| Description |
ix, 250 pages ; 26 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Contents |
Part One-Origins and Evolution -- Holiday Hype and Historiography -- In Search of the First Christmas -- Christmas in a Pagan World -- Yule's Post- agan Metamorphosis -- Repression and Resistance -- Part Two-Curious Customs -- Sacred Trees -- The Man, theMyth, the Legend, the God-Santa Claus -- Actual Christmas Magic -- Children's Saturnalia -- Ghosts, Goblins and Angels -- Part Three-Enduring Legacies -- Legacy of Miracles -- Legacy of Misrule -- The Halloween Connection -- From Pagan to Secular -- Reason for the Season -- War Over Christmas. |
| Summary |
"In some respects, the contrasts of Christmas are what make it the most delightful time of the year. It is a time of generosity, kindness and peace on earth, with broad permission to indulge in food, drink and gifts. On the other hand, Christmas has become a battleground for raging culture wars, marred by debates about how it should be celebrated and acknowledged as a uniquely Christian holiday. This text argues that much of the animosity is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the holiday's core character. By tracing Christmas's origins as a pagan celebration of the winter solstice and its development in Europe's Christianization, this history explains that the true "reason for the season" has as much to do with the earth's movement around the sunas with the birth of Christ. Chapters chronicle how Christmas's magic and misrule link to the nativity, and why the carnival side of the holiday appears so separated from traditional Christian beliefs"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Local Note |
Quick Clicks. |
| Subject |
Christmas -- Folklore.
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Christmas -- Social life and customs.
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RELIGION / Holidays / Christmas & Advent
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| Added Title |
Pagan and Christian origins of the beloved holiday |
| ISBN |
9781476688282 39.95 |
|
1476688281 39.95 |
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