A CD of the original LP content was briefly issued exclusively in West Germany around the same time.

On April 16, 1998, Christmas Portrait was certified Platinum by the RIAA for shipment of one million copies in the United States since its 1978 release.

[4] In December 2011, Christmas Portrait: Special Edition re-entered the Billboard 200 album sales chart at No.

[6] In their review, Cashbox called it "an appealing easy listening album which should be an attractive holiday package for Carpenters fans.

"[7] AllMusic noted that the duo "did it in superb style here, illuminated throughout by the delightful, complex, often playful arrangements...Actually, for a change on a Carpenters album, Richard is the dominant personality on display across this record, as both co-arranger and producer, as well as the mastermind behind the project; Karen Carpenter's voice is also prominent, to be sure... but it's Richard who comes to the fore everywhere here, in ways that are impossible to ignore.