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Christmas
A Candid History
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Christmas
$8200
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Ideal for readers interested in the history and cultural roots of Christmas, as well as anyone seeking a fresh perspective on this beloved yet complex holiday season.
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See moreTells 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. This book explores the historical origins of traditions including Santa, the reindeer, gift giving, and the Christmas tree.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
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 Christmasβfrom 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 and 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 date of Thanksgiving in order to lengthen the Christmas shopping season?
Coca-Cola helped fashion Santa Claus's look in an advertising campaign?
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Historian Magazine describes the book as "colloquial, straightforward, and colorful," praising Forbes for making historical details engaging. The Santa Fe New Mexican calls it "wonderfully perceptive as well as entertaining."
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780520258020
Publisher: University of California Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 10 October 2007
Country: United States
Imprint: University of California Press
Illustration: 12 b-w photographs
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 13.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 203.0mm
Weight: 227g
Pages: 196
About the Author
Bruce David Forbes, Professor of Religious Studies at Morningside College, is coeditor, with Jeffrey Mahan of Religion and Popular Culture in America (UC Press) and coeditor, with Jeanne Halgren Kilde, of Rapture, Revelation, and the End Times: Exploring the Left Behind Series
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