NarniaWeb Community Forums

Hello everyone! With the Christmas season upon us, now seemed a good time to ask the forum: Do you consider The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to be a Christmas story? Why or why not? I have my opinion, but I’d like to read your thoughts.

I would say yes, it is a Christmas story. The Narnians are constantly going on about it always being winter and never Christmas... and then Father Christmas shows up, implying that it is Christmas. Although, even when I first read the book when I was about 7 or so, I was confused as to why it was "Christmas" and not "Aslanmas". Maybe King Frank and Queen Helen instituted the holiday in Narnia?

It is definitely a Christmas story imo, for the same reasons as Erlian expressed. Some people (even in my family) think of it as an Easter story though because of Aslan being resurrected. But the snow pretty much confirms its Christmasness to me.

I think it definitely qualifies as a Christmas story, so that's what I voted for in the poll, but to me it's essentially a blend of Christmas and Easter... there's a lot of Christmas themes and visuals, but so much of Easter as well. Perhaps a more obvious and direct link to Easter in the climax of the story, but the wonder of Aslan's arrival, the promise that the true king will upend the evil in Narnia, and the Pevensies' travels to meet him are also quite evocative of the birth of Jesus, the angels heralding the newborn king, and the people that followed the star to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child. And of course it's Aslan's arrival that makes it Christmas in the first place.

But honestly, an excuse to read it twice a year at Christmas and Easter is certainly welcome.

So, I know that people have expressed that they think that this book is a Christmas story because Father Christmas shows up, and while that is a super big clue towards us looking at it as a Christmas story, it's much more than just a fun cameo.
You see, Jadis made it always winter and never Christmas. As someone who lives in MN, which means that it's winter usually at least 6 months out of the year. The only good thing about winter is that Christmas is coming!!!!
Also keep in mind, that winter, though it can be fun, often isn't. Since my house is heated with wood, I've had to get up early in the morning, or stay up late at night to make sure that my family stays warm. (I'm not the Dad, btw, it's more just a chore) There have been times when our family snowplow has broken down, and we've had to shovel out snow drifts that are five feet tall. This isn't a pity party, it's just case and poit, winter can be tough. And like I said, Christmas is the best part of winter.
So, if it were winter, and never Christmas, then that would mean that the best part of this mostly uncomfortable thing would be gone. In other words, the hope of winter would be gone. The hope of CHRISTmas would be gone.
The White Witch's rule has caused the hope to be gone from Narnia. There is no positives to her reign. The other thing to point out is that many animals go into hibernation during the winter, and it's almost as if the spirit of Narnia has been put to sleep.
However, with the return of Aslan, and the fulfillment of the prophecy, it doesn't just elminate winter, oh no. It's much better than that. Instead, the Narnians, (and specifically the children) receive the benifit of the best thing that winter has to offer. They get to have a Narnian Christmas. People have pointed out that isn't it weird that the Narnians have Christmas, and my opinion is, "not really". First of all, we know that Aslan is known by another name in our world. (Jesu-) The other thing though is that there are certain things that come with the idea of "Christmas" that another name, such as Winter Solstace, or whatever, wouldn't carry.
The book really is about the coming of Christmas. Not just that one scene, but the entire book! Why so? Because the whole thing is about the return of hope, and joy, and love to Narnia, and that is what Christmas, and Christ, are all about.

Well ironically I'm reading it to my kids right now because it definitely works as a Christmas book, but the more I think about it, the more I lean towards an Easter story instead.
Yes it has snow, yes it has Father Christmas, but the whole point of the second half is the return of Aslan, his death, and resurrection, so I lean Easter myself.

I don't really consider it a Christmas story myself because only one three and half chapters take place during Christmas and they aren't the climactic chapters either. (They're a little way past the middle.) For me, a story has to either mostly take place around Christmas or have Christmas be the climax for it to count as a Christmas story. But if you consider The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe one, I don't care enough about the subject to argue with you.

I'm actually am in the middle of watching/reading LWW right now, and the thought occurred to me... why not do half the story now, ending with the Witch's Winter, and then pick up again in Easter? The first half has me totally in the mood for Christmas anyway.
But could I possibly wait till Spring to find out how it ends?