Christmas - The Atlantic

Christmas

March 5, 2026

Poem

Two Portraits of My Father in a Tree

Roey Leonardi

February 22, 2026

A woman's hand holding the branch of a tree

Politics

Teenagers Are Pushing Himmler’s Favorite Myth

Ali Breland

January 23, 2026

Family

The Holiday Traditions of a Nation Long Dead

Andrew Fedorov

December 31, 2025

Left: The Red Square viewed from the "Gum" department store, Moscow, 2001. Right: Christmas Tree On Berlin Soviet Zone On December 7th, 1960.

Photography

Dusty Pillars

Alan Taylor

December 25, 2025

Huge dark pillars of dust and gas, seen against a backdrop of stars.

The Atlantic Daily

An Idiosyncratic Christmas Playlist

Tom Nichols

December 24, 2025

A performance of Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses

Ideas

What I Lost When I Gave Up My Catholicism

Xochitl Gonzalez

December 24, 2025

Culture

The Sound of a Charlie Brown Christmas

Anna Holmes

December 24, 2025

A still from A Charlie Brown Christmas showing Snoopy on top of a Christmas Tree as other characters dance below

Humor

The Trump Administration’s Guide to Christmas Giving

Alexandra Petri

December 22, 2025

Culture

Nine Non-Christmas Movies to Watch During Christmas

The Atlantic Culture Desk

December 21, 2025

A grid of 6 colorful photos of movie stills

Photography

2025 Space Telescope Advent Calendar

Alan Taylor

December 1, 2025

Distant galaxies appear in the background of this image from deep space, with a dark disk of dust seen edge-on at center, surrounded by clouds of dust and gas.

Ideas

Black Friday Nostalgia

Annie Joy Williams

November 28, 2025

Women at Toys “R” Us hold boxes of toys.

Ideas

Donald Trump’s War on Christmas

Annie Lowrey

November 27, 2025

A price tag with a black-and-white photo of Donald Trump on it, in front of a green background

Culture

Advent Calendars Are Totally Out of Control

Ellen Cushing

November 18, 2025

Treats spilling out of a calendar square marked "12"

Ideas

When My Teacher Made Me Pray

Michael Sokolove

June 5, 2025

Planet

Eat Less Beef. Eat More Ostrich?

Sarah Zhang

January 8, 2025

Ideas

What ‘Silent Night’ Misunderstands About Christmas

Esau McCaulley

December 25, 2024

A crying baby superimposed over the nativity scene

The Atlantic Daily

The Most Haunting—And Most Inspiring—Moment in A Christmas Carol

Tom Nichols

December 24, 2024

Culture

Trapped—And Lavishly Rewarded—For Playing a Part

Sophie Gilbert

December 24, 2024

A collage juxtaposing stills from "Babygirl" and "Black Doves"

Book Recommendations

Six Books to Read by the Fire

Amanda Parrish Morgan

December 23, 2024

A painting of a woman warming her hands by the fire

Health

How Tortillas Lost Their Magic

Kristen V. Brown

December 23, 2024

Ideas

Postpone Your Pleasures

Arthur C. Brooks

December 19, 2024

An illustration of a woman watching happily as a snail makes its slow way toward her.

Culture

The Luxury Makeover of the Worst Pastry on Earth

Ellen Cushing

December 19, 2024

An illustration of a panettone on a gold pedestal

Family

What If You Just Skipped the Holidays?

Faith Hill

December 16, 2024

An illustration of man trying to climb out of a chimney as people drive into the house. Santa is in the distance, about to approach.

Planet

Winter Is Cooked

Zoë Schlanger

December 5, 2024

A snow globe with a little house and snowman in it filled with rain

Ideas

The Christian Case for Happy Holidays

Elizabeth Bruenig

December 2, 2024

Ideas

Why Humility Is the Key to Well-Being

Arthur C. Brooks

October 17, 2024

Ideas

On Failing the Family Vacation

Kim Brooks

February 13, 2024

A woman posing in front of a cruise ship

Poem

Condolence

L. A. Johnson

December 26, 2023

A table set with food and wine and a lit candle, with a door open in the background showing the sky

Ideas

A Seasonal Guide to Better Well-Being

Arthur C. Brooks

December 21, 2023

The Atlantic Daily

The Most Unsettling ‘Christmas Carol’

Tom Nichols

December 20, 2023

A still from A Christmas Carol featuring George C. Scott as Scrooge

Newsletters

The Dark Side of Christmas Music

Lora Kelley

December 8, 2023

Vinyl record player next to a Christmas tree and lights

Dear Therapist

Dear Therapist: I Don’t Want to See My Mom This Christmas

Lori Gottlieb

November 27, 2023

An illustration of a grandmother with her daughter and granddaughter surrounded by gift boxes

The Wonder Reader

Why Gift Giving Is So Stressful

Isabel Fattal

November 25, 2023

Ideas

Have Yourself an Early Little Christmas

Elizabeth Bruenig

November 14, 2023

Exterior of a home decorated with Christmas lights

Ideas

How the French Do Christmas

Thomas Chatterton Williams

December 24, 2022

A green Eiffel Tower topped with a Christmas-tree star

Sections

The Print Edition

Why Dinner Never Gets Easier

Two Portraits of My Father in a Tree

Teenagers Are Pushing Himmler’s Favorite Myth

The Holiday Traditions of a Nation Long Dead

Dusty Pillars

An Idiosyncratic Christmas Playlist

What I Lost When I Gave Up My Catholicism

The Sound of a Charlie Brown Christmas

The Trump Administration’s Guide to Christmas Giving

Nine Non-Christmas Movies to Watch During Christmas

2025 Space Telescope Advent Calendar

Black Friday Nostalgia

Donald Trump’s War on Christmas

Advent Calendars Are Totally Out of Control

When My Teacher Made Me Pray

Eat Less Beef. Eat More Ostrich?

What ‘Silent Night’ Misunderstands About Christmas

The Most Haunting—And Most Inspiring—Moment in A Christmas Carol

Trapped—And Lavishly Rewarded—For Playing a Part

Six Books to Read by the Fire

How Tortillas Lost Their Magic

Postpone Your Pleasures

The Luxury Makeover of the Worst Pastry on Earth

What If You Just Skipped the Holidays?

Winter Is Cooked

The Christian Case for Happy Holidays

Why Humility Is the Key to Well-Being

On Failing the Family Vacation

Condolence

A Seasonal Guide to Better Well-Being

The Most Unsettling ‘Christmas Carol’

The Dark Side of Christmas Music

Dear Therapist: I Don’t Want to See My Mom This Christmas

Why Gift Giving Is So Stressful

Have Yourself an Early Little Christmas

How the French Do Christmas