{"product_id":"christmas-in-illinois-9780252034428","title":"Christmas in Illinois","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Christmas seems to have been always with us. It is that time of year when we expect good cheer and goodwill  a moments respite from the years vicissitudes  solace during difficult times \" writes James Ballowe in his introduction to Christmas in Illinois. This book is about the holiday as remembered by Illinoisans. Some are widely familiar--John W. Allen  Gwendolyn Brooks  Sandra Cisneros  Mike Royko  Carl Sandburg  Joseph Smith--but most are known only in their close-knit communities that together represent the very best of the Prairie State. We learn here about the customs of Christmas from Chicago to Cairo  Belleville to Danville  before statehood to the present day  through hard times and good. Tales  poems  news reports  memoirs  recipes  and images are arranged in sections on Christmas in Illinois history  living traditions  songs and symbols  Christmas outdoors  eating merrily  and memories. We see how bright an occasion Christmas has been  and sometimes amusing  raucous  or even dark. The collections highlights include Chicagos Christmas tree ship  Peorias Santa Parade  Rockfords Julotta service  a Victorian holiday in Bloomington  and Audubons 1810 Christmas on the Cache River. Nature writers detail holiday bird-watching expeditions along the North Shore and in deepest southern Illinois. A letter from a member of the 130th Illinois Infantry captures Christmas Day 1863  and Jack McReynolds recalls West Frankforts 1951 Orient Number Two mine disaster that thereafter haunted the holiday for him and many others. The holiday table is not neglected  with traditional recipes for wild game  pickled herring  and all manner of Christmas cookies. A wide array of illustrations includes images of Chicagos grand State Street parade  the Santa Lucia celebration at Bishop Hill  Bellevilles Santa Claus House  Millikin Universitys Vespers tradition  the University of Illinois madrigal singers  Studs Terkel singing songs of good cheer  and the holiday art of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Heat up some cider  put a log on the fire  and curl up with Christmas in Illinois to share the holiday with friends both old and new.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45924583702581,"sku":"ByrdShop_0252034422","price":65.35,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780252034428.jpg?v=1787677966","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/christmas-in-illinois-9780252034428","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}