Holiday History

Anyone who laments the excesses of Christmas might consider the Puritans of colonial Massachusetts: they simply outlawed the holiday. The Puritans had their reasons, since Christmas was once an occasion for drunkenness and riot, when poor "wassailers" extorted food and drink from the well-to-do. In this intriguing and innovative work of social history, Stephen Nissenbaum rediscovers Christmas's carnival origins and shows how it was transformed, during the nineteenth century, into a festival of domesticity and consumerism.

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.

How did things progress from that story in the Bible, with a Jewish girl giving birth to the Messiah of Israel in a manager in the city of Bethlehem, to the modern colossus that is the Christmas holiday? How did Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, the snow sleighs, the presents, and family reunions become the distinctive features of the holiday if none of them were there at the beginning? The answers can be attributed to a chain of events, characters, oral traditions, artistic works, and an assimilation of local folklore.

Young listeners learn about the early traditions which have led to our present-day celebration of Valentine's Day.

Discover the hilariously weird history behind your favorite Christmas traditions in “Wait… Why Do We Do This?” by Holly Jinglesworth. This laugh-out-loud guide explores everything from why we drag trees into our homes to how Santa ended up with flying reindeer. Packed with fun facts, humor, and a touch of holiday magic, this book answers the big questions about Christmas traditions: Why do we hang stockings by the fire? Who invented gingerbread houses? What’s the deal with candy canes, mistletoe, and ugly sweaters? How did Christmas lights become the ultimate holiday decoration?...

America's Favorite Holidays explores how five of America's culturally important holidays - Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving - came to be what they are today, seasonal and religious celebrations heavily influenced by modern popular culture.

Not so very long ago, Yuletide was as much a chilling season of ghosts and witches as it was a festival of goodwill. In The Old Magic of Christmas, you'll rub elbows with veiled spirits, learn the true perils of elves, and discover a bestiary of enchanted creatures. Rife with the more frightful characters from folklore and the season's most petulant ghosts, this book takes you on a spooky sleigh ride from the silvered firs of a winter forest to the mirrored halls of the Snow Queen.

In 1620, the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and made friends with Wampanoag people who gave them corn. RIGHT? WRONG! It was months before the Pilgrims met any Wampanoag people, and nobody gave anybody corn that day.

Spirits of The Yuletide delves into the rich history and mystique of the year's most magical and shadowed season. Richard Moschella presents a heartfelt perspective on connecting with our ancestors beyond the veil, offering a medium’s unique insight into how we can communicate with those in spirit and honor them during our holiday traditions. Through interviews with colleagues and a wealth of spiritual guidance, this book serves as a comforting beacon for those who wonder if departed loved ones remain a part of our lives, especially during the holidays. With advice on self-care and ...

Two ex-lovers. One cozy lodge. And a snowstorm they’ll never forget. Emberleigh: Covering a Christmas hockey game in Pine Ridge was supposed to be just another holiday assignment. But when a blizzard trapped me in a cozy lodge with the one man I never wanted to see again—Logan "Bear" McKenzie, coach of the Denver Warlords team—I knew this was more than just a storm. Our past is as frosty as the snow piling up outside, but there’s a fire between us that refuses to die. As the holiday lights twinkle and the world outside freezes, can I keep myself from falling once again for the man ...

When Juniper returns home for Christmas, will the magic of the season turn what starts as a fling into something more? Coming home for Christmas wasn’t part of my plan, especially not after my ex, Troy, dumped me like a hot potato for another woman. But my mom’s guilt trips are as relentless as ever, and with no flights available, I find myself on a twelve-hour drive back to the small town I left behind. Just as I’m about to reach town, my car gives up the ghost, leaving me stranded with a snowstorm approaching and no cell service. That’s when he shows up. Mason Knight. The high ...

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is your map through this maze of modern life. Here Dr. Steven Novella and friends will explain the tenets of skeptical thinking and debunk some of the biggest scientific myths, fallacies, and conspiracy theories - from anti-vaccines to homeopathy, UFO sightings to N-rays. You'll learn the difference between science and pseudoscience, essential critical thinking skills, ways to discuss conspiracy theories with that crazy co-worker of yours, and how to combat sloppy reasoning, bad arguments, and superstitious thinking.

Christmas is a wonderful Christian holiday that has been enjoyed by many for hundreds of years. Or is it a collection of repackaged pagan practices setup by the Roman Catholic church in order to replace paganism? I guess it would depend on who you ask, but ultimately it cannot be both. Today there seems to be a battle between two camps concerning the origins of Christmas. Memes, videos, and blogs are filled with opinions, but what is the truth behind the matter? What evidence is there to support the views that are being shared? In this book we will be looking at the Biblical account of the ...

History repeats itself for Phoebe Kozak. When Phoebe learns she’s having a baby, she convinces her grandparents it’s best for her to leave their small town and move to another, where no one knows her. While wandering around Winter Springs’ tree farm, she spots her ex-boyfriend. In order to hide from him, she does the only thing she can think of and finds herself in a pickle. Grady Linden offered to dress up as Santa this year at his family’s Christmas tree farm. As he wanders around, greeting children and adults alike, one woman captures his attention, in more ways than one. He must...

Ever wonder why everyone wants to immigrate to America? Rediscovering America answers that question, and it’s like no other history you have ever encountered. More than an account of people, dates, and events, this story is about the hidden hand of a purposeful historical development where the main actors are colorful characters, participating in an American drama of little-known but remarkable events where overcoming incredible odds of failure is more unbelievable and engaging than fiction.

Volume 3 of the Nobel Prize winner’s towering masterpiece: Solzhenitsyn's moving account of resistance within the Soviet labor camps and his own release after eight years. Features a new foreword by Anne Applebaum.

You'll never again think of Santa Claus in quite the same way. Here is a touching rendition of the historical origins of our modern-day Santa by an in-demand speaker reacquaints us with the true meaning of Christmas.

Much like The Stories Behind The Best-Loved Songs Of Christmas, The Stories Behind The Great Traditions of Christmas and More Stories Behind The Best Loved Songs of Christmas this new Collins Christmas book will fill a void in the book world.

Volume 1 of the gripping epic masterpiece, Solzhenitsyn's chilling report of his arrest and interrogation, which exposed to the world the vast bureaucracy of secret police that haunted Soviet society. Features a new foreword by Anne Applebaum.

On Christmas Day 1914, amid the bloodily stalemated trenches of Flanders just five months into World War I, a memorable event dubbed the Christmas Truce occurred. In place of the rattle of gunfire and the crash of bursting artillery shells, familiar German and English Christmas carols floated through the frosty air. Officers and men on both sides emerged from their trenches to mingle, exchange Yuletide greetings, give one another small gifts and mementos, and discuss the fighting as language allowed.