We are all haunted by the ghost of Christmas-That-Never-Was…
Why is Christmas the way it is? How did we get from the birth of Jesus to a big old man in a red suit, a Yule log and an obsession with the John Lewis advert?
If the story of Christmas tells us one thing, it’s that human beings are always inventing ‘ancient’ traditions. This book explores those traditions, and rummages through the sleigh-full of festive fake news that gets passed around each year.
Did Christians really ‘steal’ the date of Christmas from an existing Roman festival? Is Mistletoe really harking back to a Druidic festival? Was the modern Santa invented by Coca-cola? And what about all those Christian stories as well – the ones about Jesus being born in a stable, or three kings visiting, or a Little Drummer Boy arriving and being welcomed with open arms.
It’s all utter baubles.
Combining in-depth historical research with cheerfully irreverent humour this book explores the hidden history of Christmas and how we can get back to something real and true beneath all that wrapping.
Buy a copy through my online bookshop.
Or at one of these retailers.