Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas

by Jonathan Green

Wouldn’t it be great to understand all our Christmas traditions? Here, Jonathan Green offers the fascinating history behind our most beloved holiday traditions. For example, myrrh is incense made from the resin of a North African bush and was a special gift during biblical times. To the Romans, mistletoe was a symbol of fertility, so today we are encouraged to kiss when it is near. The Yule log was originally used to brighten homes during the dark, cold Scandinavian Christmas season. Packed with all manner of delightful surprises and delicious morsels, A Christmas Miscellany demystifies the origins of familiar festive customs such as caroling and Christmas cards, and entertains with fun, little-known facts. This is the perfect gift or stocking stuffer for the curious-minded during the holiday season.

Genres: Christmas, Nonfiction, History, Holiday, Trivia

184 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jason Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I make no goddam sense, I swear I don't. I think this is a three star book because I liked it. I want to give it four stars due to simple Christmas generosity, but I can't say I "really" liked it which is what four stars means. I could go with 3.5, which would push it to the fourth star in my round-up system, but I was on the fence since it feels like it should stay at three stars. Then I saw that it currently has a community rating of 3.39, and that made me sad, so I considered giving it four anyway. Then I checked out the author, and his current goodreads picture...



...makes him look a bit arrogant, and I sure as hell don't want to support that kind of shit, but then he looked like he's younger than I am, and we always want to build-up the kids with an extra star, but the internet is silent on his age, so three stars, mah-fah, THREE STARS!

This was fun and informative, but it was written by a Brit, and since I'm a Yank (not to be confused with Yankee, if you please), there were a few customs I was unaware of. In fact, one floored me, and I simply can't get behind it. Apparently, eating Brussels sprouts is a British Christmas day tradition... Grody to the max! I used to wish I were British because they seem cool (and the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence), but that shit's a deal-breaker! Ah, Pierce. You're always straying towards greener pastures and finding Brussels sprouts. I'd almost rather eat chitlins than those little, green booger balls... Ok, well maybe not. I've been hungry, and I've been real hungry, but I've never been so hungry that I had to skin a turd to get a meal. And I've never been so hungry that I felt compelled to try sprouts again either. The first time didn't go so well. My body didn't want to let them all the way through to the other end and they were instead turned around at the stomach (no sanctuary city, that), and shot back up the chute to exit via the entrance.

And believe it or not, vomit provides a nice segue. There's a lot of alcohol in this book, and Christmas used to be all about getting plastered like one would for Mardi Gras. Not only are there several drink concoctions in here, but almost all the food recipes call for a pint of brandy, or ale, or sherry, or summat, but I'm not sure if all of them were used in the recipes. I'll let the Golden Girls explain:

Blanche: "How's the cake coming Sophia?"
Sophia: "Beautiful! I got everything I need. Coconut, eggs, unbleached flour, rum…"
Rose: "Oh, you’re making a rum cake?"
Sophia: "No..."


One thing I really liked about this book is that it doesn't seem to have an agenda as far as the Christian versus pagan aspects of the holiday, and it covers both the sacred and secular sides without passing judgment. It's a shame the same can't be said for much of humanity. You'll find people in both camps, and some are quite adamant about their position, especially Christians who march around proclaiming "Jesus is the reason for the season," and such. These are usually the same people who get super-offended at anything that doesn't put Jesus' birth first and foremost in anything remotely related to the holiday season, and they'll return a sincere "happy holidays" greeting from a cashier with a "Merry Christmas" said in a tone of voice usually reserved for a "fuck you and the horse you rode in on," and accompanied by a frown and a "there,-I-told-you" head nod. Seeing such things make me a little sad, but luckily I also know a lot of Christians who don't get all butt-hurt when someone wishes them well during the holiday season without directly referring to Christmas.

But for those who do get upset, I'm afraid facts are facts. A lot of the customs and superstitions we use in our celebrations today predate Christianity. Most scholars believe Jesus was born in March, but the early church, once it got powerful enough, officially moved it to December 25th. Plenty of pagan, winter festivals went on around the winter solstice (December 21st). The church frowned on this, but seemed powerless to stop them, so it said "if you can't beat em, join em, then change em," and that's what happened. As a result, several customs (most involving greenery), were incorporated into the Christmas celebration which itself has gone through several changes over the past millennium and a half.

I wish to point out a technicality here. Jesus is not the "reason for the season." That's just a cute rhyme. Jesus is the reason for Christmas. The season is the reason for the season. Like I mentioned above, the celebration of Jesus' birth is not the only thing going on at the end of December, and I don't believe acknowledging other events (winter, Hanukkah, etc.) diminishes Christmas, so everyone needs to just chill.

Also, I believe the last chapter of this book, "Why is Christmas so often shortened to Xmas?" should be required reading for everyone, especially Christians. Combating ignorance and educating people on that has been a cause of mine for years, and I was glad to find it supported in this book. Claiming that abbreviating Christmas as "Xmas" is taking Christ out of Christmas is so wrong it's laughable. "X" is the Greek letter "Chi" which was used to mean "Christ" centuries ago, and it's just continued to be used ever since. It came into widespread use again when the printing press raided the scene because it's a lot easier (and cheaper) to use a single character, X, than six characters, Christ. So, you find X, Xmas, Xian, Xianity, etc. all over publications, most of which were put out by... are you ready for this? The church! So, if you claim that "Xmas" is crossing Christ out of Christmas, please know that you're being an idiot. If you're intentionally abbreviating it as Xmas in order to be irreverent, please know that you're being an idiot.



Okay, okay. I'm done with that. I know the past few paragraphs make me look like a Christian hater, but I'm actually not that at all. I consider myself a Christian, albeit an unconventional one. I'm okay with that even if others aren't. I'm pretty sure God is okay with the way I am as well right now, and He'll let me know if something changes, but this isn't the place to explain all that. I love Jesus's part in my favorite holiday, but I can also appreciate the other aspects, not to mention irreverent spoofs, such as those found in South Park.

I suggest this book to anyone who has an interest in just about anything relating to Christmas celebrations. There are legends, superstitions, historical facts, songs, recipes, and, well, a bunch of Christmas miscellany like the title says.

[Janet Eshenroder · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a short but interesting collection of religious, secular and pagan traditions that we associate with Christmas. Who would have guessed how many years the Puritans were able to outlaw Christmas in England? I especially liked the traditional recipes included.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

For any lover of Christmas and nostalgia, this is a great read. It is filled with the history behind many of our holiday traditions such as the yule log, holly and ivy, and so many more. I thought this was a very fun read and I learned many things!

[Holly Morey · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some interesting facts in this book, but also there were too many recipes for the same things. The book could have been half the length giving you the same information.

[Cathryn Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming and informative book about all things Christmas in delightful short chapters that explore traditions, legends and even superstitions that surround this most favorite of holidays.

From delightful tidbits to in-depth explanations, you'll find out everything from why we open Advent calendars to why we burn Yule logs. And while you may know much of it already, there is a lot you'll learn. Find out why England banned all Christmas celebrations of any kind for 18 long years. Learn why reindeer are associated with Christmas. Why do we all want to steal a kiss under the mistletoe? And what IS wassailing anyway?

This is how much I liked the book: I read it on my Kindle but bought the paperback edition to use as a kind of Christmas decoration. It's now on the coffee table because it's just the type of book someone could pick up, open to a random page, and start reading. Plus, the beautiful color drawings that harken to a time of Christmas past are simply lovely, and the black-and-white e-ink on the Kindle doesn't do them justice.

Bonus: There are recipes galore, although some, such as roasted swan, you'll probably never use. There's a 1909 recipe for the traditional British plum pudding and brandy butter, a chocolate yule log, and even figgy pudding, among many others.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has so many bits of information about why we celebrate certain aspects of Christmas, and what their origins were. And I was really excited to read it because of that. Unfortunately, even though this book was printed in New York, and I bought it at an American store called Tractor Supply, it's all about Christmas in England, not America. So a lot of the traditions, carols, and information has much to do with Britain, and is even misrepresented or far outdated when it comes to the American traditions that are mentioned. So read with a grain of salt and don't expect this book to hold true for an "American" Christmas. It's still fun to see where some things originated. But as the author brings the tradition forward in time, it's all about England.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas (Books of Miscellany) by Jonathan Green
Starts with dedication page then table of contents where various subjects are highlighted.
My most favorite one was learning more about Vikings traditions and customs and what they stood for. Also enjoyed hearing about the twelve days of Christmas and how they relate to the Christian holiday.
There are also 'did you know' sections in each one that give your more insight...
Lots of history throughout the centuries of where things started and how they are adapted to our holidays these years.
Such a fun read even in the middle of summer.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book for years, and just picked it up from time to time during the holidays reading a chapter here or there. I decided to finish it this holiday season, and was pleasantly surprised of how the author was able to give historical information on how this holiday that so many think of just one way, is so much more. A real mash up of religion, ritual, commercialism and history mixed into one. And no matter what one may have thought they "knew" about origins of this holiday, probably could learn the actual history behind it.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A NON-SENTIMENTAL ARGUMENT SUPPORTING ‘PAGAN INFLUENCES,’ AND MORE

Author Jonathan Green wrote in the Introduction to this 2009 book, “The Christmas that we celebrate today is a creation of the past as much as it is a thing of the present. The customs that we keep are an amalgamation of the practices of other times, cultures, religions, and countries… Indeed, many of the Christmas customs we keep today have their origins thousands of years before Jesus Christ was even born, when people worshipped the sun as the giver of life. And yet, most of us keep these customs without knowing, or even wondering, why. Why do we put up Christmas trees, send Christmas cards… and hang up stockings on Christmas Eve? You might answer by saying that it’s traditional, or simply because it’s Christmas. But how have these traditions come about in the first place? And then there are the fascinating facts about Christmas that have been forgotten in this modern age…”

He asserts, “Mithras was born in a cave, as was Jesus … At the end of his life, Mithras took part in a feast, just as Jesus took part in the Last Supper, before being taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot, just as Jesus ascended to heaven after his resurrection from the dead. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until the year AD 350 that the then Pope, Julius I, made it official. He decreed that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25 because it would make it as easy as possible for those Romans who were still pagans (which was most of them) to make the change to the new rituals… by 354 the celebration of Christmas had become an annual event.” (Pg. 12)

He explains, “The first Christmas trees were decorated with apples, as a symbol of Man’s fall in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. As a result, they were called Paradise trees. In time other decorations were added, in the form of nuts and even red ribbons or strips of paper. Ultimately, the apples were replaced by Christmas baubles. In the Middle Ages, the Paradise tree went up on the feast day dedicated to Adam and Eve, December 24, and to this day, purists believe that you should wait until Christmas Eve to erect your own tree, and then take it down again on Twelfth Night.’ (Pg. 27)

He notes, “at first Christmas tree decorations, were of an edible nature. There were sweets, fruit, and even wafers; then came small presents and paper ornaments. By the 1880s glass ornaments were all the rage, with baubles replacing the once traditional apples hung on the old-fashioned Paradise tree… a reminder of the forbidden fruit tasted by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.” (Pg. 68)

He points out, “The vibrantly colored Poinsettia, with its bright red leaves, that has become such a Christmas institution is named after the first American ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett. In Mexico the plant goes by the name of the Flower of the Holy Night, but when Poinsett brought it back to America it was renamed in his honor. In Mexico, the plant has legendary origins that are associated with Christmas. It was once the tradition in that country to place gifts for Jesus on church altars on Christmas Eve. One poor boy had nothing to give and, in his distress, knelt outside the church ... [and] a beautiful plant with red leaves sprang up.” (Pg. 89)

He recounts, “In the early 1640s, the Long Parliament had already begun to clamp down on Christmas, even changing its name to ‘Christ-tide,’ so as to distance themselves from the feast day’s Catholic connections. Parliament said that if Christ-tide was to be kept at all, it should be as a day of fasting and prayer… Both Houses of Parliament attended intense fast sermons on December 25, 1644. That year Cromwell’s administration passed an Act of Parliament that banned any form of celebration during the twelve days of Christmas… Puritans took the greatest exception to the pagan elements making up the Christmas festivities… They particularly loathed the idea of wassailing---the practice of going door-to-door carol-singing---which more often than not ended as an out-of-control drunken revel. In January 1645, parliament in England produced a new Directory of Public Worship which made it clear that Sundays were to be strictly observed as holy days, for the worship of God, and that there were to be no other ‘festival days, vulgarly called Holy Days.’ … In June 1647, the Long Parliament passed an Ordinance making it absolutely clear that the feasts of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost were abolished. During the 1650s further laws were passed. Christmas carols were banned, shops and markets were ordered to stay open on December 25… In London, soldiers were ordered to patrol the streets and take any food suspected of being cooked for an illicit Christmas celebration. Nativity scenes were banned as the worship of idols… With the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, when Charles II took the throne of England, the Directory of Public Worship and all other anti-Christmas legislation brought in from 1642 to 1660 was declared null and void, and done away with. There are some historians who believe that the common man’s desire to see the traditional, raucous Christmas celebrations restored helped to lead to the Restoration of the monarchy!” (Pg. 110-112)

This book will appeal mostly to those who are sympathetic to the notion of ‘pagan influence’ on Christmas, or other opponents of the traditions.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me wonder if I should write my own Christmas book. Only because I knew all this stuff already. But don't worry, there is nothing that would ever get me to write my own book of any kind, I'll leave it to people like Jonathan Green. It was a nice, little, interesting book, plenty to learn if you aren't quite as into Christmas as I am. And I really doubt that you are. :-)

[Harvey Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book that fairly well explains the “Christmas” celebration as we experience it today. Simply put, what we experience is a mash up of a lot of sources. It’s a fictional legend. Still fun none the less!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Much New Here

I love Christmas, and I love to read books and magazines that address my favorite holiday. There is nothing actually wrong with this book, but neither is there anything new. Not much liveliness to it either. I’m glad I didn’t spend to get the hard copy.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you want to know about Christmas

A terrific compendium of trivia about the traditions we associate with the Christmas holiday. It also contains recipes for Christmas treats, including several varieties of mulled wine.

[David Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christmas has a rich cultural heritage, with each generation adding something to the tradition it seems. We often lose the significance and practyice much of it in ignorance. It was good to get an explanation. The updated version will hopefully include the "Elf on the Shelf".

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A handy and charmingly illustrated compilation of Christmas trivia.

[Sue J]

Many interesting explanations and answers about all aspects of Christmas!!

[Andrew Gagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is worth reading during the Holiday season. Despite being targeted towards the British public.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading about the traditions of Christmas, why and how they came about.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book. I loved Learning something new about the history and lores of Christmas and found the recipes quite charming.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty fun little book with Christmas trivia. Some things mentioned might be inappropriate for kids.

[Denise みか Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to read around Christmastime, especially if you appreciate the multireligious conglomerate nature of the holiday. The book takes a practical, historical look at all sorts of Christmas traditions including their origins and evolution throughout the many centuries of this holiday’s existence. The way the book is parceled into easy-to-digest sections makes it a great read every year; a reader can come back and rediscover tidbits and trivia that they may have forgotten and it’s no problem whatsoever to simply skip around to whatever topic is of interest at the moment. The writing is also easy to follow without being dry or boring, another reason I find myself coming back to this tome every year. This is one of the top books in my modest Christmas library.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting collection of Christmas facts, both religious and secular (and, not a little bit, pagan). It's written for a British audience (apparently exchanging Christmas cards is a way bigger deal there than it is for us), but I actually liked it more because of that, since so many of our "traditional" Christmas symbols and habits are tied up in the English Victorian Christmas. Anyway, a quick, easy read, perfect to arm yourself with a host of "Did you know..." quips for all your Holiday parties this year.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book that details the history of a lot of Christmas traditions and myths/stories. Think of it as a little FAQ book on Christmas. Why do we want some figgy pudding? Why do we go wassailing? Must we kiss under the mistletoe? What is the meaning behind stockings filled with treats, including oranges?

This book is also filled with recipes for traditional Christmas treats and drinks including wassail, mulled wine, figgy pudding, and Christmas pudding.

[Ericka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read collections like this before on Christmas and this one had a couple of new things I was able to double check and then share with my family. I love trivia (my family knows me for coming up with weird unknown info on events, people, places, and things all the time). It's an easy read, but if you're busy getting ready for Christmas start early because it's not a short book.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, this book had good messages, but each section dragged on and on. It was really hard to keep interest on the topic when reading this book with the family. The author should have summed up the chapters a little better!

[Carlee Marrer-tising · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Fun for the season!

I enjoyed reading about all the facets of Christmas. Extremely entertaining, educational book. I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Christmas customs and their meanings.

[Juli Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Formatting for the hoopla version of this book was a little funky and made it hard to follow. In addition, I disliked the rhetorical-question format for chapter headings and I didn't learn much from this. I was hoping for something slightly more pagan-forward, I guess.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting facts, a little of which was new to me. I enjoyed perusing the book as I prepare for Christmas.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice book of Christmas trivia!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of interesting history and trivia.