An entertaining and informative little book to remind us all what lies behind the annual celebration of Christmas. Since about 400 AD, Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus. 'Christ' means 'Messiah' or 'Anointed One' and 'Mass' is a religious festival. This elegant little book tells us about the religious background, the pagan precursors to the great festival and explores how Christmas is celebrated around the world today. How do you say "Happy Christmas" in Bulgarian? What does a Frenchman eat for his Christmas dinner? Who brings presents to a Syrian child (answer "a camel"!) and why do some countries celebrate Christmas on 24th December or 7th January? Which is "correct"? Publisher and author Cameron Brown informs and entertains with historical fact and amusing and little-known trivia. This book will entertain and inform and make a perfect Christmas gift.

"Epiphany, 6th January, is the traditional end of the Christmas holiday and is the date on which we take down the tree and decorations. To do so earlier is thought to bring bad luck for the rest of the year. From the middle ages until the mid-nineteenth century, Twelfth Night was more popular than Christmas day, and even today some countries celebrate Epiphany as the most important day of the Christmas season."

"In England, Christmas trees became popular after Queen Victoria's husband Albert, who came from Germany, made a tree part of the celebrations at Windsor Castle. In the United States, the earliest known mention of a Christmas tree is in the diary of a German who settled in Pennsylvania in the 18th Century."

About The Author

Cameron Brown is a book publisher who has lived in Wimbledon since 1970 with wife, daughter, cats, two dogs and a horse.

ISBN: 1-904332-27-7 Hardcover 96 pages | 2 colour Portrait 184 x 114mm (7 1/4" x 4 1/2") Retail Price: $9.95 Your Price: $5.95 + shipping
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