Description
“Christmas Every Day” by William Dean Howells is a thoughtful short story about a young girl who wishes that Christmas could happen every single day. In this frame narrative, her wish comes true—but the nonstop celebration quickly turns overwhelming. With gifts, excitement, and festivity never ending, joy gives way to exhaustion and chaos. By the end of the story, the girl learns an important lesson about gratitude, moderation, and why special moments matter most because they are rare.
This lesson encourages students to think critically about appreciation, excess, and human nature while practicing close reading and literary analysis skills. The story pairs beautifully with a thematic extension that asks students to compare the girl’s realization with George Bailey’s journey in It’s a Wonderful Life (directed by Frank Capra, 1946), allowing students to explore how different characters learn the value of life, generosity, and perspective.
The resource includes a before-reading activity to activate background knowledge, the full text of the short story, reading comprehension questions to guide analysis, and a movie guide for It’s a Wonderful Life to support meaningful comparison. Answer keys are provided, along with editable documents so teachers can adapt the lesson to fit their classroom needs.
This lesson is ideal for the holiday season and works well in units focused on theme, character growth, gratitude, and reflection, making it a strong addition to any middle or high school ELA curriculum.