Christmas is the favorite time of the year for many of us, with
present exchanges, food & drink and socializing with friends & family at
the top of the agenda. But what are the true origins and meaning of this
seemingly inexhaustible celebration?
Although most of our current customs only go back a few hundred years -
Father Christmas as we know him dressed in red and white much less -
there has been a festival at this time in the year for thousands of
years. Although these days it is taken to mean the commemoration of the
birth of Jesus, the date of December 25th was that of the winter
solstice in Roman times, and other cultures have celebrated the darkest
winter night for millennia. This book looks at all aspects of what the
festive period means for people all over the world, beginning with a
history of Christmas that looks at Yule, Nativity and Christmas as well
as pagan celebrations.
The embodiment of Christmas, Father Christmas, has a whole chapter, and
this jolly character we know and love has a long history, not to mention
a big bag of presents! But wait - there's myrrh(!): quotes, jokes,
sayings and words of wisdom and fun from around the world, as well as
fun facts about how, where, when and why we celebrate - and we look at
curious customs from around the world.
SAMPLE FACT:
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, has been
tracking Santa's journey around the world since 1958.
