Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas

Omg, you guys--- I can't WAIT until the holidays!!! 

They are my favourite time of year and I will be hosting a full series of giveaways to celebrate with you! In fact, I just got off the phone with a friend who is going to have me review her new holiday craft business & I can't wait because there are things in there that are going to make you laugh! Pretty sure I am going to prank my dad with one of those gifts, but don't tell him. Shhh! LOL. 

So I am kicking off the holiday season with a book review about Christmas traditions! 

I * honestly * want to give this book 5 stars, but I am going to give it more like 4 or 4.5 because while it's packed full of cool Christmas information that you are bound to learn something new in, it also has a little bit of a biased given that it is written by a Christian author-- BUT don't that scare you because it is actually a cool book that a lot of people whether Christian or not, would enjoy. 

The other overall reason I would give it a 4 or 4.5 out of 5 is that of small (editorial) things like the layout or density of information without being broken down into easier to read sections of a chapter. But honestly, I can't wait to have this book out as a coffee table book so guests can read it! 

I would totally host a giveaway for this book as part of the series (and will try) as it is pretty cool! 

Likes:

* Hardcover
* Nice simple graphics on the cover
* Easily portable (small)
* It's got almost a velvety feel to the cover
* Impressed they did the topics in alphabetical order
* Short chapters on each topic making it an easy read during all of Christmas Season
* Can skip back and forth between chapters
* Goes into great depths into each thing about Christmas that you could want to learn
* You will learn something, as there are things I didn't know about Christmas and their ties
* Well written
* Gets you in the mood for Christmas
* If you homeschool you can use it to pick a small chapter every day of December to learn about something new about the holidays
* A ton of information in each short chapter

Dislikes:
* Needs more subtitles within the chapters
* Needs a space between paragraphs
* Each chapter, though small, is dense (which is both a like and dislike for me).
*  It has a Christian spin on it, though not so heavily so that it is more evangelical but that of course given that it is Christmas is written with that tone in mind, that may deter some that aren't Christians would find hard to enough the book as much
* Felt this was more in a less Christmas spirit way that everyone can enjoy and more like something that was geared towards those of the same faith to learn about the history of the holiday itself


Here the Chapters or topics:
Intro: Before you wish for an old-fashioned Christmas...
Advent
Angels
Birthday Cake (for baby Jesus)
Boxing Day
Candy Canes
Carols and Caroling
Christmas Cards
Christmas Seals
Christmas Trees
The Colours of Christmas
Decorations and Ornaments
Epiphany
Gifts
Handel's Messiah
Holly
Lights
Mistletoe
Movies of Christmas
Nativity Scenes and Christmas Pageants
The Nutcracker Ballet
Poinsettias
Santa Claus
Stockings
The 12 Days of Christmas
Xmas
Yule Logs

Book Description:
The cheer of a crackling hearth fire. Colourful cards from friends and loved ones. An evergreen tree festooned with ornaments. The golden traditions of Christmas—gifts, wreaths, stockings, carols, mistletoe, and more—infuse our celebration of the season with meaning and glowing memories. And, in ways you may not realize, they point us to the birth of Christ. Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas reveals the people, places, and events that shaped the best-loved customs of this merriest of holidays. Here are spiritual insights, true-life tales, and captivating legends to intrigue you and your family and bring new luster and depth to your celebration of Jesus’ birth. Discover how • after eighteen centuries of all but ignoring the event, churches began to open the door for believers to commemorate Jesus’ incarnation. • the evergreen tree, once a central theme in the worship practices of pagan cultures, came to represent the everlasting love of God. • the magi’s three gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—are filled with spiritual symbolism. The traditions of Christmas lend beauty, awe, and hope to the holiday, causing people all over the world to anticipate it with joy. The stories in this book will warm your heart as you rediscover the true and eternal significance of Christmas.