However, it was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 100,000 copies within four weeks of its release, and has since become the thirteenth best selling Christmas album in the United Kingdom as of December 2016.

[5] Various media outlets speculated that this was due to the weak commercial performance of her third studio album, Glassheart, which was released in November 2012.

It has a vintage theme, which includes the track list on the front cover, as well as nine different photos of Lewis posing with various Christmas objects.

[17][18][19] In the US, Lewis autographed a limited amount of Christmas, with Love album covers which were made available to people who pre-ordered a copy on Walmart online.

[27] In the United States, Lewis appeared on NBC's Today morning show on 4 December in New York City to talk about the album.

[32] In 2021, Lewis announced that a repackaged version of the album, entitled Christmas, with Love Always, with two new tracks included, would be released on 19 November 2021.

[33] In December, she promoted the reissue on several occasions, singing "One More Sleep" on several TV appearances, such as This Morning, The Jonathan Ross Show, and I Can See Your Voice, and sang "O Holy Night" at the Royal Carols: Together at Christmas concert, hosted by Catherine, Dutchess of Cambridge, at Westminster Abbey.

[43] It was eventually certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and has since become a "modern festive classic,"[44] particularly in the United Kingdom where it emerged as one of the most-streamed Christmas songs in the years following its release, with over 93 million streams as of 2021.

[48] The album received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics, with some praising Lewis for her vocals but not the material produced.

"[49] Renowned for Sound critic Janelle Tucknott remarked that "Lewis' beautiful voice delivers each song cheerfully with just the right amount of cheesiness."

Every track has lots of commercial appeal and will more than likely hit shopping mall sound systems very soon, especially the poppy lead single "One More Sleep".

He called "Your Hallelujah" a "spectral ballad," and said that "One More Sleep" and "Mr Right" were "enjoyable," but said that covers of songs such as "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and "Winter Wonderland" were "tinged with a sense of pointlessness.

"[52] Mark Sempill, writing for The Upcoming, felt that Lewis' "very beautiful, soulful, satiny voice wafts appealing through the various original songs and seasonal standards like a sweet scented candle; the result is adequately Christmassy.

"[58] In a negative review, Andy Gill from The Independent write that "this dismal offering exemplifies the worst tendencies of Christmas albums."

"[53] In his review for Virgin Media, Ian Gittins called the album an "exercise in precision karaoke", and wrote that while Lewis "never misses a note," and that her new songs "out-Celine Celine", she "never stirs the soul.

"[56] So So Gay critic Jamie Clarke wrote that "Lewis' Christmas effort lacks passion, fun and energy and ultimately disappoints.