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The Book of Christmas: Descriptive of the Customs, Ceremonies, Traditions, Superstitions, Fun, Feeling, and Festivities of the Christmas Season
This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!
- GenresChristmas
442 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1845
About the author
Thomas Kibble Hervey
43 booksThomas Kibble Hervey, 1799-1859, was a Scottish-born poet and critic. He rose to be the Editor of the Athenaeum, a leading British literary magazine in the 19th century.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 5, 2023
I love Christmas. And I love Christmas history books. And I was really looking forward to reading this saying that the copy I had was published in 1888. Going into it, I was expecting to read a lot about Christmas traditions that developed over the course of the 1800s leading into the 20th century. It wasn't until I finished the book and was a little disappointed that I realized that it was actually written in the 1820s well before Dickens a Christmas. Carol was released, which helped develop a huge Christmas boom in England. So a lot of these traditions feel very non-traditional. The book is eloquently written and is not dry by any means, but it lacks a lot of substance in that feeling you get from Christmas memories. The author tends to drone on and figurative language for pages and pages and spins about three pages. Speaking about how amazing a writer Shakespeare was. There are many sections of the book that have very little to do with Christmas itself and are more of an outlet for the authors theatrical writing style. That being said, there are many sections of the book that I found quite interesting, including the sections about food and Christmas greenery and boys coming home from school for Christmas. But there was a lot that I was just kind of flipping through the pages reading as quickly as I could to get to the next section. He has an odd writing style where he often directly addresses the reader and often directly talks about why something is or isn't included in a certain chapter because they already talked about it or we should already know about it, which isn't helpful because this was written 200 years ago. So obviously a reader today will have no idea what the author was talking about or thinking at the time. That's no fault of the writer but it makes it for a little bit more of a difficult read. I will say that the illustrations are probably the best part of the book. You can learn a lot more about Christmas traditions from the pictures, I believe, then from the actual writing in the book. If you are looking into a casual dive into English Christmas history, this is probably the book for you, but if you were trying to capture that Dickensian English feeling or that colorful writing of Washington Irving in old Christmas, this probably isn't the book for you. This book isnt dry, but it's like drinking a tall glass of cool water when you aren't thirsty at all.
November 28, 2009
Very informative book on the history of Christmas. I bought this last week from NBS Crossings' Used Books Section at P30. The first half of it is the lengthy discussion about the Christmas Season and it uses old, old (older that Shakespeare's) that is a bit boring and could easily put me to sleep. Blame it on this cold December air too. The second part called the Days of Christmas is very informative though.
Anyway, I'll try to come up with 30 things I learned from this book. One for each peso I spent:
1) Most of our current Christmas traditions can be traced from the Victorians during the 17th century. The celebration of the birth of Jesus started with the Romans earlier than that but it was celebrated not like how the Victorians did.
2) The so called 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS actually starts from Dec 26 (Boxing Day) and ends on Jan 6 (Twelfth Day and Twelfth Night which is also called The Epiphany). Prior to reading this book, I thought that the culmination of Christmas is on Dec 25 so the first day of Christmas in that song was Dec 14.
3) During the pre-Victorian or Victorian era, there is no Sta. Claus yet but the Christmas figure is called FATHER CHRISTMAS. There is no red and white fat guy and the picture varies according to the imagination of the painter.
4) In the 19th century, presents are normally not given during Christmas Day but on New Year Day. Only rich guys give Christmas boxes on Dec 26 but they are for their household and farm helps, garbage collectors, postmen, etc.
5) Christmas festivities only happen during those 12 DAYS with the culmination of festivities on Jan 6. Unlike here in the Philippines where Christmas starts on September 1 and ends on the first Sunday of January with the culmination on Dec 25. I say this because on Dec 26, I already look forward to New Year and we do not greet each other "Merry Christmas!" anymore, do we?
6) There used to be designated Christmas Games during the Victorian days like Man's Buff, Hot Cockles, Flaunt the Slipper and Snap Dragon which is played this way (it even has a picture on pp. 31):
7)There are many songs mentioned in this book, originally written in 1888 but the only one I have heard all my life is the one that has this line "I saw a ship comes sailing in / on Christmas Day / on Christmas Day." Which means that this song came from that era and should be one of the oldest. I'll find that out in my next Christmas book, THE CAROLS WE LOVE.
8) Aside from mistletoe and holly, the plants that the Victorians used to decorate are those green plants that normally survived winters in England such as chrysanthemums, laurel, bay and rosemary. Rosemary is said to also drive away evils because of its odor. The author even quote a line in ROMEO AND JULIET wherein rosemary is insinuated to being used in burial.
9) There was no mention of poinsettia which is now the designated Christmas flower.
10) Children born on Christmas eve are believed to have powers to see spirits. In fact, during Christmas eve dinner some old folks tell ghost stories to young people as part of the celebration.
11) The practice of kissing under the mistletoe is because of the fear that a single lady might not be able to find a husband if not kissed when found standing beneath a mistletoe.
12) The song Gloria Excelsis Deo is believed to be the song with which the angels hailed the birth of the Redeemer in the fields near Bethlehem (pp 120).
13) Dec 21 is Saint Thomas Day which is also known as "Doleing Day". This used to be the start of the Christmas season in London where women who present sprigs of evergreens and Christmas flowers and serenade rich men for doles.
14) Some also performed the Galantee Show which is basically done by jugglers, who anciently made mirth at the Christmas fireside and there are several allusions about this in Chaucer's tales (pp 145).
15) The usual highlight of the Christmas celebration in those days is the Christmas Pantomine which is basically a stage show featuring fantasy characters like dragons, knights, princes and princesses.
16) Yule Log is lit during Christmas eve in most houses. Yule Log is a big trunk of a tree which should be kept lighted up to the end of the Christmas season (Jan 6). Extinguishing it before Jan 6 would be a bad omen.
17) Wassail bowl is concocted and served on Christmas eve. In the book, it is described as wine with roasted apples cooked in a low fire. When I surfed this morning, even the traditional English wassail is composed of cranberry juice, apple juice, cinnamon sticks, etc. There was no mention of wine at all. (Note: I did not know anything about wassail prior to reading this book so I had to Google for this).
18) Christmas pudding is the staple food on Christmas Day itself.
19) In rich people's houses, the star of the Christmas banquet is the serving of the boar's head. This is normally served like how we, nowadays, surprise the birthday celebrate with a lighted birthday cake.
20) DEC 26 is St. Stephen's Day otherwise known as Boxing Day. Prior to reading this book, I had an idea that it is not about boxing like Manny Pacquiao Day but I did not know how it is being celebrated. Boxing means giving out gifts in boxes so there is Christmas box given on this day and there is New Year's Box given on Jan 1st.
21) During the Boxing Day in London, people also knock in the doors of the halls in rap style that you could hear cacophony of sounds resembling that of brazen clangour of the trumpet (pp.190).
22) Men normally drink (Boys' Night Out) on New Year's Eve. Women stay at home.
23) "Jan 1 or the 8th days after Dec 25 has been sometimes called the octave of Christmas and is celebrated in our church services as the day of Circumcision (pp 208). This is unlike the current practice of having the day of Circumcision the same as the Epiphany.
24) Gifts to friends, relatives and Chancellors are normally given on Jan 1.
25) Twelfth Cake, which is served on Jan 6 is a cake with surprises. These surprises can be a live animal embedded inside the cake that the host releases during the banquet.
26) The said cake can also be used to match single couples. The host invites twelve single men and twelve single ladies and whoever gets the matched figurines from the cake first would be married after the day.
27) Jan 7 is called St. Distaff's Day. There is no saint by that name. Distaff also means the Rock where the women weave their clothes. Men are expected to go back to the field and women to their weaving and children to school after the Christmas season is over.
Hmmm. I cannot remember or pick 3 more to complete my 30 pesos. That's the reason why I am rating this 3 stars only. Not bad though because 3 stars mean I like it.
Anyway, I'll try to come up with 30 things I learned from this book. One for each peso I spent:
1) Most of our current Christmas traditions can be traced from the Victorians during the 17th century. The celebration of the birth of Jesus started with the Romans earlier than that but it was celebrated not like how the Victorians did.
2) The so called 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS actually starts from Dec 26 (Boxing Day) and ends on Jan 6 (Twelfth Day and Twelfth Night which is also called The Epiphany). Prior to reading this book, I thought that the culmination of Christmas is on Dec 25 so the first day of Christmas in that song was Dec 14.
3) During the pre-Victorian or Victorian era, there is no Sta. Claus yet but the Christmas figure is called FATHER CHRISTMAS. There is no red and white fat guy and the picture varies according to the imagination of the painter.
4) In the 19th century, presents are normally not given during Christmas Day but on New Year Day. Only rich guys give Christmas boxes on Dec 26 but they are for their household and farm helps, garbage collectors, postmen, etc.
5) Christmas festivities only happen during those 12 DAYS with the culmination of festivities on Jan 6. Unlike here in the Philippines where Christmas starts on September 1 and ends on the first Sunday of January with the culmination on Dec 25. I say this because on Dec 26, I already look forward to New Year and we do not greet each other "Merry Christmas!" anymore, do we?
6) There used to be designated Christmas Games during the Victorian days like Man's Buff, Hot Cockles, Flaunt the Slipper and Snap Dragon which is played this way (it even has a picture on pp. 31):
a kind of play, in which brandy is set on fire, and raisins thrown into it, which those who are unused to the sport are afraid to take out, but which may be safely snatched by a quick motion and put blazing into the mouth, which being closed, the fire is at once extinguished.
7)There are many songs mentioned in this book, originally written in 1888 but the only one I have heard all my life is the one that has this line "I saw a ship comes sailing in / on Christmas Day / on Christmas Day." Which means that this song came from that era and should be one of the oldest. I'll find that out in my next Christmas book, THE CAROLS WE LOVE.
8) Aside from mistletoe and holly, the plants that the Victorians used to decorate are those green plants that normally survived winters in England such as chrysanthemums, laurel, bay and rosemary. Rosemary is said to also drive away evils because of its odor. The author even quote a line in ROMEO AND JULIET wherein rosemary is insinuated to being used in burial.
9) There was no mention of poinsettia which is now the designated Christmas flower.
10) Children born on Christmas eve are believed to have powers to see spirits. In fact, during Christmas eve dinner some old folks tell ghost stories to young people as part of the celebration.
11) The practice of kissing under the mistletoe is because of the fear that a single lady might not be able to find a husband if not kissed when found standing beneath a mistletoe.
12) The song Gloria Excelsis Deo is believed to be the song with which the angels hailed the birth of the Redeemer in the fields near Bethlehem (pp 120).
13) Dec 21 is Saint Thomas Day which is also known as "Doleing Day". This used to be the start of the Christmas season in London where women who present sprigs of evergreens and Christmas flowers and serenade rich men for doles.
14) Some also performed the Galantee Show which is basically done by jugglers, who anciently made mirth at the Christmas fireside and there are several allusions about this in Chaucer's tales (pp 145).
15) The usual highlight of the Christmas celebration in those days is the Christmas Pantomine which is basically a stage show featuring fantasy characters like dragons, knights, princes and princesses.
16) Yule Log is lit during Christmas eve in most houses. Yule Log is a big trunk of a tree which should be kept lighted up to the end of the Christmas season (Jan 6). Extinguishing it before Jan 6 would be a bad omen.
17) Wassail bowl is concocted and served on Christmas eve. In the book, it is described as wine with roasted apples cooked in a low fire. When I surfed this morning, even the traditional English wassail is composed of cranberry juice, apple juice, cinnamon sticks, etc. There was no mention of wine at all. (Note: I did not know anything about wassail prior to reading this book so I had to Google for this).
18) Christmas pudding is the staple food on Christmas Day itself.
19) In rich people's houses, the star of the Christmas banquet is the serving of the boar's head. This is normally served like how we, nowadays, surprise the birthday celebrate with a lighted birthday cake.
20) DEC 26 is St. Stephen's Day otherwise known as Boxing Day. Prior to reading this book, I had an idea that it is not about boxing like Manny Pacquiao Day but I did not know how it is being celebrated. Boxing means giving out gifts in boxes so there is Christmas box given on this day and there is New Year's Box given on Jan 1st.
21) During the Boxing Day in London, people also knock in the doors of the halls in rap style that you could hear cacophony of sounds resembling that of brazen clangour of the trumpet (pp.190).
22) Men normally drink (Boys' Night Out) on New Year's Eve. Women stay at home.
23) "Jan 1 or the 8th days after Dec 25 has been sometimes called the octave of Christmas and is celebrated in our church services as the day of Circumcision (pp 208). This is unlike the current practice of having the day of Circumcision the same as the Epiphany.
24) Gifts to friends, relatives and Chancellors are normally given on Jan 1.
25) Twelfth Cake, which is served on Jan 6 is a cake with surprises. These surprises can be a live animal embedded inside the cake that the host releases during the banquet.
26) The said cake can also be used to match single couples. The host invites twelve single men and twelve single ladies and whoever gets the matched figurines from the cake first would be married after the day.
27) Jan 7 is called St. Distaff's Day. There is no saint by that name. Distaff also means the Rock where the women weave their clothes. Men are expected to go back to the field and women to their weaving and children to school after the Christmas season is over.
Hmmm. I cannot remember or pick 3 more to complete my 30 pesos. That's the reason why I am rating this 3 stars only. Not bad though because 3 stars mean I like it.
May 8, 2014
Everything you wanted to know about the history, customs & stories of Christmas
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews