About the Book
Behind every Christmas tradition is a story -- usually, a forgotten one. Each year, as we decorate a tree, build a gingerbread house, and get ready for a visit from St. Nicholas, we're continuing generations-old narratives, while being largely unaware of their starting chapters. But knowing how these traditions began adds a new level of depth to our Christmas spirit, as well as an arsenal of anecdotes to share at Christmas parties. Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions reveals the surprising, quirky, mysterious, and sometimes horrifying stories behind the most wonderful time of the year. With 26 short chapters, it's a festive, digestible Advent calendar of a book. Covering traditions ancient and modern, Christmas Past is filled with stories of happy accidents, cultural histories, criminal capers (including tomb raiders and con artists), and hidden connections between Christmas and broader social, economic, and technological influences. How did the invention of plate glass forever change the Christmas season? What common Christmas item helped introduce fine art to the masses? Why do Americans typically spike their eggnog with rum, rather than the traditional brandy? And speaking of booze, does using the phrase "Merry Christmas" mark you as a drunken reveler? Christmas Past answers all of those questions, and many more.
About the Author :
Brian Earl is a designer, writer, and podcaster in Silicon Valley. He's also one of those people who puts up the Christmas tree on Halloween and takes it down on Valentine's Day. His Christmas Past podcast debuted in 2016 to immediate acclaim. With a storytelling and production style meant to mimic public radio news pieces, the podcast features expert guests and listener-submitted Christmas memories, all in bite-sized, 10- to 15-minute episodes. Brian has either been interviewed, or the podcast has received mention, in Vanity Fair, Modern Woman/USA Today, The Financial Times, Best Life, Bustle, Huffington Post, PopSugar, and many other local and national media outlets. Brian has also been a frequent freelance contributor to The Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix, and several other Boston-area publications.
Review :
"Christmas... it's that one time of year that brings family and friends together from across the miles (of course Thanksgiving too).
Every family has their own special holiday traditions. Some people decorate their Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Some families open up their gifts on Christmas Eve too. Their are families that go caroling, and families that hang their stockings by their chimneys. There are even people who hide pickle ornaments in their trees (no kidding) and other families who watch a movie marathon of their favorite holiday movies. Each and every family has something that is a holiday tradition.
Where do many holiday traditions and fixtures come from? What is the origin of Santa Claus? How did candy canes come about? Did people always kiss under a sprig of mistletoe? Most people will never know the answers to all of these questions unless you plan on spending hours on the internet doing searches. There is an easier way... read the book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions, written by Brian Earl (Vanity Fair, USA Today, Bustle, Huffington Post, Pop Sugar, etc.)...
I was sent a copy of the book to check out for myself.
This book is OVERFLOWING with text, facts, funny stories and more. Sadly, the review copy I received has a HUGE sticker on the front of it that I can't remove. That really stinks because I want to keep this book in our family book case so we can all read it and re-read it over the years. It's a shame too because it's a pretty cover.
There are things in this book that I NEVER knew about Christmas. I have not even finished the book yet. I am about a third of the way through the book.
The text is a bit too small for my personal preference, but I have "old eyes," so that has a lot to do with it. I think I'm entering the realm of large print books. Sigh...
And no... there really were "naked" presents, as in people (although THAT would be an interesting holiday tradition indeed, ha ha). If you think about it, it's referring to gift wrapping.
The titles for each of the sections are amusing. I appreciate that about this book.
There are plenty of illustrations in the book (black and white). The illustrations are sprinkled throughout the book.
As you can see, the illustrations give the book a more nostalgic feel to it. After all, almost all of the traditions we have today, and things we associate with the holiday, started decades or a hundred years ago.
From what I've read thus far, there are A LOT of things about the holiday season that I was not aware of (meaning traditions I never heard of before) and some fascinating facts.
This is a really cool book for anyone who has ever questioned why we decorate evergreen trees for Christmas, or the origins of "jingle bells."
You can find this book at many major retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble)."
--Kimberly Vetrano, She Scribes
"Where do many holiday traditions and fixtures come from? What is the origin of Santa Claus? How did candy canes come about? Did people always kiss under a sprig of mistletoe? Most people will never know the answers to all of these questions unless you plan on spending hours on the internet doing searches. There is an easier way... read the book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions, written by Brian Earl... This book is OVERFLOWING with text, facts, funny stories and more."
--Kimberly Vetrano, She Scribes
Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions reveals the surprising, quirky, and sometimes horrifying stories behind the most wonderful time of the year. With 26 short chapters, it is a festive, digestible Advent calendar of a book that is perfect fireside reading for the holiday season!
-- "Roses and Reviews"
