
Christmas Past
The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions
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Narrated by:
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Brian Earl
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By:
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Brian Earl
Behind every Christmas tradition is a story—usually, a forgotten one. Each year, as we decorate a tree, build a gingerbread house, and get ready for a visit from St. Nicholas, we’re continuing generations-old narratives, while being largely unaware of their starting chapters. But knowing how these traditions began adds a new level of depth to our Christmas spirit, as well as an arsenal of anecdotes to share at Christmas parties. Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday’s Traditions reveals the surprising, quirky, mysterious, and sometimes horrifying stories behind the most wonderful time of the year. With 26 short chapters, it’s a festive, digestible Advent calendar of a book. Covering traditions ancient and modern, Christmas Past is filled with stories of happy accidents, cultural histories, criminal capers (including tomb raiders and con artists), and hidden connections between Christmas and broader social, economic, and technological influences. How did the invention of plate glass forever change the Christmas season? What common Christmas item helped introduce fine art to the masses? Why do Americans typically spike their eggnog with rum, rather than the traditional brandy? And speaking of booze, does using the phrase “Merry Christmas” mark you as a drunken reveler? Christmas Past answers all of those questions, and many more.
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Superb an Annual Listen
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My only criticism is that, in what appears to be a rush to touch on as many topics as possible, that quality was sacrificed for quantity. I would rather have longer chapters on some of the topics, rather than short chapters on many.
In any event, the book was easy to listen to (kudos to the author and narrator) and informative. I recommend this book without reservation.
Excellent general overview of Past and Present
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I'm a fan of the Christmas Past podcast so I had to grab this book when I heard it was out. The chapters are primarily rehashed episodes of the podcast but extra tidbits of information are scattered throughout. Earl narrates the audiobook with his usual cheer.
It's generally a light pop-culture style history book. Nothing overly academic. Some fun experts - like the actor who played Flick on Christmas Story and the only person in the world who know the recipe for the snow inside snow globes. Enjoyable and a good gift for anyone who likes history or Christmas. (
Pop-culture Christmas History
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Fantastically fun, Nostalgic, and relatable Social History
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A wonderful book from a wonderful podcaster
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Love the podcast! Love the book!
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