Written for everyone who loves and is simultaneously driven crazy by the
holiday season, Christmas: A Candid History provides an enlightening,
entertaining perspective on how the annual Yuletide celebration got to
be what it is today. In a fascinating, concise tour through history, the
book tells the story of Christmas--from its pre-Christian roots, through
the birth of Jesus, to the holiday's spread across Europe into the
Americas and beyond, and to its mind-boggling transformation through
modern consumerism. Packed with intriguing stories, based on research
into myriad sources, full of insights, the book explores the historical
origins of traditions including Santa, the reindeer, gift giving, the
Christmas tree, Christmas songs and movies, and more. The book also
offers some provocative ideas for reclaiming the joy and meaning of this
beloved, yet often frustrating, season amid the pressures of our
fast-paced consumer culture.
DID YOU KNOW
For three centuries Christians did not celebrate Christmas?
Puritans in England and New England made Christmas observances
illegal?
St. Nicholas is an elf in the famous poem "The Night Before
Christmas"?
President Franklin Roosevelt changed the dateof Thanksgiving in order to
lengthen the Christmas shopping season?
Coca-Cola helped fashion Santa Claus's look in an advertising campaign?
