Burgess Library: Holiday Season: Christmas

History of Christmas

The story of Christmas begins with the birth of Jesus Christ, a central figure in Christianity. While the exact date of his birth is unknown, December 25th was chosen as the day of celebration. Early Christians adapted existing winter solstice traditions, blending them with Christian beliefs.

Over time, Christmas evolved into a global celebration. Customs like decorating Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, and attending church services became popular. The figure of Santa Claus, inspired by Saint Nicholas, brought joy to children with his magical gift-giving. Today, Christmas is a time for family gatherings, festive meals, and the exchange of presents. It's a season filled with love, joy, and the spirit of giving.

Books in the Library

Christmas in America by Penne L. Restad
Call Number: GT4986.A1 R47 1995

ISBN: 0195109805

Publication Date: 1995

In Christmas in America, Restad brilliantly captures the rise and transformation of our most universal national holiday.
Christmas in the Crosshairs by Gerry Bowler
Call Number: BV45 .B684 2017

ISBN: 0190499001

Publication Date: 2017

In this eye-opening history of Christmas and its opponents from the beginning up to the present day, Bowler gives us a shocking, and entertaining, new look at the tradition we thought we knew so well.
Christmas Stories from Ohio by Dorothy Dodge Robbins (Editor); Kenneth Robbins (Editor)
Call Number: PS558.O3 C49 2010

ISBN: 9781606350645

Publication Date: 2010-08-13

Christmas Stories from Ohio documents this heritage in fiction and memoir and celebrates the many moods of yuletide in the Buckeye State.
Merry Christmas, Baby by Paula L. Woods (Editor); Felix H. Liddell (Editor)
ISBN: 0060173955

Publication Date: 1997-10-01
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Call Number: PS3557.R5355 S58 2001

ISBN: 9780385505833

Publication Date: 2001-11-06

Luther and Nora Krank, who decide to skip the usual holiday traditions and opt for a cruise instead of celebrating Christmas.
Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas by Ace Collins
Call Number: GT4985 .C5475 2003

ISBN: 0310631602

Publication Date: 2003

Enhance your holiday celebrations as you discover the real story behind some of your most beloved Christmas customs and how they all point to Christ. Ever wonder where some of our unique and meaningful Christmas traditions come from? Why are red and green popular colors of the season? Why is exchanging gifts a family tradition?

Ebooks

101 amazing facts about christmas
Did you know that an old tradition in Scandinavia tells of a Yule Goat who wanders around villages ensuring people have properly prepared for Christmas and demanding presents from everyone? Or that in 1659 it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in Massachusetts? What on earth is a Turducken? And how many Christmas tree farms are there in America? The answers to all of these questions and more can be found in this excellent quick-read guide to Christmas.
A Christmas carol and other Christmas books
This single-volume edition of Dicken's classic Christmas story also includes Dicken's four other Christmas books and a selection of original illustrations.
Christmas : a very peculiar history : with lashings of second helpings
Just when you thought it was safe to take a sneak peek into your stocking, it's 'Christmas: A Very Peculiar History'. Taking an unbiased view of the myth and mystery surrounding the origins of the yuletide season, this book introduces mindbending facts about the holiday season and shatters the myths surrounding some of Christmas' most treasured and well-known facets.

Streaming Movies

The Nutcracker
In this live-action adaptation of Tchaikovsky's fantastical ballet, young Marie (Jessica Lynne Cohen) awakens to find that toys and mice have grown much larger, and a villainous rodent ruler begins to torment her. Coming to Marie's aid, however, is the Nutcracker Prince (Macaulay Culkin) who protects her from the evil mouse amidst lively dance sequences. Also inhabiting this dreamy realm is the Sugarplum Fairy (Darci Kistler) and her dashing cavalier (Damian Woetzel).
Miracle on 34th Street
Six-year-old Susan Walker (Mara Wilson) is skeptical of the Christmas myth surrounding Santa Claus, a trait she perhaps learned from her mother, Dorey (Elizabeth Perkins). When tasked with hiring the Santa who will pose with kids at Macy's, Dorey enlists a man with the curious name of Kris Kringle (Richard Attenborough) who claims to be Santa himself. His assertions are met with scoffs and threats of institutionalization, but a young lawyer, along with Susan and Dorey, comes to his defense.
Home Alone
When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.
Deck the Halls
Steve (Matthew Broderick), suburban dad and Christmas enthusiast, finds a wrinkle in his well-ordered existence with the arrival of his new neighbor Danny (Danny DeVito). Danny has big dreams and plans to illuminate his house with enough holiday lights to make it visible from space. Not to be outdone, Steve declares a war of one-upmanship with Danny that threatens to drag the Christmas spirit through the slush.

Additional Resources

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