| A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions UK Edition Contributor(s): Forsyth, Mark (Author) |
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ISBN: 0241267730 ISBN-13: 9780241267738 Publisher: Viking OUR PRICE: $22.49 Product Type: Hardcover Published: August 2018 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Language Arts & Disciplines | Linguistics - Historical & Comparative - Religion | Holidays - Christmas & Advent - History | Social History |
| Dewey: 394.266 |
| LCCN: 2016436709 |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 4.5" W x 7.2" (1.75 lbs) 192 pages |
| Themes: - Religious Orientation - Christian - Holiday - Christmas |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: For something that happens every year of our lives, we really don't know much about Christmas. We don't know that the date we celebrate was chosen by a madman, or that Christmas, etymologically speaking, means "Go away, Christ." Nor do we know that Christmas was first celebrated in 243 AD on March 28--and only moved to December 25 in 354 AD. We're oblivious to the fact that the advent calendar was actually invented by a Munich housewife to stop her children pestering her for a Christmas countdown. And we would never have guessed that the invention of Christmas crackers was merely a way of popularizing sweet wrappers. Luckily, Mark Forsyth is here to unwrap this fundamentally funny gallimaufry of traditions and oddities, making it all finally make sense--in his wonderfully entertaining wordy way. |