Why Does Santa Wear Red?
...and 100 Other Christmas Curiousities Unwrapped!
Published on 1. September 2007
256 pages
978-1-4405-1656-6 (ISBN)
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A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.
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10/2007
Adams Media Corporation
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Meera Lester, an internationally published author, has written more than two dozen books, including Sacred Travels, The Everything Law of Attraction, The Secret Power of You, My Pocket Meditations, and Rituals for Life. After spending time in India in her early twenties, she has been a lifelong practitioner of hatha yoga, Dhyan meditation, and Kundalini Maha Yoga.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Introduction
- Part 1: The First Christmas
- 1. When Is Jesus' Actual Birthday?
- 2. Mary, "One of the Guys?" and the Census
- 3. More Than a Star in the East
- 4. Conflicting Stories of the Virgin Birth
- 5. Who Were Those Three Wise Men?
- 6. "Away in a Manger" Confusion
- Part 2: The History of Christmas
- 7. Why December 25?
- 8. The Dawn of Christmas in Europe
- 9. Let the Festivities Begin
- 10. Scrooges and Their Attempts to Outlaw Christmas
- 11. Halleluiah! Christmas Bans Are Lifted
- 12. Germans Keep the Flame Alive
- 13. A True Translation?: "Christ Was Born on Christmas Day"
- Part 3: The Victorian Christmas
- 14. More Than a Party?
- 15. Defining Family Togetherness
- 16. Victorians Revive Wassailing
- 17. Caroling, Caroling Through the Years
- 18. "Classic" Christmas Dinner
- 19. Christmas Reborn and Restored
- 20. How Good Was He?: "Good King Wenceslas"
- Part 4: Joy to the World: Christmas Around the Globe
- 21. European Christmas
- 22. Celebrations in Central America, the West Indies, and the Caribbean
- 23. "Do They Know It's Christmastime At All?"
- 24. A Visit to Bethlehem
- 25. Far-Eastern Festivities
- 26. Christmas Celebrations Far and Near
- 27. "Joy to the World": Psalm to Hymn to Song!
- Part 5: Santa: A Man of Myth, Reality, and Mispronunciation
- 28. The Legend
- 29. Santa Today
- 30. Santa's Many Names
- 31. Which Way to Santa Claus, Indiana?
- 32. Why Does Santa Ride a Reindeer-Driven Sleigh?
- 33. Why a Red Suit?
- 34. The Woman Behind the Wonder: Mrs. Claus
- 35. Should Santa's Cookies Be Low Fat?
- 36. Does Santa Need a GPS?
- 37. Why Does Santa Fly the Polar Route?
- 38. Coming Down the Chimney
- 39. So Where Do All the Letters Go?
- 40. The Origins of Rudolph and His Red Nose
- 41. First at Thanksgiving?: "Jingle Bells"
- Part 6: Deck the Halls
- 42. The History of Decorating
- 43. Shopping in Your Own Back Yard
- 44. We All Need Something to Rock Around!
- 45. Twinkle Lights Delight
- 46. Wreaths Galore
- 47. So Santa Will See: Indoor Decorating Tips
- 48. And to All, A Good Night: Outdoor Ornaments
- 49. The Making of a Mozart Duet: "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly"
- Part 7: All the Little Things We Do
- 50. Why Do We Write "X"-mas?
- 51. Colors of the Season: Red and Green
- 52. Baby Jesus Is Everywhere!
- 53. Another Poinsettia?
- 54. Stockings Hung by the Chimney with Care
- 55. Trimming the Tree
- 56. Special Touches: Ornaments, Holly, Ivy, and Mistletoe
- 57. Braving the Cold: Carol Singers
- 58. Christmas Cards for All to Share
- 59. Bonuses, Tips, and Other Green Gifts
- 60. Black Friday
- 61. "O Holy Night": Christmas Premieres on the Radio
- Part 8: Crafty Gifts for All to Make
- 62. Decorations from the Kitchen
- 63. Crafts for Children of All Ages
- 64. Homemade Ornaments
- 65. Piñatas, Candy Sleds, and Homemade Wrapping Paper
- 66. Gifts from the Kitchen and the Garden
- 67. "The Holly and the Ivy": A Present Left by the Peasantry
- Part 9: Giving and Receiving
- 68. Gifts and Celebrations, Old and New
- 69. Today's Spending Budget
- 70. The Art (and Cost) of Giving
- 71. Gifts on Everyone's List
- 72. Toys and the Baby-Boomer Generation
- 73. Christmas Business Emerges
- 74. What Is Figgy Pudding, Anyway?: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
- Part 10: A Pop-Culture Christmas
- 75. The Ultimate Christmas Quiz: Are You Up on Your Tinsel Trivia?
- 76. Top Twenty Movies That Make Us Merry
- 77. It's a Wonderful Movie
- 78. What We Watched on Christmas Eve-25 Years of Holiday Viewing
- 79. Why Twelve Days? A Secret Message in the Song?
- 80. Why Not Eleven?: "The Twelve Days of Christmas"
- Part 11: Sugar Plums Dancing: Recipes for the Season
- 81. Off to a Good Start: Breakfast and Brunch
- 82. Breakfast and Brunch Entertaining Tips
- 83. For Parties or Family Dinners, Appetizers and Sides Sure to Please
- 84. Hosting a Crowd
- 85. Celebratory Main Courses and Accompaniments
- 86. A Flawless Christmas Feast
- 87. Sweets Even Scrooge Would Love
- 88. What to Do With All Those Cookies!
- 89. Drinks to Warm the Soul
- 90. Why So Silent?: "Silent Night"
- Part 12: A Literary Look at Christmas
- 91. The Little Women's Christmas, by Louisa May Alcott
- 92. "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus" by Francis P. Church
- 93. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
- 94. The Elves and the Shoemaker, by the Brothers Grimm
- 95. A Letter from Santa Claus, by Mark Twain
- Part 13: Christmas, a Poet's Pastime
- 96. "The Oxen," by Thomas Hardy
- 97. "Christmas-1863," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- 98. "A Visit from Saint Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)," by Clement C. Moore
- 99. "A Christmas Carol," by Christina Rossetti
- 100. "Bird of Dawning," by William Shakespeare
- 101. "Christmas and New Year Bells," by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
