Encyclopedia of Christmas and New Year's celebrations : over 240 alphabetically arranged entries covering Christmas, New Year's, and related days of observance, including folk and religious customs, history, legends, and symbols from around the world ; su

Buy with confidence - satisfaction guaranteed! Ex-Library - Library stickers-markings on spine and first page. Pages bright and appear clean. Binding tight. Minimal shelf edge wear, indentations, corner bumping to cover. Gently used copy in good to very good condition Cover 1 Copyright 4 Contents 5 Introduction 15 A 22 Adam and Eve Day 22 Advent 24 Advent Calendar 28 Advent Candle 29 Advent Wreath 31 America, Christmas in Colonial 34 America, Christmas in Nineteenth-Century 40 Amish Christmas 49 Angels 51 Annunciation 54 Armenia, Christmas in 56 “Auld Lang Syne” 58 Australia, Christmas in 61 B 66 Baboushka 66 Baby 68 Barring Out the Schoolmaster 68 Bay. See Laurel 70 Befana 71 Bells 73 Belsnickel. See Knecht Ruprecht 76 Berchta 77 Bethlehem 80 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Christmas in 85 Birth of the Invincible Sun 90 Black Peter 93 Boar’s Head 95 Boxing Day 100 Boy Bishop 103 Brazil, Christmas in 110 Bulgaria, Christmas in 112 C 116 Candlemas 116 Candles 120 Candy Cane. See Urban Legends 120 Ceremony of Lessons and Carols 121 Cert 122 “A Charlie Brown Christmas” 123 Cherry Tree 127 Children’s Letters 129 Chrismon Tree 133 Christingle 134 Christkindel 135 Christmas Ale 136 Christmas Bonus 139 Christmas Cakes 141 Christmas Candles 145 Christmas Card 147 A Christmas Carol 153 Christmas Carol 160 Christmas Club 169 Christmas Crackers 170 Christmas Drama 172 Christmas Lads 172 Christmas Markets 174 Christmas Rose 177 Christmas Seals 180 Christmas Season 182 Christmas Sheaf 184 Christmas Symbols 185 Christmas Tree 188 Christmas Village 195 Commercialism 197 D 206 December 25 206 Denmark, Christmas in 211 Depression 216 Devil’s Knell 219 E 222 Ecuador, Christmas in 222 Eggnog 224 Egypt, Christmas in 226 Elves 227 Emancipation Day 231 England, Christmas in 234 Epiphany 238 Estonia, Christmas in 245 Ethiopia, Christmas in 249 Europe, Christmas in Medieval 251 F 258 Farolitos 258 Father Christmas 260 Father Time 263 Feast of Fools 265 Feast of the Ass 268 Feast of the Circumcision 269 Fires 272 Firstfooting 273 First Night 275 Flight into Egypt 276 Football Bowl Games 279 France, Christmas in 282 Frankincense 286 Frau Gaude 288 G 290 Gabriel 290 Games 293 Gaudete Sunday 296 Germany, Christmas in 297 Ghana, Christmas in 305 Ghosts 307 Gift Bringers 309 Gifts 310 Gingerbread 316 Glastonbury Thorn 319 Gold 323 Gospel Accounts of Christmas 324 Gospel According to Luke 326 Gospel According to Matthew 329 Grandfather Frost 331 Greece, Christmas in 333 Greenery 336 Guatemala, Christmas in 341 H 344 Hanukkah 344 Herod, King 347 Hogmanay 349 Holly 356 Holy Innocents’ Day 360 Hopping John 364 How the Grinch Stole Christmas 366 I 370 Iceland, Christmas in 370 India, Christmas in 375 Iran, Christmas in 377 Iraq, Christmas in 379 Ireland, Christmas in 380 Italy, Christmas in 384 It’s a Wonderful Life 387 Ivy 392 J 396 Jesse Tree 396 Jesus 398 Jesus, Year of Birth 402 Jonkonnu 408 Joseph 411 Julklapp 413 Jultomten 414 K 418 Kalends 418 Kallikantzari 422 King of the Bean 425 Kissing Bough 428 Knecht Ruprecht 430 Knocking Nights 435 Kwanzaa 436 L 439 Lamb’s Wool 439 Latvia, Christmas in 441 Laurel 443 Lebanon, Christmas in 444 Lithuania, Christmas in 447 Lord of Misrule 454 Lovefeast 458 Luminarias 460 M 463 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 463 Madagascar, Christmas in 469 Magi 471 Manger Scene. See Nativity Scene 478 Marshall Islands, Christmas in the Republic of the 479 Martinmas 483 Mary, Blessed Virgin 490 Masque 496 Masquerades 498 Merry 499 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 500 Messiah 502 Mexico, Christmas in 507 Midnight Mass 511 Mincemeat Pie 513 Miracle on 34th Street 518 Misa de Gallo 521 Mistletoe 523 Mummers Parade 529 Mumming 536 Myrrh 543 N 547 National Christmas Tree 547 Nation’s Christmas Tree 552 Nativity Legends 554 Nativity Play 558 Nativity Scene 562 New Year’s Day 569 New York City, Christmas in 576 Nigeria, Christmas in 581 Noel 583 Noisemaking 584 North Pole 585 Norway, Christmas in 587 The Nutcracker 593 O 599 Old Christmas Day 599 Ornaments 603 P 611 Pantomime 611 Paradise Tree 616 Pastores, Los 618 Peace of Christmas 622 Philippines, Christmas in the 623 Plough Monday 630 Plum Pudding 633 Plygain 637 Poinsettia 638 Poland, Christmas in 640 Posadas, Las 644 Puritans 647 Putz 652 Pyramid 655 R 659 Reindeer 659 Resolutions 662 Réveillon 664 Robin 666 Rosemary 669 Russia, Christmas in 671 S 677 St. Barbara’s Day 677 St. Basil’s Day 680 St. Distaff’s Day 683 St. John’s Day 685 St. Knut’s Day 687 St. Lucy’s Day 688 St. Martin. See Martinmas 693 St. Nicholas 694 St. Nicholas’s Day 700 St. Stephen’s Day 706 St. Sylvester’s Day 710 St. Thomas’s Day 712 St. Wenceslaus. See Wenceslas, King 716 Salvation Army Kettles 717 Santa Claus 719 Saturnalia 731 Shepherds 734 Shoes 736 Shooting in Christmas 737 Slaves’ Christmas 739 Snow Maiden 746 South Africa, Christmas in 748 Spain, Christmas in 751 Star Boys 755 Star of Bethlehem 756 Stir-Up Sunday 761 Stockings 762 Store Window Displays 764 Sudan, Christmas in 767 Sugarplums 768 Syria, Christmas in 771 T 775 Times Square, New Year’s Eve in 775 Timkat 778 Twelfth Night 780 Twelve Days of Christmas 787 U 795 Up Helly Aa 795 Urban Legends 796 V 802 Victorian England, Christmas in 802 Virginia O’Hanlon 808 W 812 Waits 812 Wales, Christmas in 814 Wassail 816 Wassailing the Fruit Trees 820 Watch Night 822 Weihnachtsmann 826 Wenceslas, King 827 “White Christmas” 829 White House, Christmas in the 833 Wild Hunt 839 Williamsburg, Virginia, Christmas in Colonial 841 Winter Solstice 847 Wise Men of the East. See Magi 851 Wrapping Paper 852 Wreath 854 Wren Hunt 855 Y 862 Yule 862 Yule Goat 867 Yule Log 869 Yule Straw 874 Z 878 Zagmuk 878 Appendix 1 - Bibliography 882 Appendix 2 - Web Sites 906 Appendix 3 - Associations 920 Index 926 Containing 247 entries on Christmas traditions spanning centuries and continents, this encyclopedia looks at folk customs and beliefs, foods and beverages, artistic and popular works, and related celebrations from antiquity to the present. While entries lean heavily toward customs of medieval and Renaissance Europe, there are many entries on the Christmas season in other parts of the world. This second edition contains 60 new entries. Information about the author's background is not given Contains 247 entries on all facets of Christmas. Topics covered include folk customs and beliefs, religious practices, symbols, legends, mythological and historical figures, foods, beverages, and major artistic and popular works associated with the celebration of Christmas and New Year's Eve and Day. Also provides information on related days and celebrations, such as the Annunciation, Candlemas, and Epiphany