Holly, Reindeer, and Colored Lights: The Story of the Christmas Symbols

by Barth, Edna

• ISBN13: 9780618067862
• ISBN10: 0618067868
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-09-21
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Summary

Traces the origins of our favorite holiday customs and symbols, many of which antedate the first Christmas. Each of our holidays has its own familiar traditions: Trick-or-treating on Halloween, eating turkey on Thanksgiving, waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas, exchanging cards on Valentine"s Day. But where do these customs come from, when did they begin, and why do we continue to observe them? In the engaging blend of careful research and lively prose that has earned her books a lasting place on the holiday bookshelf, Edna Barth explores the multicultural origins and evolution of the familiar and not-so-familiar symbols and legends associated with our favorite holidays. Full of fascinating historical details and little-known stories, these books are both informative and engaging. Festively illustrated by Ursula Arndt, they are now available again in hardcover as well as paperback editions, featuring new, eye-catching jacket designs, and fun holiday activities inside the paperback covers. Each book,includes an annotated list of holiday stories and poems and an index.

Table of Contents

Christmas---and Before	8	(4)
The Christmas Star	12	(4)
The Christmas Tree	16	(6)
Christmas Tree Ornaments	22	(2)
Christmas Greens and Flowers	24	(9)
Candles and Colored Lights	33	(5)
The Yule Log	38	(5)
Santa Claus and His Ancestors	43	(9)
Christmas Gifts	52	(3)
The Christmas Manger	55	(5)
The Three Kings	60	(4)
The Angels' Message	64	(3)
The Shepherds	67	(3)
Christmas Creatures	70	(4)
Christmas Feasting	74	(9)
Christmas Bells	83	(4)
Christmas Colors	87	(2)
Christmas Cards	89	(6)
Christmas Stories and Poems	95	(1)
Index	96