May Alcott, Little Women (1868)
21. “She lighted another match. Then she was sitting under a most beautiful Christmas tree.” — Hans Christian Andersen, “The Little Match Girl” (1845)
22. “She lighted yet another match against the wall; it became bright again, and in the brightness there stood the old grandmother.” — Hans Christian Andersen, “The Little Match Girl” (1845)
23. “The magi, as you know, were wise men — wonderfully wise men — who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger.” — O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (1905)
24. “Of all who give gifts, these two were the wisest.” — O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (1905)
25. “One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all.” — O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (1905)
26. “Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.” — O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (1905)
27. “It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.” — O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (1905)
28. “One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six.” — Dylan Thomas, A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1952)
29. “All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street.” — Dylan Thomas, A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1952)
30. “Years and years ago, when I was a boy, when there were wolves in Wales, and birds the colour of red-flannel petticoats whisked past the harp-shaped hills.” — Dylan Thomas, A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1952)
31. “Imagine a morning in late November.” — Truman Capote, “A Christmas Memory” (1956)
32. “It’s fruitcake weather!” — Truman Capote, “A Christmas Memory” (1956)
33. “”Oh my,” she exclaims, her breath smoking the windowpane, “it’s fruitcake weather!” — Truman Capote, “A Christmas Memory” (1956)
34. “She is still a child.” — Truman Capote, “A Christmas Memory” (1956)
35. “To be honest, to be kind — to earn a little and to spend a little less, to make upon the whole a family happier for his presence.” — Robert Louis Stevenson, “A Christmas Sermon” (1900)

Poets of the Holy Night

1. “Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine.” — Christina Rossetti, “Christmastide” (1885)
2. “Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow.” — Christina Rossetti, “In the Bleak Midwinter” (1872)
3. “Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain; Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.” — Christina Rossetti, “In the Bleak Midwinter” (1872)
4. “What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.” — Christina Rossetti, “In the Bleak Midwinter” (1872)
5. “And wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, good-will to men!” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Christmas Bells” (1863)
6. “”And in despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said; “For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men!”” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Christmas Bells” (1863)
7. “”Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!”” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Christmas Bells” (1863)
8. “Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock. “Now they are all on their knees,” an elder said as we sat in a flock by the embers in hearthside ease.” — Thomas Hardy, “The Oxen” (1915)
9. “If someone said on Christmas Eve, “Come; see the oxen kneel, in the lonely barton by yonder coomb our childhood used to know,” I should go with him in the gloom, hoping it might be so.” — Thomas Hardy, “The Oxen” (1915)
10. “A cold coming we had of it, just the worst time of the year.” — T. S. Eliot, “The Journey of the Magi” (1927)
11. “Were we led all that way for birth or death?” — T. S. Eliot, “The Journey of the Magi” (1927)
12. “We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, but no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation.” — T. S. Eliot, “The Journey of the Magi” (1927)
13. “Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold.” — John Milton, “On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity” (1629)
14. “Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb, now leaves his well-belov’d imprisonment.” — John Donne, “La Corona: Annunciation” (c. 1610)
15. “Welcome all wonders in one sight! Eternity shut in a span; summer in winter, day in night, Heaven in earth, and God in man.” — Richard Crashaw, “A Hymn of the Nativity” (1652)
16. “Heap on more wood! — the wind is chill; but let it whistle as it will, we’ll keep our Christmas merry still.” — Sir Walter Scott, Marmion (1808)

Christmas Eve on Screen

1. “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch, you really are a heel.” — Dr. Seuss, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” (1966)
2. “You’re as cuddly as a cactus, you’re as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch.” — Dr. Seuss, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” (1966)
3. “Your heart’s an empty hole, your brain is full of spiders.” — Dr. Seuss, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” (1966)
4. “He puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.” — Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957)
5. “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” — Linus van Pelt, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
6. “I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.” — Linus van Pelt, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
7. “All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.” — Linus van Pelt, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
8. “There’s only one more sleep ’til Christmas.” — Kermit the Frog, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
9. “It is the season of the heart, a special time of caring, the ways of love made clear.” — The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
10. “This is my house, I have to defend it.” — Home Alone (1990)
11. “I made my family disappear.” — Home Alone (1990)
12. “Keep the change, ya filthy animal.” — Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
13. “Fra-gee-lay. That must be Italian.” — A Christmas Story (1983)
14. “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” — A Christmas Story (1983)
15. “You sit on a throne of lies.” — Elf (2003)
16. “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” — Elf (2003)
17. “Son of a nutcracker!” — Elf (2003)
18. “I’m a cotton-headed ninny-muggins.” — Elf (2003)
19. “Does somebody need a hug?” — Elf (2003)
20. “I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes.” — Love Actually (2003)
21. “To me, you are perfect.” — Love Actually (2003)
22. “What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon?” — It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
23. “Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.” — It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
24. “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives.” — It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
25. “Where’s the Tylenol?” — National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
26. “Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?” — National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
27. “Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind.” — Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
28. “Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.” — Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
29. “Hate, hate, hate. Hate, hate, hate. Double hate. Loathe entirely!” — How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
30. “Put that cookie down! NOW!” — Jingle All the Way (1996)
31. “What’s this? What’s this? There’s color everywhere!” — The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
32. “Just because I cannot see it, doesn’t mean I can’t believe it!” — The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
33. “And sit together, now and forever. For it is plain, as anyone can see. We’re simply meant to be.” — The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
34. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, had a very shiny nose.” — Johnny Marks, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949)
35. “Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say: “Rudolph, with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”” — Johnny Marks, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949)
36. “You’ll go down in his-to-ry!” — Johnny Marks, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949)
37. “The bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.” — The Polar Express (2004)

Heartwarming Christmas Eve Quotes & Reflections

1. “There’s nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.” — Erma Bombeck
2. “Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.” — Mary Ellen Chase
3. “What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.” — Agnes M. Pahro
4. “He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” — Roy L. Smith
5. “Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl.” — Bess Streeter Aldrich
6. “Love the giver more than the gift.” — Brigham Young
7. “Christmas, my child, is love in action.” — Dale Evans Rogers
8. “From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas brings us closer to each other.” — Emily Matthews
9. “The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing each others’ loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.” — W. C. Jones
10. “Nothing ever seems too bad, too hard, or too sad when you’ve got a Christmas tree in the living room.” — Nora Roberts
11. “Christmas is the season when people run out of money before they run out of friends.” — Larry Wilde
12. “Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.” — Dave Barry
13. “A silent night, a star above, a blessed gift of hope and love.” — Unknown
14. “Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.” — Larry Wilde
15. “When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things — not the great occasions — give off the greatest glow of happiness.” — Bob Hope
16. “Christmas is more than a day in December; it’s all those things that we love to remember.” — Helen Steiner Rice
17. “There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions.” — Bill McKibben
18. “I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story.” — Fred Rogers
19. “The world has grown weary through the years, but at Christmas it is young.” — Phillips Brooks
20. “Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts.” — Joan Winmill Brown
21. “At Christmas, all roads lead home.” — Marjorie Holmes
22. “Christmas is the keeping-place of memories of our innocence.” — Joan Mills
23. “The magic of Christmas is not in the presents but in His presence.” — Unknown
24. “The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.” — Charles Dudley Warner
25. “Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold.” — Josephine Daskam Bacon
26. “Bless us Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind; teach us to be patient and always to be kind.” — Helen Steiner Rice
27. “Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” — Winston Churchill (Christmas Eve broadcast, 1941)
28. “The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness.” — Thomas S. Monson
29. “Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first.” — George Matthew Adams
30. “A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.” — Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home (1987)
31. “Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us to think of others rather than of ourselves.” — B. C. Forbes
32. “Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting.” — Thomas S. Monson

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most famous Christmas Eve quote?

The opening of Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem: “’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” It has defined Christmas Eve in the popular imagination for two centuries.

What Bible verse is traditionally read on Christmas Eve?

Luke 2 is the classic Christmas Eve reading — especially verses 7 through 14, which tell of Christ’s birth, the angel’s announcement to the shepherds, and the heavenly host singing “Glory to God in the highest.”

Why is Christmas Eve so special?

Christmas Eve is the night of anticipation: stockings hung, carols sung, and families gathered. For Christians it is the vigil of the nativity; for everyone else it is the year’s most magical evening of togetherness and hope.

What are some short Christmas Eve quotes I can share?

Try “God bless us, every one!” (Dickens), “Silent night! holy night! All is calm, all is bright.” (Joseph Mohr), or “At Christmas, all roads lead home.” (Marjorie Holmes) — all short enough for a card or caption.

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