"The origins of Christmas lie in an Egyptian festival on 6 January, which spread to much of the Christian world as a celebration of the birth and/or baptism of Christ and known as the Epiphany or Theophany. The church at Rome did not adopt this festival but later instituted a celebration of the nativity of Christ on 25 December, which gradually supplanted its observance on 6 January in other churches, leaving this latter occasion as a commemoration of Christ's baptism alone, or of the visit of the Magi in those churches like Rome that had not observed that date previously. This essay traces that evolution and examines the merits of the two competing scholarly theories that have sought to explain the original choice of these particular dates"--

In days of old, Christmas was defined by the custom of exchanging simple handmade gifts. Today, it has become a multi-billion industry, synonymous with commercialism and consumption. How did this transformation occur? In this incisive and engaging examination of how Christmas has evolved since 1880, Waits chronicles the history of the holiday, from its origin to its current form. The book is illustrated with dozens of historical photographs and will be of interest to cultural and social historians alike. Christmas was a relatively modest occasion in the English- speaking world, celebrated by the exchange of modest handmade gifts, until the Victorians invested the holiday with immense significance as part of a larger effort to celebrate home, family, and a mythic past of well-ordered communities. By the late 19th century, Christmas had become a major American festival. Today, it is a multi-billion dollar industry and easily the most important seasonal event of the year. In this survey of the modern American Christmas, William Waits shows us how this holiday emerged, tracing its evolution from the days prior to 1880 when people presented one another with simple crafted presents to the turn of the century when industrialization brought with it waves of inexpensive, tawdry gimcracks. In the early twentieth century, reform-minded Americans reflecting on the new Christmas prompted a backlash against this cheapening of the Yule tradition, and the Christmas card was born. Henceforth, family members and close friends exchanged useful, costly items, while cards were sent to acquaintances and distant relatives. These reformers also persuaded retail stores to keep their regular hours of business during the holiday, rather than lengthening them, to give trade workers the opportunity to join in the celebration. They also rationalized the collection and distribution of holiday charity, resulting in the Christmas celebration we have today. Waits's book clearly illustrates that the notion that Christmas is uncontrollable is simply untrue. An incisive and engaging history of giftgiving, The Modern Christmas in Americaalso examines the differing traditions of giftgiving to friends, employees, the poor, and among entire communities. Handsomely illustrated with dozens of historical photographs, this book is not only the perfect holiday gift but will also be of interest to any student of American history and culture.

"Christmas: Global Journey" is a special book that takes you on an amazing trip around the world, exploring the rich and diverse ways people celebrate Christmas. It's like a treasure chest, full of exciting stories, secrets, and fun facts about Christmas, that will make you see this holiday in a whole new light. This book isn't just a list of what happens at Christmas. It's a deep dive into the heart of the holiday, showing how different countries and cultures add their unique sparkle to the season. From the story behind Christmas to how people in far-off lands celebrate with their own traditions, you'll travel the globe from your cozy reading spot. You'll discover the symbols of Christmas, those familiar things like stars, trees, and bells, and learn what they really mean. The book takes you to kitchens around the world, sharing the mouth-watering tastes of Christmas cuisine. Imagine the music, the carols, and songs that fill the air during this time, the book brings them to life, showing how they make Christmas more magical. But that's not all. You'll dive into the world of Christmas literature, seeing how stories and poems have shaped our view of the season. The book also shows how Christmas has inspired artists and filmmakers, creating unforgettable images and movies. It even looks at Christmas through the lens of science, revealing some surprising facts and insights. And in a world where taking care of our planet is more important than ever, the book explores how to celebrate Christmas in an eco-friendly way. Fashion and decoration play a big role in Christmas, and the book shows how they've evolved and what they say about us. It also highlights how people of different faiths, or no faith, engage with the holiday. You'll see how technology is changing Christmas, and discover the big business behind the season, with a look at the economics of Christmas. But it's not just about the bright and shiny parts of Christmas. The book also explores the lesser-known, quieter aspects of the season, like Christmas in solitude or the challenges and struggles some people face during this time. Most importantly, "Christmas: Global Journey" is about the spirit of the holiday. It's about giving, sharing, and community. It's about the myths, legends, and the joy that children bring to Christmas. It's about how Christmas can bring people together, and sometimes, how it can also bring out the more challenging parts of our lives. In short, this book is a celebration of Christmas in all its forms. It's a journey that shows how this one holiday can mean so many different things to so many different people. It's a book that will open your eyes, warm your heart, and maybe even change the way you think about Christmas.

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.

The modern Christmas was made by the Victorians and rooted in their belief in commerce, family and religion. Their rituals and traditions persist to the present day but the festival has also been changed by growing affluence, shifting family structures, greater expectations of happiness and material comfort, technological developments and falling religious belief. Christmas became a battleground for arguments over consumerism, holiday entitlements, social obligations, communal behaviour and the influence of church, state and media. Even in private, it encouraged reflection on social change and the march of time. Amongst those unhappy at the state of the world or their own lives, Christmas could induce much cynicism and even loathing but for a quieter majority it was a happy time, a moment of a joy in a sometimes difficult world that made the festival more than just an integral feature of the calendar: Christmas was one of British culture's emotional high points. Moreover, it was also a testimony to the enduring importance of family, shared values and a common culture in the UK. Martin Johnes shows how Christmas and its traditions have been lived, adapted and thought about in Britain since 1914. Christmas and the British is about the festival's social, cultural and economic functions, and its often forgotten status as both the most unusual and important day of the year

Christmas is not everybody’s favorite holiday. Historically, Jews in America, whether participating in or refraining from recognizing Christmas, have devised a multitude of unique strategies to respond to the holiday season. Their response is a mixed one: do we participate, try to ignore the holiday entirely, or create our own traditions and make the season an enjoyable time? This book, the first on the subject of Jews and Christmas in the United States, portrays how Jews are shaping the public and private character of Christmas by transforming December into a joyous holiday season belonging to all Americans. Creative and innovative in approaching the holiday season, these responses range from composing America’s most beloved Christmas songs, transforming Hanukkah into the Jewish Christmas, creating a national Jewish tradition of patronizing Chinese restaurants and comedy shows on Christmas Eve, volunteering at shelters and soup kitchens on Christmas Day, dressing up as Santa Claus to spread good cheer, campaigning to institute Hanukkah postal stamps, and blending holiday traditions into an interfaith hybrid celebration called “Chrismukkah” or creating a secularized holiday such as Festivus. Through these venerated traditions and alternative Christmastime rituals, Jews publicly assert and proudly proclaim their Jewish and American identities to fashion a universally shared message of joy and hope for the holiday season. See also: http://www.akosherchristmas.org

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • Drawing on a wealth of research, this "fascinating" book (The New York Times Book Review) charts the invention of our current Yuletide traditions, from St. Nicholas to the Christmas tree and, perhaps most radically, the practice of giving gifts to children. 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. Bursting with detail, filled with subversive readings of such seasonal classics as "A Visit from St. Nicholas” and A Christmas Carol, The Battle for Christmas captures the glorious strangeness of the past even as it helps us better understand our present.

When Finn Donovan answers a late-night knock at the door, there stands Charity Sullivan, the only woman he' s ever loved. He hasn' t seen her since the night nearly seventeen years ago when they shared a magical kiss after a months-long friendship. But Charity isn' t alone, and her last name is no longer Sullivan. Her four children are with her, and she' s looking for a place to hide. Her marriage just ended, and her former father-in-law, a powerful, dangerous underworld boss, will stop at nothing to keep her from leaving with his grandchildren. As Finn and Charity' s friendship rekindles, Finn' s protective instincts go on high alert. He' s never stopped loving her, but as an upright, God-fearing man, doesn' t want to take advantage of her vulnerability. Charity is drawn to Finn. She dreams of a future for them, but unanswered questions from the past stand between them. When Charity receives a phone call telling her that her former father-in-law has discovered her whereabouts, she decides to go on the run again. But Finn isn' t having any of it. He has a Christmas dream of his own, and it won' t come true without Charity and her children.

Despite current debate over the paternal role, fatherhood is a relatively new area of investigation in literary, historical and cultural studies. The contributors to this illustrated, interdisciplinary volume - one of the first extended investigations of paternity in 19th century Britain and its empire - penetrate the stereotype of the Victorian paterfamilias to uncover intimate and involved, authoritarian and austere fathers. Finding surprising precursors of the 'new man' and the 'lone father', Trev Lynn Broughton and Helen Rogers provide an essential overview of changing ideologies and practices of fatherhood as the family acquired its distinctively modern form. Gender and Fatherhood in the Nineteenth Century: - Offers nuanced re-readings of artistic and literary representations of domesticity, investigations of fathering at home and at work, and of legal, political and religious discourses, suggesting that fatherhood generated more anxiety and debate than previously acknowledged. - Explores how traditional conceptions of paternal authority worked to accommodate the 'cult of motherhood'. - Examines how paternal power was embedded in social institutions. - Shows how models of social fatherhood provided powerful men with a means of negotiating their relationship with working-class men and colonized subjects. As these innovative essays demonstrate, the history of fatherhood can illuminate our understanding of class, society and empire as well as of gender and the family. Together they form an indispensable resource for anyone studying Victorian fatherhood as part of a history, literature, art, social or cultural studies course.