The History Of The American Christmas And Its Traditions

A History of the American Christmas and Its Traditions - Discover Our Most Cherished Christmas Traditions We Celebrate in America - Christmas may be a time for celebration across the us. Families and friends gather for each day of festive merry making. Christmas: Where It All Began Christmas. The word itself inspires feelings of joy and good will towards our fellow man. each day when the best gift altogether the planet was bestowed upon us from Heaven. When you consider the name "Christmas", what immediately involves your mind? The birth of Jesus? Yes, traditionally, that's what we believe is that the reason behind the Christmas holiday and celebration. The birth of Jesus. I mean, goodness’s sake! His name is within the word itself! But is that basically where the start of the Christmas holiday comes from? Or is it somewhere else? Would you think that it's indeed rooted somewhere else?! Let's return though to the time before Jesus Christ's birth, and see if we can't add up of this. Centuries BC was born there was a gaggle of individuals who celebrated something they called "The Winter Solstice". In this celebration, early Europeans would gather and rejoice that the worst a part of the Winter Season was passing which that they had managed to survive another harsh, cold Winter. And, that they might begin enjoying longer days. In other words, this was a celebration of sunshine itself. And life also. This celebration of sunshine and survival would happen around December 21st or the 22nd per annum . And, counting on the calendar shift, it could occur anywhere between December 20th to the 23rd. Pretty on the brink of the time once we traditionally celebrate our Christmas holiday, wouldn't you agree? Indeed, across the ecu countryside, the top of December was an ideal time to possess a celebration due in most part because cattle were slaughtered in order that they might not need to be fed throughout Winter. And for many people, this is able to be one among the sole times throughout the entire year that they might have access to fresh meat. Not only this, but most beverages consumed, like beer and wine, cultivated throughout the year had finished the fermentation cycle and were able to be consumed. Beer and burgers? Now if that aren’t a celebration, I don't know what is! One last item to say is that in Germany, during this point, many people would pay tribute to the pagan god Oden. Now, long ago, many Germans who believed during this god were extremely scared of him. The reason for this is often because they believed that Oden would make "nightly rounds" to see abreast of his people, deciding who would thrive and who would, well, not. thanks to this, many German people would stay indoors with their families.

The manger or Macy's? Americans might well wonder which is the real shrine of Christmas, as they take part each year in a mix of churchgoing, shopping, and family togetherness. But the history of Christmas cannot be summed up so easily as the commercialization of a sacred day. As Penne Restad reveals in this marvelous new book, it has always been an ambiguous meld of sacred thoughts and worldly actions-- as well as a fascinating reflection of our changing society. In Christmas in America, Restad brilliantly captures the rise and transformation of our most universal national holiday. In colonial times, it was celebrated either as an utterly solemn or a wildly social event--if it was celebrated at all. Virginians hunted, danced, and feasted. City dwellers flooded the streets in raucous demonstrations. Puritan New Englanders denounced the whole affair. Restad shows that as times changed, Christmas changed--and grew in popularity. In the early 1800s, New York served as an epicenter of the newly emerging holiday, drawing on its roots as a Dutch colony (St. Nicholas was particularly popular in the Netherlands, even after the Reformation), and aided by such men as Washington Irving. In 1822, another New Yorker named Clement Clarke Moore penned a poem now known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," virtually inventing the modern Santa Claus. Well-to-do townspeople displayed a German novelty, the decorated fir tree, in their parlors; an enterprising printer discovered the money to be made from Christmas cards; and a hodgepodge of year-end celebrations began to coalesce around December 25 and the figure of Santa. The homecoming significance of the holiday increased with the Civil War, and by the end of the nineteenth century a full- fledged national holiday had materialized, forged out of borrowed and invented custom alike, and driven by a passion for gift-giving. In the twentieth century, Christmas seeped into every niche of our conscious and unconscious lives to become a festival of epic proportions. Indeed, Restad carries the story through to our own time, unwrapping the messages hidden inside countless movies, books, and television shows, revealing the inescapable presence--and ambiguous meaning--of Christmas in contemporary culture. Filled with colorful detail and shining insight, Christmas in America reveals not only much about the emergence of the holiday, but also what our celebrations tell us about ourselves. From drunken revelry along colonial curbstones to family rituals around the tree, from Thomas Nast drawing the semiofficial portrait of St. Nick to the making of the film Home Alone, Restad's sparkling account offers much to amuse and ponder.

Written for everyone who loves and is simultaneously driven crazy by the holiday season, Christmas: A Candid History provides an enlightening, entertaining perspective on how the annual Yuletide celebration got to be what it is today. In a fascinating, concise tour through history, the book tells the story of Christmas—from its pre-Christian roots, through the birth of Jesus, to the holiday's spread across Europe into the Americas and beyond, and to its mind-boggling transformation through modern consumerism. Packed with intriguing stories, based on research into myriad sources, full of insights, the book explores the historical origins of traditions including Santa, the reindeer, gift giving, the Christmas tree, Christmas songs and movies, and more. The book also offers some provocative ideas for reclaiming the joy and meaning of this beloved, yet often frustrating, season amid the pressures of our fast-paced consumer culture. DID YOU KNOW For three centuries Christians did not celebrate Christmas? Puritans in England and New England made Christmas observances illegal? St. Nicholas is an elf in the famous poem "The Night Before Christmas"? President Franklin Roosevelt changed the dateof Thanksgiving in order to lengthen the Christmas shopping season? Coca-Cola helped fashion Santa Claus's look in an advertising campaign?

This eleventh edition was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time and it is considered to be a landmark encyclopaedia for scholarship and literary style.

Have you been naughty or nice? Get set for Christmas with our brand new magical Annual! Enjoy Elf-themed activities, stories and makes in this charming new Annual and help make it the best Christmas holiday ever! Includes recipes, craft ideas, quizes, puzzles, jokes, fun facts, etc.

A new family shows the neighborhood what Christmas is all about In this small New England village, no one makes much of a fuss about Christmas—until a new family moves in, that is. The family works tirelessly to prepare for the holiday: decorating the house, hand-dipping candles, baking mounds of delicious cookies, and carving nativity pieces. In the end, these new neighbors show their small village how to celebrate the holiday in a very special way. This fixed-layout ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book, features read-along narration.

A Welsh poet recalls the celebration of Christmas in Wales and the feelings it evoked in him as a child.

Have you ever wondered where some of our unique and meaningful Christmas traditions come from? Wouldn't you like to know exactly where it all started and how we celebrate the Christmas holidays today as a result of our past? From the snow-capped and windswept mountains of Wyoming to the Christmas-lit beaches of Florida, All American Christmas follows the Christmas traditions of the United States. Yes, it's true. In fact, some of the early powers that be did not believe in vacations because of their origins. But there are many reasons to celebrate Christmas. This particular festival is celebrated mainly by Catholics who firmly believe that this is the day the Savior Jesus Christ was born. Well, you will read about everything. Here and now on these pages. So sit back, grab a cup of your favorite drink, and get ready to learn about the history of American Christmas and its traditions! The stories behind the great Christmas traditions include information about: Christmas: where it all began What is a Christmas tradition? Where do American Christmas traditions come from? Epiphany Celebrate Current Western traditions Christmas tree Christmas diary Give presents Santa Claus Celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christmas traditions add beauty, wonder, and hope to the festival and make people all over the world look forward to it. Warm your heart by rediscovering the true and timeless meaning of Christmas.

Many people celebrating Christmas in America follow a certain ritual or perform the same act year after year. These are traditions the family has chosen to make a part of their Christmas holiday celebration. Each tradition, such as putting up a Christmas tree, how or when to decorate the tree, and food you may serve around the holiday, does have a history. Take a journey back into the past to uncover the mystery about why we do these things and how it all got started. Find out what lies behind Christmas holiday magic.