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Andy Thomas

Christmas: A short history from solstice to santa Hardcover – 1 Oct. 2019

by Andy Thomas (Author)

72 ratings

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Covering ancient ceremonies, mythology, the gospels and traditions from around the world, Andy Thomas uncovers the fascinating background to one of the biggest festive seasons – Christmas.

Have you ever wondered where Christmas comes from? Or why and how it has been celebrated throughout the centuries? This book takes you on an intriguing and entertaining journey through its social history.

Learn about the:

astrological associations
symbolism of the Nativity
excesses of the Roman festival of Saturnalia
Puritan ban of Christmas
Victorian-era revival
introduction and rise of gift-giving
origins and developments of Father Christmas
food and traditions from around the world
history of its stories, songs and symbols

Andy is a lecturer and author on folklore, histories and unexplained mysteries and has made numerous appearances on radio and TV. Beautifully illustrated, this book tells the fuller story behind the sparkle and the merriment, and shows why Christmas has survived and still has meaning for us today.

Print length

144 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Ivy Press
Publication date

1 Oct. 2019
Dimensions

14.61 x 1.78 x 20.57 cm
ISBN-10

1782407804
ISBN-13

978-1782407805
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Product details

Publisher : Ivy Press (1 Oct. 2019)
Language : English
Hardcover : 144 pages
ISBN-10 : 1782407804
ISBN-13 : 978-1782407805
Dimensions : 14.61 x 1.78 x 20.57 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 374,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 236 in Christmas as a Religious Holiday
- 4,808 in Religious History of Christianity

Customer reviews:
72 ratings

Product description

About the Author

Andy Thomas is one of the UK's most experienced lecturers and authors on folklore, histories and unexplained mysteries. He has made numerous appearances on radio and TV, including BBC One's The One Show, andNational Geographic and History channels. He is renowned for his thought-provoking and entertaining books and lectures, and speaks prolifically to all kinds of audiences across Britain and around the world.

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Customer reviews

5 star		79%
4 star		13%
3 star		5%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

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Patricia

A book to treasure

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2020

Verified Purchase

This is a lovely book and I'm so pleased I chose the hard cover version rather than my normal Kindle. The book is filled with interesting facts and is beautifully illustrated. I'm sure I will reread this book every Christmas (and it would make an excellent gift). You will find yourself saying 'did you know ...' and there are a wealth of facts just right for the Christmas quiz. I bought this book after Andy Thomas was a speaker at our U3A meeting, one of the best speakers we have ever had. I have also bought another book written by Andy for my husband for Christmas - ' The Truth Agenda'. Review to follow. Highly recommended as a keepsake or a gift.

Helpful

Sarah

Bringing together all of the strands for what we call Christmas

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 January 2020

Verified Purchase

Thank you for writing this book Andy, it has helped me in my shift to calling the whole period from late November to the end of December the Winter Festival and using the word Yule/Jul more confidently. Having spend a good deal of time in the Nordic countries I tend to use the Jul spelling which for me resonates with the rebirth of sun/light.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Cristina

Very nice book about Christmas

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 January 2021

Verified Purchase

Very interesting book about the history of Christmas. It deals with the history of the festival in various cultures and countries, and it is beautifully illustrated as well. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone that loves Christmas. Also, it arrived in time for Christmas and I ordered it from Spain.

Helpful

Didos

Beautiful Book.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2019

WOW The Christmas Book by Andy Thomas is fantastic.

Its a well written, consise and well researched book with information about the history of the Festive Period. From Religious Ferstivals to Mythology and of course foods of the season.

A must read if you love the festive season. I loved all the beautiful pictures in the book as well.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

A fantastic book giving us the hitory behind all aspects of Christmas!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 December 2020

Christmas: A Short History From Solstice to Santa by Andy Thomas was one of the gifts in my stocking last Christmas, and it's absolutely right up my street. I'm a massive fan of Christmas in a secular sense, and so was really excited to learn more about my favourite holiday!

This book is an absolute dream for anyone who adores the holiday, Christian or not. It was absolutely fascinating to read! We learn how Father Christmas came into existence, and how he became what we know him as today. We discover the reason we bring in evergreen plantlife into our home, and the introduction of the Christmas tree. How giving gifts became a tradition, as well as Christmas cards. The I found the symbolism of the Nativity, and the things we tend to think we know about that story that are actually inaccurate, or not mentioned at all in the Bible, so interesting! It was so terrible to read about how Christmas was banned for a number of years, and celebrating made illegal. How Christmas as we know it today is very much down to the Victorians. We also learn the history behind the food we eat, why we sing carols, and so much more. It really is such a fantastic little book!

As someone who celebrates Yule, too, I was really eager to read about Christmas' origins in Pagan celebrations. But while this is touched on at the start of the book, this is a short history and there is quite a lot to cover, so Yule, Saturnalia and other pre-Christian Winter Solstice and New Year celebrations are very briefly described. I found it a little disappointing, but honestly, this book covers so much, the book wouldn't be a short history at all if it went into too much detail! And to be fair, it gives ou enought information to start you off doing your own research and learning more.

I absolutely adored Christmas: A Short History From Solstice to Santa, and it's absolutely the perfect gift for anyone who really gets into the Christmas spirit.

Helpful

George

A perfect read for this time of year!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 December 2019

When you think of Christmas what emotions, associations and memories are conjured up? For some it is the most eagerly awaited, magical time of the year, whereas for others it is a time to be endured through gritted teeth. Whatever your view of Christmas, one thing is for sure, it is almost impossible to ignore. But how much do we really know about its origins and development, its history and traditions? Now many of these knowledge gaps will be filled after reading Andy Thomas's fascinating journey through all things Christmas. From mince pies to carols, from yule logs to turkey, it is all there.

The history of Christmas is rather absorbing with its origins found in ancient festivals celebrating Midwinter and its eventual supplication by Constantine of the Roman festival of Saturnalia. It is surprising how very little content of the Bible is actually devoted to Christ's birth. Although largely focused on the UK, there are references to the Christmas tradition throughout the world. The book looks at medieval ‘misrule', Tudor unrestrained excesses and Christmas's practical disappearance under subsequent Puritan influence. Its reemergence very much a Victorian appropriation of existing German traditions. With its wonderful graphics and photographs the book will makes a sublime addition to the coffee table as guests arrive for some seasonal food and drink.. A perfect buy for this time of year.

A review copy was provided by the publisher.

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