The Legend of the Christmas Rose

There are certain stories that seem to carry an inner light, as if they were written with one hand in this world and one in the next. Selma Lagerlöf’s The Legend of the Christmas Rose is such a tale. I found it to be one of those stories that lingers in your heart and won't let go.

The story is set  in Sweden, a place of meadows, mountains, and dark woods where the traditions for Christmastide are ancient. In this story the impossible becomes possible, and offers us a glimpse of grace breaking in where it is least expected. Lagerlöf wrote the tale more than a century ago, but the living images of mercy, sacrifice, and transformation are timeless.

This story reminds me of Charlotte Mason's words: Our holidays are best spent “teaching our children sympathy for life and all its forms” (The Parents’ Review). Read this story with your child and practice that sympathy—to welcome beauty, wrestle with bitterness, and witness redemption blooming like the Christmas rose itself.

My hope is that this tale becomes a treasured Advent read for your family.   

DOWNLOAD The Legend of the Christmas Rose 

If you’d like more stories and resources for Christmas and Advent, you’ll find a few favorites here—

Rediscover Christmas - A Family Journey to Joy, Wonder, and the Heart of the Season

Created In God's Image - Discover Your Child’s Purpose through the Christmas Story

Many blessings during this Advent season,

Sheila Carroll