Although people may not realize it, the modern Christmas book market
carries on a Victorian legacy. An explosion of Christmas print matter
reinvigorated and regularized the holiday during the mid-Victorian
period, infusing Christmas with emotionally-charged expectations of
reading. Tara Moore elucidates the evolution of Christmas publishing
trends that dictated authors writing schedules and reflected gift-giving
rituals. As Victorian shopping customs evolved, publishers satisfied
consumers with a range of holiday print matter, including novels, ghost
stories, periodicals, children s books, and poetry. Ultimately,
Victorian Christmas in Print analyzes how the revitalized holiday and
the flurry of texts supporting it contributed to English national
identity.