A Literary Christmas with Little Women

By Trix Wilkins
Cover photo by Daria Yakovleva via Pixabay

Make “messes” like the March sisters, read books inspired by Little Women, take off on a Grand Tour…This is for all who want to celebrate Christmas Little Women style.

For Team Meg

Of course Meg did more than cook in Little Women, but these definitely made me think of the keen little homemaker in her! Here are some yummy looking recipes to try one’s hand at this Christmas.

Little Gingerbread Women from Alison’s Wonderland Recipes – and you can modify numbers (how many at your Little Women Christmas tea party…?).

Photo courtesy of Alison’s Wonderland Recipes 

If you’re more of an apple-pie sort of person than gingerbread, you can try Louisa May Alcott’s Apple Slump courtesy of the Huffington Post – or if you have a sister who wants to visit a sick next-door-neighbor (but can’t make “messes” to save her life), you can make blancmange like Hannah Heath.

Photo courtesy of Hannah Heath

For Team Jo

Take off on a Little Women World Tour! This multiple city Little Women Trail is a mix of speculation touching on the various cities mentioned in Little Women Part 1 mingled with the literary routes through Concord and Boston.

Photo courtesy of Felix Broennimann via Pixabay

If money’s a bit tight, you could put on a play (you might want to check out how the experts set up the real March home at Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House first ;)) or join fellow readers in a challenge such as the In the Bookcase A Literary Christmas reading link up. 

If genius is burning, consider writing a piece for the Little Women 150^th anniversary anthology due to be published next year!

Image courtesy of Pink Umbrella Publishing

For Team Beth

Visit your neighbors with both kind words and practical help (maybe offer some baby-sitting for parents keen for a much needed break).

Go to your nearest op shop and buy dolls needing a little TLC (you can ask a little woman in your life to choose some you can repair together).

If you’d like new dolls to give as gifts for the little Beths in your life, check out the Little Women Dolls and Tea Set from Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House.

Photo courtesy of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House

For Team Amy

Collect some artsy framed quotes from Little Women by Bookishly – or get out your supplies and design your own!

Photo courtesy of Bookishly

And if you love limes as much as Amy, you might enjoy this Lime Tart recipe by The Little Library Café.

Photo courtesy of The Little Library Café

For Team Marmee

Discover the real Marmee and Jo, their closeness and their writings in Marmee & Louisa: the untold story of Louisa May Alcott and her mother – the author Eve LaPlante is a descendant of the Alcotts and has also designed some reading group questions to accompany her dual biography (it’s Little Women Book Club made easy).

Abigail Alcott was a prolific writer in her own right and you can also read a collection of her personal writings in My Heart is Boundless.

For Team Mr March

Ponder Literary Portals to Prayer with Louisa May Alcott alongside your Bible – then host a Bible study and literary discussions in your home.

Read your children Francine Rivers’ The Shoe Box, a lovely Christmas story about an adopted boy who discovers a treasure that can’t be taken away (our kids love this one!).

For Team If Only the Marches were Real

Savor The Little Women Letters whilst on holiday (see Team Jo entry about that Little Women Trail). This is a book for those who have wondered, “What if Jo March were real and she had kids who had kids…” and who love delightful romantic twists. The letters from Jo March are wonderful and bear multiple readings!

For Team Jo and Laurie

Check out The Courtship of Jo March, a novel for shippers of Jo and Laurie (ie: all who wish a) Jo hadn’t said no OR b) Laurie had grown up and courted Jo a bit better AND c) things had worked out differently with Jo-Laurie-Amy-Professor Bhaer). Things change for Beth, too…

I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas – and if you have additional ideas for fellow Little Women fans would love to hear them!