Today’s post is on Christmas: A Biography by Judith
Flanders. It is 246 pages long and is published by Thomas Dunne Books. The
cover is a Christmas scene with a red house, a family, and snow. The intended
reader is someone is interested in the history of Christmas from ancient days
to modern ones. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this
book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the dust jacket- A critically acclaimed New York
Times bestselling author explores the Christmas holiday, from the original
festival through present day traditions.
Christmas has always been a magical time. Or has it? Thirty years after the first recorded Christmas, the Pope was already warning that too many people were spending the day, not in worship, but in partying and eating to excess. By 1616, the playwright Ben Jonson was nostalgically remembering Christmas in the old days, certain that it had been better then.
Other elements of Christmas are much newer - who would have thought gift-wrap is a novelty of the twentieth century? That the first holiday parade was neither at Macy's, nor even in the USA?
Some things, however, never change. The first known gag holiday gift book, The Boghouse Miscellany, was advertised in the 1760s 'for gay Gallants, and good companions', while in 1805, the leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition exchanged - what else? - presents of underwear and socks.
Christmas is all things to all people: a religious festival, a family celebration, a period of eating and drinking. In Christmas: A Biography, bestselling author and acclaimed social historian Judith Flanders casts a sharp eye on myths, legends and history, deftly moving from the origins of the holiday in the Roman empire, through Christmas trees in central Europe, to what might be the first appearance of Santa Claus - in Switzerland - to draw a picture of the season as it has never been seen before.
Christmas has always been a magical time. Or has it? Thirty years after the first recorded Christmas, the Pope was already warning that too many people were spending the day, not in worship, but in partying and eating to excess. By 1616, the playwright Ben Jonson was nostalgically remembering Christmas in the old days, certain that it had been better then.
Other elements of Christmas are much newer - who would have thought gift-wrap is a novelty of the twentieth century? That the first holiday parade was neither at Macy's, nor even in the USA?
Some things, however, never change. The first known gag holiday gift book, The Boghouse Miscellany, was advertised in the 1760s 'for gay Gallants, and good companions', while in 1805, the leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition exchanged - what else? - presents of underwear and socks.
Christmas is all things to all people: a religious festival, a family celebration, a period of eating and drinking. In Christmas: A Biography, bestselling author and acclaimed social historian Judith Flanders casts a sharp eye on myths, legends and history, deftly moving from the origins of the holiday in the Roman empire, through Christmas trees in central Europe, to what might be the first appearance of Santa Claus - in Switzerland - to draw a picture of the season as it has never been seen before.
Review- An interesting look at a very old holiday. Flanders
does her best to deconstruct myths from reality about Christmas; like who made
Christmas trees popular and traditional Christmas parties. Without overwhelming the reader with all details about
every Christmas tradition Flanders gives the reader the core of Christmas once
was, currently is, and even what it has always been. It is an interesting look
at a holiday that really has never been religious by itself. It has always been
about family, food, and gifts but not always about piety. Flanders walks the
reader from the ancient party days to feudal lords getting gifts from their lessers
to the modern child focused day we have now. A well written. interesting book that if you are interested in traditions and holidays then I recommend it.
I give this a book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing
for my review and I borrowed this book.
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