I think my favorite Little House Christmas tale is the one in These Happy Golden Years when Almanzo returns home on Christmas Eve. To me it was the first time that Laura and Almanzo seemed like a true couple to me. Almanzo had a special gift for Laura and they shared what was quite an intimate moment…a moment that was them alone as Ma drew everyone else away knowing that they needed that after being apart. Almanzo was a true part of the family that holiday and Laura was all grown up. In my mind it is all very magical and romantic to see how far Christmas had come for Laura since the first one we “shared” with her in Little House in the Big Woods. The same spirit was there but the spirit was deeper. That is something that can only come with age I think.
Shelley
New Hampshire
Many of the Little House moments changed for me as I grew older, but the Christmas moment that has become more profound is the one in which Mr. Edwards meets Santa Claus. As a child, I was pleased that Laura and Mary received their gifts, and impressed by Mr. Edwards’ trip. As an adult and a parent, I can’t read the chapter without crying. Ma’s suggestion that the girls put up their stocking anyway breaks my heart; the magnitude of Mr. Edwards’ trip still impresses me, as does his willingness to risk himself for two little girls. I love the details that he provides about Santa, but the moment that gets to me every time–and, in fact, that has gotten to me in my brief reread of the chapter–is the one in which Pa shakes Mr. Edwards’ hand, the three adults near tears. It was a subtle way to acknowledge the amazing generosity of his act that I missed as a child, but that speaks to me each time I read it, now.
Jessa Gillis