Inventing Christmas: How Our Holiday Came to Be

Inventing Christmas: How Our Holiday Came to Be by Elliott, Jock. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780810934931.

For millions of Americans, young and old alike, Christmas is a fat jolly Santa Claus with a bag full of presents, carolers singing Yuletide hymns, and a lovingly decorated tree glowing with the joy of the season. But where did the best-loved traditions that make Christmas Americas favorite holiday originate? With charming vintage illustrations by famous artists such as Thomas Nast, Everett Shinn, Al Hirschfeld, Arthur Rackham, and many others, Inventing Christmas explains how most of our cherished traditions evolved over the 25-year period from 1822 (when Clement Clarke Moores A Visit from St. Nicholas was published) to 1848. The author, who has been collecting Christmas ephemera for over 50 years, shows how Santa, the Christmas tree, gift-giving, and Scrooge all came to signify Christmas-in what is surely the ultimate gift book and stocking stuffer for lovers of this holiday, its customs, and its collectibles.