Christmas Greetings

Summary


"Christmas Greetings" by Lewis Carroll is a tender Christmas poem in which fairies set aside their mischief to deliver a heartfelt seasonal wish. Carroll weaves together the Christmas message of peace and goodwill with the idea that a childlike heart keeps the spirit of Christmas alive all year long. The poem moves from playful fancy to warm sincerity, closing with a direct, gentle wish for a Merry Christmas and a glad New Year offered to a beloved "Lady dear."

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Lady dear, if Fairies may
For a moment lay aside
Cunning tricks and elfish play,
‘Tis at happy Christmas-tide.

Fairies pausing their play in a snowy forest in the poem Christmas Greetings by Lewis Carroll

We have heard the children say—
Gentle children, whom we love—
Long ago, on Christmas Day,
Came a message from above.

Still, as Christmas-tide comes round,
They remember it again—
Echo still the joyful sound
“Peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Yet the hearts must childlike be
Where such heavenly guests abide:
Unto children, in their glee,
All the year is Christmas-tide!

Thus, forgetting tricks and play
For a moment, Lady dear,
We would wish you, if we may,
Merry Christmas, glad New Year!

Credits

Lewis Carroll was the Victorian English author celebrated worldwide for his Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and his gift for blending whimsy with deeper meaning. This short poem was addressed as a personal Christmas greeting, reflecting Carroll's well-known habit of crafting charming verse dedications for the children and friends he cherished.