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Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas

Ace Collins,

Clint Hansen (Illustrator)

3.86 · Rating details · 377 ratings · 83 reviews

The cheer of a crackling hearth fire. Colorful cards from friends and loved ones. An evergreen tree festooned with ornaments. The golden traditions of Christmas—gifts, wreaths, stockings, carols, mistletoe, and more—infuse our celebration of the season with meaning and glowing memories. And, in ways you may not realize, they point us to the birth of Christ. Stories Behind ...more

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Hardcover, 208 pages

Published September 29th 2003 by Zondervan (first published 2003)

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Dec 13, 2010 Laura rated it liked it

Found this on the "holiday books" display at the library. It was interesting to read about how many of our Christmas traditions came to be. I did feel like he was reaching at times to find a Christian connection to every one. (The book is published by Zondervan.) Even traditions he acknowledged to be wholly secular still "help us feel happy and isn't that the point of Christmas?" (Or something like that.) A bit much at times but still interesting. ...more

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Dec 23, 2018 Casey rated it liked it

I’m always curious about why we do things and traditions that we hold, so I found this book really interesting. However, like the other reviewers, I wish the author had included resources. Would have made him more credible and I like to follow the trail sometimes.

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Nov 21, 2019 Min rated it liked it

Shelves: xmas

Offered in alphabetical order, the author shares the background of several popular Christmas traditions.
The writing is flowing, and the vignettes are informative. I suspect a few of the facts as spurious, thus it would be good to have another source to verify.

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Nov 11, 2009 Sherry rated it liked it

My biggest problem with this book is that he uses no footnotes as to where he found the information; he could have just made it all up. Other than that, I thought it had some interesting ideas about where our Christmas traditions came from.

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Jan 03, 2011 Ron rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, christmas

Decent explanations but unfortunately, no sources even mentioned. You have to take his statements on faith.

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Jan 04, 2011 Stephanie rated it liked it

Interesting history of Christmas traditions. No sources cited.

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Oct 25, 2018 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I love all books Christmas! While it might seem a tad early I start thinking about the holidays this time of year. This little book would make a fun gift. I enjoyed reading about advent, boxing day, and even mistletoe. While I wish there was documentation on where the information came from, it is still fun to see how traditions start. This book could create some great conversation with families, especially when kids starting asking why we do certain things during the holidays.

Four stars.

"I re ...more

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Dec 22, 2009 Shannon rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2009, non-fiction

I've often wondered about the origins of many Christmas traditions. This book provides stories behind many of them. With each tradition, the author ends up saying it should be part of a Christian's holiday celebration, and he finds or assigns some religious significance or moral benefit to each. I really wonder where these stories came from. There's no bibleography, no list of resources, and few specific facts. If you're looking for stories of Christmas, you will find them in this little book, b ...more

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Sep 20, 2013 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed reading about the history/traditions of Christmas. I now have a new perspective on several aspects of this amazing holiday. Lots of reviews on this book were bad because the author doesn't list his sources. I agree to a degree. However, much of what he writes about are legends with many different versions/sources. I would definitely like to add this book to my personal library to use as a reference. ...more

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Dec 21, 2014 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: corny-christmas-books-that-i-love-t

Interesting. Lots of facts (?) I didn't know. The only problem I had, the author didn't put any footnotes or bibliography on where he found the information. Otherwise it would have been 5 stars and a great Christmas gift to give. ...more

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Nov 24, 2018 Virginia Garrett rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Typically I struggle with not being Scrooge around this time of year. Usually I believe “the Christmas Spirit” is a bunch of nonsense and hype.

See, Scrooge.

But Jesus has been at work in me and this year, I want to be very intentional about the holidays. I want to revel in them like a child, I want to see them with new, child-like eyes.

So I’ve started listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, and reading books about Christmas. I’ve mentioned here before that I am on a non-fictio Typically I struggle with not being Scrooge around this time of year. Usually I believe “the Christmas Spirit” is a bunch of nonsense and hype.

See, Scrooge.

But Jesus has been at work in me and this year, I want to be very intentional about the holidays. I want to revel in them like a child, I want to see them with new, child-like eyes.

So I’ve started listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, and reading books about Christmas. I’ve mentioned here before that I am on a non-fiction book sabbatical. While the book I am reviewing today is a non-fiction book, it is not a “self-help” book, or even any book that would in any way really increase someone one’s intellect.

Ace Collins has written a wonderful book, Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas. I love this book! There was so much I didn’t know about how some traditions were started.

My favorite chapter was the last one and it was on Yule Logs. I had heard about them, but I was very clueless about why or how the whole thing was started.

It was originally started by the Vikings as a part of the solstice celebration. (However the act of burning a log at this time of year dates back to Cleopatra.) The tree was chopped down the year before, rubbed with spices, rum and wine while it dried out. Then on Christmas Eve they would light the log and and it would burn all through the 12 days of Christmas. It was thought to bring bad luck if the fire went out, and each year the lady of the house would save one piece of kindling for next year’s log.

I could tell you more about it, but then you’d have no reason to go out and get the book for yourself.

This book is just simply delightful. A quick, easy read you won’t want to put down. You’ll also find yourself regaling everyone with the stories. You will learn about how the tradition of making a Birthday cake for Jesus was started, the Yule Log, Handel’s Messiah (that’s another fascinating one!), movies of Christmas, Santa Claus, and many others.

This would be a great book to read aloud as a family in the days before Christmas. It is a book you will want to read again and again.

You can find this at your local bookstore, amazon.com, or order it from the publisher.

I received a free copy of this book from HarperCollins book review program, BookLook Bloggers for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for my review, other than the book. ...more

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Dec 22, 2018 Aurelia Mast-glick rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction

Filled with informative stories and legends, many of the traditions that we blindly participate in at Christmas are unpacked and the real meanings unfolded in this pretty little hardcover book. It would make a fun little Christmas gift given early in the season so that many of the stories could be read before Christmas. Perhaps new traditions would be put in place as the real reasons are discovered.

I was surprised at some of the history that was revealed in this book. Some of it is the stuff of Filled with informative stories and legends, many of the traditions that we blindly participate in at Christmas are unpacked and the real meanings unfolded in this pretty little hardcover book. It would make a fun little Christmas gift given early in the season so that many of the stories could be read before Christmas. Perhaps new traditions would be put in place as the real reasons are discovered.

I was surprised at some of the history that was revealed in this book. Some of it is the stuff of legends and a bit fantastical maybe, but a lot of it was very interesting and insightful. For instance, I learned what Boxing Day is. I had no idea, but it is a day for giving, stemming back metal boxes that were placed in churches on December 26th. These metal boxes were first brought to the British Isles by Roman soldiers who kept the money they earned from gambling in them. And somehow these boxes found their way into churches as a way to gather special offerings on the Feast of St. Stephen. And interestingly, most Americans, like me, know nothing about this tradition. That story was one of the theories about the origin of Boxing Day. There is at least one more theory that you will need to read the book to find out about or do your own research, I suppose.

Another very interesting discover to me was the origin of the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas". This song was written by priests in the Catholic church as a code song. It was written during a time when Catholicism was outlawed with threat of persecution and so the priests wrote this "funny" song as a way of expressing their beliefs. "My true love" is Jesus with the partridge in the pear tree being symbolic of His death on the cross. The partridge was one bird who would die for her babies. That was so intriguing to me.

And the last little story I want to hint at is the where Xmas originated. Today, among some Christians, Xmas is bad, it's taking Christ out of Christmas, but really Xmas originated with the Christians. Go figure that out.

So this book was very interesting to me to hear about the many details of Christmas and how they originated and what they mean. I highly recommend it if you like to know the why behind things. Ace Collins has also written a a book called "Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas" as well as two other books containing the stories behind well-loved songs.

I received this book from Book Look Bloggers and was not required to write a positive review. ...more

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Jan 12, 2019 Meagan Myhren-bennett rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: christmas, history, educational, non-fiction

Stories Behind the Great
Traditions of Christmas
By Ace Collins

There are so many traditions involved with Christmas and all too often they are just done because it is the thing to do. But how often do we wonder about the reason behind these traditions and when they began?

In Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas Ace Collins shares with readers what he knows about a variety of the traditions. And the nostalgic yearning for Christmas of old - well it may not be how you imagine it was. Chr Stories Behind the Great
Traditions of Christmas
By Ace Collins

There are so many traditions involved with Christmas and all too often they are just done because it is the thing to do. But how often do we wonder about the reason behind these traditions and when they began?

In Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas Ace Collins shares with readers what he knows about a variety of the traditions. And the nostalgic yearning for Christmas of old - well it may not be how you imagine it was. Christmas was a celebration that would not bring a nostalgic remembrance before the nineteenth century - be sure to read the introduction and I think you'll agree it would have been a day to avoid.

The various aspects of what we have come to associate with Christmas are presented in 26 chapters starting with Advent and ending with Yule Logs. Some of these traditions have a spiritual aspect while others have just been accepted as part of the season because they draw friends and family together in a sharing of "the wonder, joy, and magic of the season. ... And that spirit is something worth celebrating."(pg. 148)

I enjoyed the history of the candy cane, mistletoe, and the X in Xmas (which has been in use since the sixteenth century). This is a book with much to offer in just over 200 pages and one that would be useful to have on hand whenever one has a question arise about any of these traditions. Did you know that The Nutcracker was vastly different than the ballet that is performed every year? It went through several transformations before it became the beloved performance that it is today.

This is a book that you'll want to share with friends and family - I know I did as I read through it which may have slowed down my reading as I went back to different sections that caught my attention. This book would also lend itself well to family reading time with all hearing it together and then discussing what was read. But however, you choose to read and share you'll enjoy and value the knowledge you will have gained.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through BookLook with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own. ...more

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Jan 11, 2019 Sharon rated it really liked it

The book for review is “Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas” by Ace Collins. This book falls in the genres of religion, holidays, Christmas and history.

Have you ever wondered about the history of Christmas when it comes to the items and traditions that people across the world do? This book is divided into 26 chapters that covers a range of topics even some one might not have thought of. The range is diverse and one can learn from the information inside.

For example “The Twelve Days o ...more

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Dec 31, 2018 Kathleen Garber rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adult_nonfiction, christmas

I loved this book. I was expecting it to cover the Christian meanings behind the holiday traditions because its from a Christian publisher but the book was very honest and explained the pagan meanings behind the holidays and how they were transformed into Christian symbols. I think we can be honest about their beginnings and still think of them in Christian terms now. Some books or websites pretend they always had Christian meanings. I was very impressed by this.

I found the book fascinating and ...more

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Nov 01, 2018 Oak rated it really liked it

It always seems like Christmas starts earlier each year. Once Halloween is over – and sometimes before Halloween festivities have begun – stores are getting decked out in Christmas decorations, and Christmas music finds its way on the airwaves. There is an excitement about Christmas. It is a time when we celebrate Jesus’ birth, and we often celebrate Jesus’ birth through a series of various traditions. Maybe your family reads the story of Jesus’ birth, or sings Christmas carols, or wraps up gift ...more

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Oct 28, 2019 Laura Lane added it

Christmas of long ago. It's not always been commercial. It's not always been about Santa Claus. But, did you know that it's not always been about Jesus? Christmas used to be about wild parties and worshipping everything but Jesus. Until the nineteenth century. Someone with a "round little belly that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly" and someone who thought Christmas a humbug, or rather their authors, made a huge impact on how Christmas has been celebrated ever since.

I like to rea ...more

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Dec 27, 2018 Julius rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Ace Collins' Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas offers some little-known holiday history in this interesting book that teems with Christmas facts and legends, arranged alphabetically by topic.

Readers will be fascinated to learn, for example, that the holiday shopping season used to be only a couple of weeks long, but was extended during WWII so families could get care packages off to soldiers in a timely fashion.

Or that St. Francis of Assisi was one of the first people to use a liv ...more

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Oct 21, 2018 Yvie rated it really liked it

Slightly updated from an older version, this book maintains its simplicity in celebrating the wonder of the season. It focuses on the traditions as being centered around Jesus and Christianity, and includes some well-known and not-so-known information. After describing each tradition, the author explains why they should be a part of any Christian's home at Christmastime (hint : each has religious significance). It was interesting to see that Christmas, as we celebrate it today, is a fairly new i ...more

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Oct 30, 2018 DJ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, favorites, inspirational-non-fiction, christmas

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

If you're looking for a Christmas book full of traditions, stories and information, this is the one to pick! I was very impressed with this wonderful book. First, it's a beautiful, hard-bound, book that's small enough to tuck into your bookcase among your other favorite Christmas books. And it's the perfect keepsake... with stories and information about everything Christmas... from advent to mistletoe to The Nutcracker Ballet...

This is a wonderful book ...more

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Nov 18, 2018 Via Bella rated it really liked it

Read the full review here: http://bit.ly/2DwxscH

First, I would love to have this book be part of my holiday giveaway eventually.
I * honestly * want to give this book 5 stars, but I am going to give it more like 4 or 4.5 because while it's packed full of cool Christmas information that you are bound to learn something new in, it also has a little bit of a biased given that it is written by a Christian author-- BUT don't that scare you because it is actually a cool book that a lot of people whethe ...more

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Dec 09, 2018 Brandi rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, nonfiction, christmas

Alright, I know it’s ridiculous to get put off by a book about a Christian holiday that is overly Christian/religious. My gripe here is that the author actively disapproves of secular celebration of the holiday. I am not religious but I love traditions. I am also interested in sources and bibliographies for nonfiction books. This title did not have any sources cited nor a bibliography. I am not going to waste my time on reading a nonfiction book whose content I can not verify as fact. This book ...more

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Nov 26, 2020 Deb Hill rated it it was amazing

This book recounts the origins and history of various Christmas traditions through the years. It was encouraging to see how several, once pagan, rituals have evolved into bringing honor and glory to our Lord. Sadly, some have also lost their reverence, as well. I admire the author's style of providing closure within each chapter that reverts back to the beginning. I look forward to reading Mr. Collins' other works. ...more

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Dec 19, 2018 Glen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An informative read about many of our favorite Christmas traditions. The author is diligent to present historical facts and also seeks to leave an inspiring thought at the end of each chapter.

History matters. For this reason, knowing the rich legacies of our most cherished activities at the Yuletide season can only deepen our appreciation for the babe in the manger who changed the world.

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Dec 26, 2018 Kelly rated it it was amazing

I think everyone who either loves Christmas, hates it, or is curious about it, should DEFINITELY read this book! In fact, I'm going to keep it on hand so that I can go to it for a reference. I've even read parts of it to my husband who thinks Christmas has turned into a commercial holiday. Praise God! Very well done! ...more

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Dec 27, 2018 Victoria rated it it was amazing

Loved, loved, loved this book

If you love history and Christmas this is the book for you. So interesting to see how Christianity changed the pagan rituals of Winter Solstice so those that converted to Christianity could still celebrate this time of year.

I have learned so much from this book. I think I know what I'm giving people for Christmas NEXT year. ...more

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Dec 31, 2019 Ann rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

Interesting, but a little repetitive if you read all of the entries back to back. Maybe it's meant to be more of a reference than a casual read?

There were entries for just about everything associated with Christmas, but the best ones weren't the Santa or Christmas Tree ones - there wasn't much new information there. I liked the ones on poinsettias, "Xmas", and the yule log.
...more

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Jan 08, 2021 Kathy rated it really liked it

Enjoy reading Christmas books during the holidays. Have read this book before but reread this December. Reminded me of traditions etc that I had forgotten, for example that Clement Clarke Moore that wrote The Night Before Christmas was a bishop of the Episcopal Church in New York and a professor at the General Theology Seminary.

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Jan 10, 2021 Jan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a very interesting book that helped me understand how Christmas traditions developed and continued through time. It educated me regarding the evolution of some Christian traditions that evolved from pagan births. It also helped me understand the symbolism of music, lyrics and customs. I could reread it each December as a reminder of what we do to celebrate Christmas.

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Jan 06, 2020 NancyInWI rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Really enjoyed reading these short stories during the Christmas season. While there were no references, and some of the connections to Christian beliefs were a bit contrived, it still was great preparation for me for celebrating.

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About Ace Collins

Ace Collins

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Citing his Arkansas heritage, Christy Award winner Ace Collins defines himself as a storyteller. In that capacity, Collins has authored more than eighty books for 25 different publishers that have sold more than 2.5 million copies. His catalog includes novels, biographies, children’s works as well as books on history, culture and faith. He has also been the featured speaker at the National Archive ...more