The fascinating stories and origins behind Christmas traditions such as the colors of red and green, the Christmas tree, caroling, nativity scenes, the Yule log, gift-giving, stockings, advent wreaths, mistletoe, and holly.
The cheer of a crackling hearth fire. Colorful cards from friends and loved ones. An evergreen tree festooned with ornaments. The golden traditions of Christmas—gifts, wreaths, stockings, carols, mistletoe, and more—infuse our celebration of the season with meaning and glowing memories. And, in ways you may not realize, they point us to the birth of Christ. Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas reveals the people, places, and events that shaped the best-loved customs of this merriest of holidays. Here are spiritual insights, true-life tales, and captivating legends to intrigue you and your family and bring new luster and depth to your celebration of Jesus’ birth. Discover how:
• after eighteen centuries of all but ignoring the event, churches began to open the door for believers to commemorate Jesus’ incarnation.
• the evergreen tree, once a central theme in the worship practices of pagan cultures, came to represent the everlasting love of God.
• the magi’s three gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—are filled with spiritual symbolism.
The traditions of Christmas lend beauty, awe, and hope to the holiday, causing people all over the world to anticipate it with joy. The stories in this book will warm your heart as you rediscover the true and eternal significance of Christmas.
My review:
Ace Collins has a few of this type of book out, and I have enjoyed each one. I meant to get this review up before Christmas, but got too busy...so here it is on New Year's Day.
He covers twenty-sex traditions of Christmas, from Advent to the Yule Log. The book is not just informative, but it is also written in an interesting and easy to read manner. I was familiar with all twenty-sex things he covered, but I learned a lot, and there were some traditions I had no clue as to where they originated.
There are people who try to say Christmas came from pagan traditions, and this book would be great for them. Woven throughout these traditions is the proof that they are wrong. Reading this before and during the Christmas holidays can make the season more meaningful, and help one appreciate the traditions and meaning of Christmas.
About the Author
Ace Collins is the writer of more than sixty books, including several bestsellers: Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, The Cathedrals, and Lassie: A Dog’s Life. Based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, He continues to publish several new titles each year, including a series of novels, the first of which is Farraday Road. Ace has appeared on scores of television shows, including CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Entertainment Tonight.
Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas is available from Zondervan Publishing.
Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.
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