Christmas on the front page: 2023

By Brad Needham

It’s the most wonderful newspaper time of the year. Where covers are shiny, no columnists whining, just all artists’ cheer! It’s the most wonderful newspaper time of the year! At least on the covers of some papers. And this year, I think the world needs a little cheer. It has been an exceptionally challenging year for many reasons, largely due to war. So these covers are meant to symbolize happiness and the dream of peace.

There is not much like Christmas front pages. Many newspapers go all out, with beautiful art taking up most or essentially all of the front page. There are some papers that always go big, and a few that use the same concept year after year (and they do it well).

Christmas front pages were spread over a couple of days this year as a lot of newspapers don’t publish on Sundays. Without further adieu (the most popular opening salvo in Wordle, but according the The New York Times not the best) …

The National Post always runs a stained glass window. It has since its first Christmas cover in 1998. And it’s always lovely.

The Globe and Mail is another paper that has long run with the same idea, a piece of art from the Art Gallery of Ontario. This year it’s a piece by Alfred Joseph Casson called Housetops in the Ward. Rumour has it the Globe was inspired to start doing something like this after the launch of the National Post, and seeing what they were doing.

Here are a few other front pages from Canada before we see some of the best from around the world. Included are Postmedia’s Montreal Gazette and Windsor Star, followed by the Toronto Star. I feel like the Toronto star normally looks for wide appeal, but went hyper local this year. It’s fully a Toronto Christmas wish. And you know what? That’s OK because unlike the Globe and the National Post, the Star really is about Toronto.

These next three are three of my favourites overall from 2023. The art is just striking and beautiful. they include the Knoxville News Sentinel, Het Parool (Amsterdam) and the Jackson Sun.

And here are a few more. Mostly from the U.S. but also one from Austria and another from Malaysia. The Jackson Sun makes a second appearance. Also there is a different take by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Dear Santa …