Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-243) 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, the Myth, 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 sun as 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.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.