Christmas: The Sacred to Santa [Paperback]

Black Friday. The War on Christmas.Miracle on 34th StreetandElf. From shopping malls and Fox News to movie theaters, Christmas no longer solely celebrates to the birth of Christ. Considering the holiday in its global context,Christmasjourneys from its historical origins to its modern incarnation as a global commercial event, stopping along the way to look at the controversies and traditions of the celebratory day.
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Delving into the long story of this unifying but also divisive holiday, Tara Moore describes the evolution of Christmas and the deep traditions that bind a culture to its version of it. She probes the debates that have long accompanied the seasonfrom questions of the actual date of Christs birth to frictions between the sacred and the secularand discusses the characters associated with the holidays celebration, including Saint Nicholas, the Magi, Scrooge, and Krampus. She also explores how customs such as Christmas trees, feasting, and gift giving first emerged and became central facets of the holiday, while also examining how Christmas has been portrayed in culturefrom the literary works of Charles Dickens to the yearly bout of holiday films, television specials, traditional carols, and modern tracks. Ultimately, Moore reveals, Christmass longevity has depended on its ability to evolve. Packed with illustrations,Christmasis a fascinating look at the holiday we only think we know.

Introduction

1. The Original Christmas

2. Early Celebrations and Customs

3. Christmas in Art and Culture

4. Christmas Outlawed

5. Christmas Away from Home

6. Commercial Christmas

7. Characters of Christmas