Christmas: Tradition, Truth and Total Baubles
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-12-25 09:51:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Nick Page
- ISBN：152933408X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Why is Christmas the way it is？ How did we get from the birth of Jesus to everyone maxing out their credit card – and their belts？
Starting with the nativity itself， this book takes us through the centuries of commemoration， celebration and over-consumption。 Along the way we’ll find out why we eat turkey， how an obscure Turkish saint turned into a man flying a sleigh， and why that tree in your house should rally contain an apple and a snake。
Combining in-depth historical research with cheerfully irreverent humor and a dash of cutting-edge guesswork， Nick Page shows us how many of the things we believe about Christmas are actually a load of old baubles – and helps us get back to something real and true beneath all the wrapping。
Starting with the nativity itself， this book takes us through the centuries of commemoration， celebration and over-consumption。 Along the way we’ll find out why we eat turkey， how an obscure Turkish saint turned into a man flying a sleigh， and why that tree in your house should rally contain an apple and a snake。
Combining in-depth historical research with cheerfully irreverent humor and a dash of cutting-edge guesswork， Nick Page shows us how many of the things we believe about Christmas are actually a load of old baubles – and helps us get back to something real and true beneath all the wrapping。
Reviews
Gareth Davies
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I enjoyed this dispelling of many Christmas gifts even if the authors humour was too much at times。
Mary S。C。
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I found the information interesting， however， what I did not find interesting was the way the author presented this information。 As a non-fiction book， I wasn't anticipating it to be very exciting。 I'm fine if the author takes a few liberties to make it more intriguing or fun with a unique writing style or adding humor; and Nick Page opted to do this。 However， I am not a fan of dry humor so it ended up being a tough read。 I wanted to know the information but it was hard to focus because I was ro I found the information interesting， however， what I did not find interesting was the way the author presented this information。 As a non-fiction book， I wasn't anticipating it to be very exciting。 I'm fine if the author takes a few liberties to make it more intriguing or fun with a unique writing style or adding humor; and Nick Page opted to do this。 However， I am not a fan of dry humor so it ended up being a tough read。 I wanted to know the information but it was hard to focus because I was rolling my eyes so much。 Also， the overall format of the book seem clunky to me。 You jump from a made-up chapter of "The Christmas Carol" featuring the Spirit of Christmas-that-never-was， to just general info， to a chapter about a Christmas carol and then some other letter-to-the-editor format。 I appreciate the author attempting to give this info in a unique way， but it was poorly executed in my opinion。3 stars， didn't love it， didn't hate it。 。。。more
Nicholas Serio
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Absolutely loved this book！ So interesting and very funny！ If you like Christmas and are curious about it’s origins， definitely read this！
Gerald Wilson
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The topic of Nick Page’s latest offering is （as the title tells us） Christmas。 He looks at the origins of tradition， when some things became traditional and debunks much of the myths and folklore surrounding the season。 Have you a favourite tradition？ Be prepared to learn it’s not as old as you might think。 Every one who has read the bible knows that Jesus wasn’t born on 25 December but Nick explains why the church chose the date to celebrate his birth and approximately when。 Who was St Nicholas The topic of Nick Page’s latest offering is （as the title tells us） Christmas。 He looks at the origins of tradition， when some things became traditional and debunks much of the myths and folklore surrounding the season。 Have you a favourite tradition？ Be prepared to learn it’s not as old as you might think。 Every one who has read the bible knows that Jesus wasn’t born on 25 December but Nick explains why the church chose the date to celebrate his birth and approximately when。 Who was St Nicholas？ Who is Santa Claus？ Are they the same person？ All this and more in Nick’s amusing and humorous take on an ancient traditional celebration。 Read this and Yule never think of Christmas in the same way again。 （ see what I did there？） 。。。more
Suzanne Wilkinson-McKay
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Interesting and funny - made me laugh out loud。 Nick Page’s sense of humour is so irreverent which suits me just fine。 A book for anybody， Christian or not。
James
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A fascinating book which shows that a lot of the supposed Pagan roots of Christmas traditions are not actually pagan。 Another Nick Page book which enlightens and amuses the reader。
D。j。 Lang
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If the following criteria are met， I give a book five stars: I recommend the book; I own the book; I'm giving others the gift of this book; I learn something; I find something（s） meaningful。 Oh！ And， I enjoy the book， too。 I already knew there was a good chance that I would like the writing of Page since I have read a few of his other books。 I knew that he would research thoroughly and include a bibliography and end notes （which I sometimes read）， and that he would include hilarious comments in If the following criteria are met， I give a book five stars: I recommend the book; I own the book; I'm giving others the gift of this book; I learn something; I find something（s） meaningful。 Oh！ And， I enjoy the book， too。 I already knew there was a good chance that I would like the writing of Page since I have read a few of his other books。 I knew that he would research thoroughly and include a bibliography and end notes （which I sometimes read）， and that he would include hilarious comments in footnotes （which I always read）。 Who might not like the book: a reader who does not want his/her/their thoughts about Christmas （whether pagan， Christian， or something else） disturbed by any kind of research and/or a reader without a sense of humor。 Additional note: The book is mostly for those readers living in the northern hemisphere as the southern hemisphere will laugh at these festivities dispelling the gloom of the cold weather。 Santa riding in on a surfboard while the family barbecues on the beach did not make it to these pages。 Even brussel sprouts made it to one page （the author writes a pithy， hearty 'no' to eating them， but we'll forgive Nick -- no relation to the guy in a red suit as far as I know -- no author can be 100% correct）。 I finished reading it on Christmas Eve 2021。 All copies were sold out in 2020 when I originally went to get it。 I'll get my order in early for the 2022 year。 。。。more
Dean
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I’ve read a few of these type of books， looking at the things that make up what has become our modern Christmas。 Most are usually interesting， but you often find your interest wanting by the end as facts and figures are thrown at you。This author here takes a different tack， using humour and and irreverence while taking the subject matter very seriously。A lot is information you probably already knew， though you will find some surprises along the way， and the light style of the author always keeps I’ve read a few of these type of books， looking at the things that make up what has become our modern Christmas。 Most are usually interesting， but you often find your interest wanting by the end as facts and figures are thrown at you。This author here takes a different tack， using humour and and irreverence while taking the subject matter very seriously。A lot is information you probably already knew， though you will find some surprises along the way， and the light style of the author always keeps things interesting。Definitely one on of the better books on Christmas you’ll read。 Recommended。 。。。more
Mr James
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Witty ExposeI love Christmas and like reading a book per year on its traditions。 Nick writes very well and funnily， I was chortling away。
Huw Evans
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If you are interested in the foundation of Christian tradition， as I am， but are also cynical of the accepted origin of these traditions， again as I am， then this book is definitely for you。From the off the author is clear that he is writing from a Christian perspective but this does not dominate nor colour the findings he presents。 Using literary criticism he reveals the background to many of the accepted ancient traditions， secular and Christian， and places them firmly in their place in time。 If you are interested in the foundation of Christian tradition， as I am， but are also cynical of the accepted origin of these traditions， again as I am， then this book is definitely for you。From the off the author is clear that he is writing from a Christian perspective but this does not dominate nor colour the findings he presents。 Using literary criticism he reveals the background to many of the accepted ancient traditions， secular and Christian， and places them firmly in their place in time。 He does this with a humorous touch and the writing flows well。Highly recommended 。。。more
Sally George
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It is amazing how we embrace tradition which basically comes from 'chinese whispers' by being altered and added to over the centuries。 An interesting and very amusing book。 It is amazing how we embrace tradition which basically comes from 'chinese whispers' by being altered and added to over the centuries。 An interesting and very amusing book。 。。。more
Richard
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I never knew Christmas to be so confusing， but then it has changed A LOT over the years！ Witty， informative， and at times comforting。 A complete guide to why we do what we do around the 25th December
Rose Aitken
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do it your own way and be damnedI like this book despite my headline that might seem as if I don’t。 A few too many ‘saids’ but hey， it’s Christmas so who cares？ Then again nobody much cares for the rest of the year either。 It’s a good book describing origins and debunking myths and legends。 I actually heard one version of the date of Christmas being nine months after lady day so called because well， it was and Mary was the centre of attention and so， since her day was March 25 and that of all ot do it your own way and be damnedI like this book despite my headline that might seem as if I don’t。 A few too many ‘saids’ but hey， it’s Christmas so who cares？ Then again nobody much cares for the rest of the year either。 It’s a good book describing origins and debunking myths and legends。 I actually heard one version of the date of Christmas being nine months after lady day so called because well， it was and Mary was the centre of attention and so， since her day was March 25 and that of all other ladies to coincide with fertility and all that pagan stuff that might not be， so Jesus had to be born as a consequence of all that fertility and procreation。 well， how would that have worked if Mary had been overduee or if Jesus had arrived early like four years early？ anyway， it’s a great book with a lot of laughs in it but， I reckon I’ll just do it my way anyway。 。。。more
Rob Hewlett
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