Christmas - A History

Összefoglaló

'Flanders covers every aspect of Christmas - from mistletoe to the invention of Sellotape, from the knockabout violence of mummers' plays to the 1914 Christmas truce... A catalogue of colourful information, and as surprising an assortment of items as any you might find heaped up under a tree.' Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Observer 'Flanders, of course, debunks the myths and traces the history with the aid of untiring research and formidable dedication. However, she and the book are at their communal best in placing Christmas in its human dimension... This is a book that explains wassailing, the growth of mistletoe, the origins of the mince pie, the ubiquity of the Christmas tree (no, not all down to Prince Albert) and the emergence of Santa as a captain of industry... This, and much more, is what makes her work so engrossing.' Sunday Herald 'If you want to think about the actual meaning of Christmas, why it still matters to us so much, this is the book you need.' Evening Standard '[Flanders] unwraps layer upon layer of stories, myths and legends about the festival, touching on everyone from Charles Dickens to David Sedaris... Her book is stuffed with facts - enough to satiate even the most ravenous postprandial taste for quizzing.' Sunday Times