The Spirit of Christmas Past: Evocative Memories of Years Gone by

by Linda Clements, Nicholas Wright (Editor), Ron Pickless (Designer)

Traces the roots of Christmas customs from the pagan origins of the Christmas tree to the Victorian invention of the Christmas card, in a nostalgic guidebook that explains how to bring the best practices of the past to the modern holiday season.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Holiday, Christmas

128 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1996

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent study on the origins of many Christmas traditions. It goes back to the pre-Christian festivals that marked the winter months, and it tracks practices and changes throughout the middle ages and into the Victorian period. There are recipes, descriptions of games, full-page photographs, excerpts from literature, and much more. Wonderful and informative.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of good pictures of holidays past, marred by some slight errors. Focuses firmly on Christmas as celebrated in England.