'Tis the Season ... For Christmas Quotes

“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.”

—Charles Schulz

I was raised in a Roman Catholic family and my physician-dad was a strong practitioner of his religion. He was a profound believer in God and I have no doubt that his faith got him through some very tough times.

As a boy I remember many joyous Christmas seasons. My father loved all the activities associated with the Christmas tree. We always got the biggest one we could find (one year it reached 30-feet) and putting them up and decorating those trees recall some of the fondest memories of my dad and our family.

My mother was a very thoughtful and generous lady so she was terrific at making a great Christmas time for her children and, of course, dad paid the bills (which got sizable at Christmas). My mom’s side of the family included 14 children and they went on to have over 80 children of their own. So big and boisterous family Christmas parties were another warm memory from my youth.

Still, the holiday season can bring with it some feelings of sadness for me. The Kelly family lost two siblings (my sisters Claire and Alice) to tragic auto accident around the Christmas holidays. So the period can make for mixed feelings.

I suppose it’s an emotional conflict I always have to face. But having my own children has certainly helped me to see the good rather than the bad at this time of the year. As we get ready to ring in that blessed day, here are some Christmas quotes to consider:

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

—Norman Vincent Peale

• “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

• “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

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

—Garrison Keillor

• “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

• “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

• “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

—Charles Dickens

• “Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.”

—Winston Churchill

• “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

• “Christmas is love in action.”

—Dale Evans

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

—Taylor Caldwell

• “At Christmas, all roads lead home.”

—Marjorie Holmes

• “Christmas is the day that holds all time together.”

—Alexander Smith