From the manger of Jesus Christ to the 21st century, this encyclopedia explores more than 2,000 years of Christmas past and present through 966 entries packed with a wide variety of historical and pop-culture subjects. Entries detail customs and traditions from around the world as well as classic Christmas movies, TV series/specials and animated cartoons. Arranged alphabetically by entry name, the book includes the historical background of popular sacred and secular songs as well as accounts of beloved literary works with Christmas themes from such noted authors as Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Hans Christian Andersen, Pearl Buck, Henry Van Dyke and others. All things Christmas are available here in one comprehensive volume.

Christmas exerts an enormous attraction today even apart from its Christian character as a celebration of the incarnation of God in the Person of Jesus. Even marginal or indifferent Christians crowd the churches on Christmas Eve and in highly commercialized and technologized Western societies the Christmas season is celebrated with enthousiasm. Yet Christmas entered the calendar of feasts relatively late, by 336 C.E., and the reason for its introduction and quick spread remain speculative and based on fragmentary evidence. Towards the Origins of Christmas addresses both the contemporary Western celebration of Christmas, and its deep historical roots in the church of the fourth century. The book presents a thorough investigation of the patristic texts and evidence cited by liturgical scholars in the late 19th and 20th centuries to support two main theories: the Calculation theory and the History of Religions theory. This historical research is set in the framework of the contemporary experience of Christmas; the dynamics of time and the liturgical year; the inculturation of liturgy; and underlying elements of dualism and patriarchal power paradigms which linger beneath the often commercial and sentimental character of Christmas today. Suzan K. Roll was born in Clarence Center, New York (USA) in 1952. She holds degrees in classical languages and pastoral theology, and in 1993 received a Ph. D. from the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic University of Louvain (Leuven), Belgium, summa cum laude with the gratulations of the jury. She has thaught and published in the field of liturgy, sacraments, pastoral theology, and presently teaches at Christ the King Seminary, Buffalo, New York (USA).

Carefully graded carols are placed in order of difficulty within each book. Every carol has a duet part for the teacher or parent. May be used with any method.

I spent one winter researching the holiday history, folklore, legend, and more of each and every state,' says Carole marsh. A great coffee-table book or classroom read, this book-in an edition for each U.S. state-shares a wealth of fascinating historical material and trivia about everything from holiday traditions to how we got the Christmas tree, superstitions, and more. From the Yule logs of Maine to snow on the Alamo, you'll love your own state book, but wish you could read them all. Don't forget to send your favorite teacher or grandchild a copy for their state!

Florida has its own special way of celebrating the holiday.

Christmas Day is a time of celebration for many people all around the world. Those who celebrate it see it as a joyous time. But Christmas is celebrated in many different ways in different countries. One country has a feast known as 'reveillon'. In another country people like to go to the beach on Christmas Day! Can you guess which countries these are?

Mandy believes everything can be made better by making a list—including choosing a husband. Lists make everything clear and easy. Lists keep all the pluses and minuses of life in their own neat little columns with no room for surprises...and the key to happiness is structure and avoiding surprises. Max is a free spirit with a God-given gift for sculpture. If he’s ever made a list, it was by mistake. He insists the key to happiness is to let God take the reins of his life.When Max lands a huge project, and employs Mandy to handle his business’s accounting, she struggles to accept that God can keep all her checks in balance. This December, can Max learn that sometimes a little structure is a good thing? And can Mandy relax enough to enjoy the holidays and actually fall in love, or will she firmly stick to The Christmas List?

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year--or at least we want it to be. Too often our celebration of Jesus' birthday is overwhelmed by bright lights and tinsel, overspending and overeating, plus constant chatter about a "war on Christmas." Can't we do better than this? There are two Christmases. One is sacred. One is secular. The two have clashed in one "culture war" or another for 1,700 years. Christmas is not (as some falsely claim) a pagan holiday, but pagan-influenced traditions are part of the seasonal clutter. Keeping Christmas is about helping you find joy in a season of excess and strife. Part survival guide, part history, part cultural commentary, and all laced with spiritual reflection, this book is about how you can celebrate in ways that are most meaningful to you and your family. It's not easy to thread your way through the Christmas maze. But if Ebenezer Scrooge could learn to keep Christmas well, so can you. Maybe it's time to reinvent Christmas. Maybe we can get it right this time.

A state-by-state tour of America's favorite Christmas recipes features classic regional recipes--ranging from Alabama's pecan divinity to New York's oyster stew and Utah's quick peppermint stick cake--highlighted by vintage artwork evoking the spirit of Christmas past.

In the style of Clement Moore's well-known poem, the firefighters from Firehouse One receive a visit from Ol' Sergeant Nick, who leaves them lots of surprises, including a shiny new pumper truck, while they are putting out a fire on Christmas Eve.