The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
A guide to O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, the classic short Christmas story about love, sacrifice, gifts and why the ending still works.
O. Henry's 1905 story is tiny compared with most Christmas classics, but it has an almost unfair amount of emotional weight packed into it. A young couple, Della and Jim, have very little money and each secretly sacrifices something precious to buy the other a Christmas present.
The famous twist is not really the point. What matters is that both gifts become impractical for exactly the same reason: each person valued the other more than the thing they gave up.
Best read when
This is a perfect Christmas Eve story when you want something that takes minutes rather than hours. It is sentimental without being complicated and makes a useful antidote to the idea that the price of a present measures its meaning.
The story is in the public domain in many jurisdictions, but editions and recordings can carry their own rights. If you are looking for a free copy, choose a reputable public-domain archive rather than a random repost.