Christmas Days

by Derek McCormack, Seth (Illustrator)

What do the doors of Advent calendars conceal? Chocolates, sometimes, or toys. Sometimes there are illustrations of chocolates and toys. And holly. And snow. Things that make Christmas Christmas.
Derek McCormack's Christmas Days is an Advent calendar in words and images. The chapters are doors, each wittily illustrated by Seth, and each offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of something quintessentially Christmassy. Wrapping paper, toy stockings, tree stands. When did they become part of Christmas? Where were they made? Who made them?
A blend of history and reportage, Christmas Days includes a cast of incredible characters and a sampling of festive holiday treats from the past and present.

Genres: Christmas, Nonfiction, Canada

296 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely charming seasonal celebration that is full of the most fascinating McCormackian tidbits of Christmas memorabilia

Dec 2013 - wonderfully quirky but with a lively sense of humour that is delightful - especially fun is that McCormick uses the opening of the little windows of an advent calendar as the frame for his book so that we have our own treats to discover in every chapter!

[sedge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the tragic, fragile kitsch this book commemorates. Seth's illustration style is ideally suited to McCormack's topic and his quiet narrative voice.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

25 chapters of micro histories about various Christmas objects. Trees, wrapping paper, Advent calendars etc. Either you like this sort of book or you don't? I do. The voice is sprightly and engaging and the Seth illustrations that head each chapter are charming.

[Britt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read many a books on the makings of holiday traditions, but the writing style and what the author choose to say about each subject was lacking. I didn’t realize it was based on Canadian culture, but still a subpar read if you’re looking for the basis of traditions.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

No idea how this random book of 25 facts about Christmas in Canada ended up on my to read list. It was sort of interesting, sometimes?

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather cynical look at 24 (to be read as an advent calendar - one per day) recognizable signs of Christmas. Interesting as he provides their Canadian alliteration.

[Heep · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact after fact style of writing makes the book very interesting to read, but ultimately proves a limitation. Subjects from Christmas trees to Santa Claus suits are covered in some detail and with a Canadian focus. It combines to give you a history of modern Christmas celebrations, and the influence of commerce on how we now observe this "religious" event. Perhaps the Canadian slant is the book's most endearing quality as it is a fascinating window into Canada's past. How we recognize Christmas tells a lot about the culture and values of the country and how they have changed over time. Not least it notes how regionalism and nationalism play a role in holiday traditions, as well as the shadow of American culture and commerce. A fast and fun read that falls somewhere between 4 and 5 stars on my scale. My final book of a great year of reading.

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a lot of information in this book. At times, it was presented almost as an info dump, as McCormack would simply list his information. He also has a very brusque style of writing that I found off-putting. It's strange in a book that at times seems to lean towards the nostalgic to have such an abrupt way of presenting the information. I did glean some interesting information from this book, and enjoyed the interviews with various people - the woman (Vi?) from the tree farm, people from card and calendar companies, gift decorators - that's where the book was at its best. But when McCormack was providing historical background, that's where I found the book suffered and was a chore rather than a pleasure to read.

[Candiebarr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty interesting. Although it is centered around Christmas and Canada, not everything is completely Christmas or Canadian. There some chapters were related to Christmas solely through tradition, such as dolls and turkey. It also included a bit of history from America, Britain and a bit of Germany.

Although I’m keeping it for now though, I’m not sure if I’ll ever read it again. It has little interesting facts, but I’m not sure if it’s actually interesting enough to read it again. I’ll probably keep it for a year or 2, but it’ll probably be one of the first I get rid of if I ever run out of room.

[b · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose I shouldn’t eat an advent calendar full of chocolate in a single sitting. And when I return to McCormack’s non-fiction, yesteryear reportage each Christmas I should give it room to breath a little, but I keep sitting down and enjoying it all at once.

And forgetting to formalize a review here.

So here it is: fine in one sitting. Worth its cost + 23 more.

McCormack writing ‘straight’ history as opposed to slant historical fiction is so fascinating, and I’m looking forward to whatever I pick up next by him.

[Bonny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished this book. Late, I know, but life has a way of getting in the way.

This is a gem of a book if you like the histpry of hw traditions and cultural events started and how they were influenced by other cultures.

Who invented Christmas cards? How was fake snow produced? Wh started the Santa Claus Parades? This book is filled with research and stories.

A fun book with short, concise chapters.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting trivia regarding Christmas traditions. Highlights Canada.