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44th out of 95 books
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106 voters
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The Battle for Christmas
Anyone who laments the excesses of Christmas might consider the Puritans of colonial Massachusetts: they simply outlawed the holiday. The Puritans had their reasons, since Christmas was once an occasion for drunkenness and riot, when poor "wassailers extorted food and drink from the well-to-do. In this intriguing and innovative work of social history, Stephen Nissenb...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
December 1st 2010
by Vintage
(first published 1996)
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Got to page 50 and ran out of gas, skimmed the rest of the book and threw it back.
The book itself probably would have been a good read for someone truly interested in the history of Christmas traditions, but what I had been looking for was something that explained the history of Christmas as the date of Dec. 25 -- who decided it should be on December 25, what went into that decision, and what sorts of warring factions there were, as there must have been some.
I hate to mar...more
The book itself probably would have been a good read for someone truly interested in the history of Christmas traditions, but what I had been looking for was something that explained the history of Christmas as the date of Dec. 25 -- who decided it should be on December 25, what went into that decision, and what sorts of warring factions there were, as there must have been some.
I hate to mar...more
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Fascinating. Especially in light of the Fox News meme "liberals are fighting a cultural war on Christmas" propagated on TV every winter. It was social conservatives in New England (led by the theologically liberal Unitarians!) who banned Christmas 200 years ago. Huh?
Christmas celebrations were a social carnival with roots in A Day of Misrule rituals marking the shortest day of the year. Public drunkenness and fornication was celebrated, along with barely tempered home i...more
Christmas celebrations were a social carnival with roots in A Day of Misrule rituals marking the shortest day of the year. Public drunkenness and fornication was celebrated, along with barely tempered home i...more
This is the best book ever written about Christmas, but it's also a towering example of careful historical research. Simply and elegantly put, Christmas is not what you think it is. Even if you know the basic history of it. Without any malice or intent to lecture Americans about their Christmas kookiness, Nissenbaum's book traces our cultural and historical relationship to the holiday. The only bummer about this book is that a lot of people probably wouldn't read it because (and on this I speak ...more
This book is about twice as long as it needs to be. Unless you're a scholarly scholar, it's almost too much documentation. It is quite interesting, though, in the historical evolution of the holiday as we know it today. It really re-enforces my own belief that celebrating Jesus is a daily joy, not a December one. As most of our holidays have pagan origins, so it is with Christmas - the Christians jumping on board in hopes of calming and taking over the extremely rowdy Saturnalia and harvest ...more
I am somewhat in love with the Christmas season. I am equally in love with finding out that certain long-abiding cultural traditions are not really so traditional and long-abiding after all. There's something satisfying about the sharp sting of disillusionment that accompanies discovering how cold, historic realities cannot live up to the romantic ideals of poetic fancy. Maybe I'm reliving the trauma of being told Santa doesn't actually exist, or maybe I'm just getting cynical in my old age. In ...more
A fascinating examination of the evolution of Christmas traditions. The Battle for Christmas shows early Christmas (and New Years, for historically the two seemed often interchangeable) traditions revolving around an atmosphere of carnival and misrule; a time when the social order was inverted and conventional forms of behavior were ignored. Occurring during the deep winter, after rural work had ended, Christmas came during a season of leisure and rowdiness. Though these behaviors briefly turned...more
I didn’t finish this because I pretty much got the point about 1/3 through. The upper classes battled with the lower classes to make Christmas more than an opportunity to riot and extort money and food from them. Oh, and merchants wanted to sell stuff. Another case of an historian who’s too wrapped up in his subject and goes into waaaay too much detail. Too bad, because it’s an interesting subject. And some great points to refute the right wing and their complaints about the “war” over Chri...more
I have often wondered whose version of the origins and nature of our "traditions" for observing Christmas - George Bernard Shaw's or G.K. Chesterton's - came closer to the mark. Based on this informative but often very dry history of Christmas, it looks like Shaw's version - that it was invented largely by shopkeepers and merchants to move prodigious amounts of goods - might carry more historical weight than I had supposed. Tracing Christmas from past centuries in England, Germany, and...more
Until the 19th century, Christmas celebrations had more to do with the midwinter pagan celebrations of the Saturn and Bacchus, according to a history of the Christmas celebration by Stephen Nissenbaum. The Christmas portrayed by Dickens of the family gathered together for a day of hard-earned rest and modest excess was a novelty. The holiday itself was only beginning to take shape as the dominating force between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
Traditionally, December i...more
Traditionally, December i...more
Pamela
added it
Eye-opening analysis, historical and socioeconomic context for traditions: Santa, the tree, gifts, feasting, (temporary) disruption of the social order, relaxing of restraints, commercialization. Focuses on the United States, including practices in context of plantation life, slavery. Prominent roles of Unitarians and Universalists.
This is an informative, scholarly book without being too dense or "brainy." The lessons in this book about Anglo-American Christmas are revealing about how long we've been "fighting" about Christmas. If you have any ambivalence about the modern Christmas, read this book and find out why. If you want to learn about Christmas---the real Christmas we experience every year, not the ideal Christmas we all long for---this is the book you're looking for.
Loved, loved this examination of the invention of Christmas traditions--most of which happened in the 19th century. During that space of 100 years, Christmas went from being a rowdy, drunken holiday to one centered around home and family. Some fascinating stuff here that made me keep reading.
But, unfortunately, it is written in the way so many history books are--lots of long quotes, footnotes, and at times, it's pretty dry. This is a story that deserves wider attention (especially in li...more
But, unfortunately, it is written in the way so many history books are--lots of long quotes, footnotes, and at times, it's pretty dry. This is a story that deserves wider attention (especially in li...more
Susan Ritchie recommended this book about how the Unitarians invented the gift-giving, Christmas tree traditions of U.S. Christmas to quell the raucous poor folks who went knocking on rich folks doors at Christmas time -- I'm intrigued!
Argh - I so badly wanted to finish this - I almost quit early but kept plowing ahead. Learned a lot - its really researched - but it was very academic. Maybe we are all spoiled with these non-fiction writers who can construct drama in everything. Either way, a very informative book but I'd prefer this kinda info in a Wikipedia page then a 400 page book. Not sure if that is a comment about the book... or about me.
A lot of good information, but perhaps it would have been better if it were condensed. I began to lose interest about half-way through and just skimmed the rest. If you are a Christmas history buff, this is definitely the book for you!
Ah, finally some good Grinch reading!
"The Victorians hijacked the holiday, and Victorian writers helped turn it into a feast of safe domesticity and a cacophonous chime of retail cash registers."
Can't wait!
"The Victorians hijacked the holiday, and Victorian writers helped turn it into a feast of safe domesticity and a cacophonous chime of retail cash registers."
Can't wait!
This was a very informative book, with very small print, so it took me pretty much all of December to read. But I enjoyed learning about the "traditions" of Christmas and would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in how, and for that matter, when, the "traditional" Christmas we celebrate today actually came about, along with the origins of Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, presents, and charity. Well researched and written in an easily accessible manner.
Gwen
marked it as to-read
recomended by Janet, who is starting (continuing) a social movement to tone down all this materialism at Christmas and simplify.
I have to confess that I read different chunks of this book. I did not read it straight through. Some parts were more detailed than what I was interested in. This book provided a good look into how Christmas developed in America and how it started as a rather wild and dangerous celebration to how we know it today. Aspects such as gift-giving, the focus on children, Santa Claus, and such were discussed. It was really quite interesting.
Really interesting stuff but quite specific-- which I wasn't expecting. This book looks at Christmas before the Victorian period and after, then the events that caused that transformation. I would have liked more information about the holiday's history preceding the 1800's so I wouldn't have to go to wikipedia to figure out what Saturnalia was (among other things.) One short chapter would have easily sufficed. Still, I'm glad I read it. The irony of Christmas is not lost on me and is made r...more
Lianna
marked it as to-read
those crazy victorians...will try to read by Christmas '09
Very interesting topic and concept. I really liked the beginning part of the book, then I really liked the end. During most of the middle the author seemed to just go on and on. However, it shed a lot of light on this holiday that so many of us consider precious. Plus it challenged my idea of tradition.
Johnny Carson
marked it as to-read
On my Kindle for PC.
Kara Merry
marked it as to-read
I am on the preface page 10
Wassailers beware! You've just been exposed.
Interesting how the idea of Christmas (especially what we view as "traditional") varies so much from era to era.
This was a very interesting read. I enjoyed learning more about where our customs came from and how they evolved. It's kind of interesting to note that Christmas has never been a holiday celebrated by the pious. To the contrary, it used to resemble Mardi Grass much more than it does now.
A cultural analysis of Christmas, written in a clear and engaging style. Why do we give presents to children? Why does santa claus smoke "the stub of a pipe"? Why, 300 years ago, did the Puritans ban Christmas for several decades? I re-read it every holiday.
It was interesting overall, but most of the ideas were hammered over and over to the point I got tired of reading it. I learned a few things from reading it and enjoyed the idea that Christmas used to be a violent Mardi Gras sort of celebration.
Just started for a new book club I joined: The Page Turners.
I was, and am still, not much of a non-fiction reader, and this group seems to have a heavy focus on non-fiction. One of the reasons why I joined.
I was, and am still, not much of a non-fiction reader, and this group seems to have a heavy focus on non-fiction. One of the reasons why I joined.
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