We Asked You to Share Your Funniest *True* Holiday Stories—And You Delivered!

These festive funnies are sure to make you smile.

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Christmas Eve candlelight procession
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Funny Christmas Stories From Our Readers

Like father, like son

One evening I arrived home from work to find the lights out. My wife had prepared a lovely candlelit dinner and our two young sons, Garett and Seldon, were dressed in their suits.

“Hey,” I joked, “didn’t we pay our hydro bill?”

A few months later, during the Christmas Eve candlelit procession, the church was packed and silent when Garett asked, “Hey, Dad, did they not pay their hydro bill, too?” —Sylvio Gravel, Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario

Keep reading for more funny Christmas stories!

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Funny Christmas stories - cool Santa
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Meeting Santa Claus

My husband took our two sons, six-year-old Devin and four-year-old Chase, to a party where Santa would be handing out gifts. The instructions from the organizers were to bring our own gifts, so I brought beach towels with the kids’ names printed on them.

Upon arriving, Devin said he couldn’t believe the skinny Santa was actually Santa. His doubt turned to belief when he opened his gift.

“He has to be the real Santa!” he said. “How else would he know my name?” —Paulette Ryan, Fredericton, New Brunswick

Check out more funny things kids have said to their parents.

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Funny Christmas stories - Christmas tree farm
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A child’s retort

Some of my favourite childhood memories involve our family’s annual trips to the local Christmas tree farm. Although we have an artificial tree at our house, my children are still able to partake in the tradition by accompanying my parents when they cut down their tree.

When I announced we would be helping them pick a tree the following weekend, I expected Ethan, my six-year old, to be excited about the outing.

Instead, he furrowed his brow, puzzled, and asked, “What did they do with the one we got them last year?” —Sara Daub, Waterloo, Ontario

Psst—this is the best time to buy a Christmas tree in Canada.

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Airplane view
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Traffic jam in the sky

On a flight to Mexico for Christmas vacation, I watched my four-year-old son, Max, stare intently out the airplane window. We had just taken off and were passing through some big white clouds. Max looked concerned and I wondered what he might be thinking about.

Suddenly his eyes lit up and a big smile came across his face. He announced loudly, “Mom! I know why we’re not getting anywhere—we’re stuck in all this snow!” —Kara Wilson, Calgary, Alberta

Take a nostalgic look back at what a country Christmas was like in the 1950s.

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Funny Christmas stories - toddler and Christmas tree
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The meaning of Christmas

Sorting out how Santa fits in with the religious meaning of Christmas can be confusing for kids. This was evidenced by my two-year-old daughter, Josie, as she pretended to read from a book: “Then Santa forgave them their trespasses…” —Clara Smith, Victoria, British Columbia

Kick off your holiday countdown with one of these unique advent calendars.

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Funny Christmas stories - decorating tree
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A wish come true

My mom is a bit of a pack rat. Recently she went digging under her stairs for some holiday decorations and came across a birthday card I had sent her 30 years earlier. She called me to say my wish for her had come true.

“What wish?” I asked.

“You wished me a happy 30th birthday,” Mom replied, “and hoped I’d live for another 30 years—and I did!” —Teri Beauchesne, Redcliff, Alberta

Ready to put your vocabulary to the test? See if you can match these Christmas words with their proper definitions.

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Christmas stockings
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Stocking stuffers

One Christmas my husband put an assortment of beauty products in my stocking. I tried one of the facial masks, and was about to wash it off when my eight-year-old son, Callum, walked in. I explained to him that it was a present from his dad and it would make me beautiful.

He patiently waited by my side as I rinsed and patted my face dry.

“Well, what do you think?” I asked.

“Oh, Mom, it didn’t work!” Callum replied. —Lynn Thibodeau, Ajax, Ontario

Got everyone checked off your Christmas list? Don’t miss these great Canadian gift ideas under $50!

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Children's choir
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Misheard lyrics

When my niece was a student, her class of six-year-olds sang “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” at a Christmas concert. The line “God and sinners reconciled” was a tricky one for this age group.

One little boy, with a voice that completely drowned out the rest of the choir, happily belted out, “God and sinners dressed in style!” —Jessie Robertson, Williams Lake, B.C.

Discover the most magical Christmas markets across Canada.

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Open sign on window
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Lost in translation

On a drive home from visiting family over the holidays, my children and I stopped off at a corner store. The cashier turned to my four-year-old daughter and asked, “Was Santa good t’ya?”

My five-year-old son, not used to the Ottawa Valley accent, piped up, “Her name’s not Tia.” —Trista Fennell, Peterborough, Ontario

Don’t miss our countdown of the best Christmas movies ever.

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Santa Claus smiling
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Honesty is the best policy

My nine-year-old son, Gabriel, had heard some rumours at school that Santa wasn’t real. He approached me with a big question: “Dad, tell me the truth. Is Santa real?”

I decided to tell him it was us who had bought his latest Nintendo Wii game.

“Really?” he said. “You should have let Santa bring it. That way, it would have been free.” —Mario Rodriguez, Aurora, Ontario

If you loved these funny Christmas stories, you won’t want to miss this roundup of our best-ever holiday jokes.

Reader's Digest Canada
Originally Published in Reader's Digest Canada

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