Books, Nonfiction, Holidays

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John Grossman
Christmas Curiosities: Odd, Dark, and Forgotten Christmas
by Stewart, Tabori & Chang (Hardcover)

Oh, by gosh, by golly. It’s time for . . . rowdy bands of drunkards roaming the streets, lighting firecrackers, and firing off guns? Gangs of masked youths invading people’s houses, demanding food, drink, and money—and threatening to break the windows (or worse) unless they’re given what they want?  Welcome to Christmas, circa 1800. Yes, the season of light, joy, and gift-giving was once regarded as a time of darkness, danger, and dissipation—and celebrated with all-too-public displays of noisemaking, inebriation, and gluttonous overeating. (Well, maybe not everything has changed.) And though we tend to imagine Victorian-era Christmases as sentimental gatherings around the candlelit tree, blazing hearth, and festive punchbowl, the 19th-century evidence tells us quite otherwise. Drawing from his extensive collection of antique postcards, greeting cards, advertising giveaways, and other ephemera, author John Grossman presents a picture of Christmas past that, frankly, ...

Susan Waggoner
It's a Wonderful Christmas: The Best of the Holidays 1940-1965
by Harry N. Abrams (Hardcover)

Even now that we're all grown up, we can't help but look back on our childhood holidays and hope to recapture that elusive spirit of joyful anticipation. Celebrating Christmas is so often about nostalgia. With a nod and a wink to the days of Christmas past, It's a Wonderful Christmas presents classic images of the Yuletide icons of mid-20th-century America.Bubbler lights and glow-in-the-dark icicles. Catalogues crammed with toys. Norad bulletins tracking Rudolph's red nose through the nighttime sky. Along with hundreds of such quintessentially American illustrations, author Susan Waggoner stocking-stuffs her lively text with fascinating bits of information, lore, and lists. Wonder what the all-time most popular Christmas song is? How the tradition of the department store Santa got started? The answers are here. Loaded with images of vintage Christmas cards, wrapping paper, magazine ads, Lionel toy trains, and more, all in full color, this charming book will appeal to anyone who ...

Allen Salkin
Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us
by Grand Central Publishing (Paperback)

A brand-new and revised edition of the hilarious guide to the national anti-holiday made famous by Seinfeld, complete with never-before-seen material, photos, and illustrations on how to prepare and enjoy your very own Festivus.

Tasha Tudor
A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays
by Rand McNally & Company (Hardcover)

Describes traditional holiday celebrations throughout the year in a New England household.

John Matthews
The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas
by Quest Books (Paperback)

Brimming with stories, activities, folklore, and recipes, this popular holiday gift book traces the history behind many sacred traditions of the season and provides practical suggestions for celebrating the Winter Solstice as a joyous, life-affirming festival.

Ellen Jackson
Winter Solstice
by Demco Media (Turtleback)

Jennifer Trainer Thompson
The Joy of Family Traditions: A Season-by-Season Companion to 400 Celebrations and Activities
by Ten Speed Press (Paperback)

When a special activity evolves into a tradition within a family, it creates meaning, connection, and community and makes common occasions more momentous and memorable. Establishing a sense of stability and shared history has never been more important to parents than it is today, as families become more fractured and scattered. THE JOY OF FAMILY TRADITIONS offers more than 400 fresh ideas and creative approaches to cultivating birthday, anniversary, holiday, and other rite-of-passage and seasonal traditions that strengthen personal bonds and reflect a family's individual style, spirituality, and values.

Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling
All Year Round (Lifeways)
by Hawthorn Press (Paperback)

This book is a treasure trove of tomorrow's fond childhood memories, all mingled with a mix of colored thread, delicious cooking smells, softly sparkling candlelight, and the snatches of favorite songs. Brimming with stories, poems, activities, things to make, and songs, All Year Round offers a friendly guide to the seasonal round of festivals. Helpful drawings and diagrams illustrate this practical book. It contains a wealth of experience that can help families find their own way around the year. Parents are encouraged to develop their traditions and family ways using this as a springboard. As the authors say, "the words are ours, the festivals are yours." The authors believe that observing a round of festivals is an enjoyable way of bringing rhythm into children's lives, a way of providing meaningful landmarks to look forward to. Experiencing the unfolding year through stories, poems, and making seasonal tables encourages a love of nature. Each festival has a character ...

Foxfire Christmas, A
by Doubleday (Hardcover) (Release Date: 1990-09-01)

Based on interviews with families in the mountains of northeast Georgia, a book of recollections commemorates the holiday traditions of Appalachian families and offers instructions for recreating many of their ornaments, toys, and dishes. Reprint. UP.

Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas Treasury: Holiday Stories to Warm the Heart
by HCI (Paperback)

Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas Treasury captures the holiday spirit through an extensive story collection that demonstrates the humor, profound joy, and spiritedness that envelops the holiday season known as Christmas. Join popular humorist Dave Barry, bestselling author Robert Fulghum, renowned author and lecturer Joan Wester Anderson, among many others, as they recount the special moments that lend to the magic and joy of the holiday celebration.

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