40 Christmas Eve Quotes from Books, Movies and Carols

Christmas Eve quotes are lines for the night of December 24: cards, texts, captions and a few words before the children go to bed. This list has 40. It starts with poems and books by Clement Clarke Moore, Charles Dickens and Bess Streeter Aldrich. Then come movie lines, songs and carols, faith quotes, wishes and two funny lines.

Christmas Eve 2026 falls on Thursday, December 24.

Quick picks: for a card, use Moore's "'Twas the night before Christmas" line. For a family movie night, use "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." For the group chat, use the line about wrapping gifts at midnight.

Christmas Eve quotes from poems and books

• "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." (Clement Clarke Moore, A Visit from St. Nicholas)
• "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there." (Clement Clarke Moore, A Visit from St. Nicholas)
• "Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever." (Bess Streeter Aldrich, Song of Years)
• "Peace on earth and mercy mild are still possible. On Christmas Eve, all things are possible." (Gregg Easterbrook, The Atlantic Monthly)
• "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." (Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol)
• "It translates to Christmas Book flood. In Iceland it's a tradition to give new books as gifts on Christmas Eve and then spend the evening reading." (Jenn McKinlay, It Happened One Christmas Eve)
• "The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young." (Phillips Brooks, Christmas Everywhere)
• "The world had gone to bed, leaving the stage to the soft hush of falling snow and the ancient vigil of Christmas Eve."
• "To perceive Christmas through the eyes of a child is to discover again the wonders of a silent night."
• "Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." (Hamilton Wright Mabie, My Study Fire)

Christmas Eve quotes from movies

• "It's Christmas Eve. It's the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be." (Frank Cross, Scrooged, 1988)
• "It's Christmas Eve, a time of mystery, expectations; who knows what might happen." (Drosselmeyer, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms)
• "It's Christmas Eve and we are going to go celebrate being young and being alive." (Miles Dumont, The Holiday, 2006)
• "And it is Christmas Eve. Listen. Maybe you'll hear his bells." (John Riggs, Prancer, 1989)
• "Everybody's getting ready for that big, big sleigh ride on the night of the 24th, Christmas Eve." (Sam the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)
• "Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas." (Clark Griswold, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation)
• "Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist." (Charlie Calvin, The Santa Clause, 1994)
• "Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see." (The Conductor, The Polar Express, 2004)
• "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." (Zuzu Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life, 1946)
• "I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love." (Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas)

Christmas Eve quotes from songs and carols

• "Christmas Eve will find me where the love light gleams. I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams." (Kim Gannon and Walter Kent, I'll Be Home for Christmas)
• "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)
• "Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and child." (Joseph Mohr, Silent Night)
• "Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and child." (Britney Spears, My Only Wish (This Year))
• "Christmas Eve, I just can't sleep. Would I be wrong for taking a peek?" (Christina Aguilera, Christmas Time)
• "When I was young every Christmas Eve I could not sleep, trying to catch that old St. Nick leaving presents under the tree." (Chris Rea, Driving Home for Christmas)
• "O holy night! The stars are brightly shining; it is the night of the dear Savior's birth." (Placide Cappeau, O Holy Night)

Inspirational and faith quotes for Christmas Eve

• "Christmas is not a time nor 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, Presidential Message)
• "It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you … yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand." (Mother Teresa, Words to Love By)
• "Mankind is a great, an immense family. This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas." (Pope John XXIII, Papal Address)

Christmas Eve wishes and sayings

• Christmas Eve, a perfect night to express affection for your family, to forgive those who failed you, and to forget past mistakes.
• Christmas Eve: when anticipation turns into magic and simple moments become lifelong memories.
• Let Christmas Eve be a gentle reminder to appreciate how far you have come, who is beside you, and all the hope still ahead.
• On Christmas Eve, may your home feel warmer, your heart feel lighter, and the season feel as magical as you remember.
• Christmas Eve was never just about what comes in the morning; it is the holy pause where the world catches its breath in wonder.
• A quiet night, a grateful heart, a glowing tree, and a little Christmas magic.
• On the night before Christmas, may you experience the simple delight of being together. Enjoy this moment.
• May the peace of Christmas Eve descend upon your hearth like quiet snow, keeping your heart gentle and bright.

Funny Christmas Eve quotes

• Christmas Eve: the magical night when 'I'll wrap the gifts later' officially catches up with you at midnight.
• Nothing says Christmas Eve quite like shaking every present under the tree and realizing you forgot the batteries.

Which Christmas Eve quote to use

How to use these Christmas Eve quotes

Read the Moore poem aloud before bed, then send one short wish to anyone who is not with you. Movie lines fit a photo of your family movie night. Keep the author's name with any famous line.

For family cards, see our Merry Christmas quotes for family. For a stocking with a name stitched on, browse our embroidered Christmas stockings and Christmas embroidered gifts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous Christmas Eve quote?

The opening of Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas": "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

What is a famous Christmas Eve quote from a movie?

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings," said by Zuzu Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life (1946).

What is a short Christmas Eve quote for a card?

"A quiet night, a grateful heart, a glowing tree, and a little Christmas magic."

What is a religious Christmas Eve quote?

"O holy night! The stars are brightly shining; it is the night of the dear Savior's birth," from the carol O Holy Night by Placide Cappeau.

What is a funny Christmas Eve quote?

"Nothing says Christmas Eve quite like shaking every present under the tree and realizing you forgot the batteries."

What day is Christmas Eve in 2026?

Thursday, December 24, 2026.