Publisher's Synopsis
Christmas--a time of peace on Earth and goodwill towards all--is also a time of gift-buying craziness and rampant commercialism. How did we get from the birth of Jesus to department store Santas? Read about the traditions and superstitions surrounding one of our most important holidays, and learn how other cultures celebrate the season: * The U.S. Congress actually considered canceling Christmas in 1918 * The word ''mistletoe'' is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning ''dung on a twig'' * Early Christmas trees were often hung upside-down from the ceiling * Christmas was first celebrated on December 25 in 336 AD as a holiday feast day established by the Roman Emperor Constantine * In Caracas, Venezuela, people roller skate to church on Christmas morning * The Greeks believe you must burn all your old shoes at Christmas to stamp out any possible bad luck in the coming year * Since 1993, Scotsman Andy Park has consumed a traditional Christmas dinner every day * A popular Christmas after-dinner delicacy in Greenland is mattak--a slice of whale skin with the blubber attached * If you actually got every gift named in The Twelve Days of Christmas, you'd have 364 gifts * Discover all of these facts and so much more.
