As any parent could attest, bedtime stories are a sure fire way to get your little ones excited about going to bed. What better way to ring in the holidays than to trade out the standard Mother Goose for the holiday friendly Father Christmas?

As a child, all of my siblings and I would gather in bed on Christmas eve and my mother would read the passage from Luke chapter 5 about the birth of Jesus.

Although by age five I could quote the entire passage from memory, there was something about the warmth of being cuddled up next to my older sisters as we shared in our anticipation for the big day, and the comfort of knowing that every year, no matter where we were, at nine o'clock on Christmas eve, we would be together and hearing our mother's familiar voice read aloud that ancient text.

It made such an impression on me, that I have now begun to carry out that beloved tradition with my family.

So what story books do I recommend? The first and probably the most obvious is 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'. We've all heard this rhyme about a million times, but its repetition and familiarity is what makes it perfect for a holiday tradition.