Inventing Christmas: How Our Holiday Came to Be | 
 enlarge | Author: Jock Elliott
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $12.99
You Save: $11.96 (48%)
New (6) Used (7) from $7.89
Rating:  4 reviews
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 128
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 9.4 x 0.7
ISBN: 0810934930
Dewey Decimal Number: 394.2663
EAN: 9780810934931
Publication Date: October 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Where did the best-loved traditions that make Christmas America's favourite holiday originate? With vintage illustrations by artists such as Thomas Nast, Everett Shinn, Al Hirschfeld, Arthur Rackham and others, "Inventing Christmas" explains how most of America's traditions evolved over the 25-year period from 1822 (when Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit from St Nicholas" was published) to 1848. Jock Elliott, 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.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Wonderful insight into the traditions that make up our holiday. January 24, 2007
E. Andrade (United States)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Jock Elliott captures and relates all of the building blocks that went into making our Christmas holiday what it is--in terms of the way in which we celebrate.
As an ad man, he's got a unique perspective.
Fascinating reading.
Fabulous color! August 10, 2006
Lisa K. Gleeson (Troy, MI USA)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Saw this book when it was listed with a book I wanted to buy about Christmas and the history of our American traditions. It is a beautiful book with lots of pictures- not alot of written information. Still find it interesting and informative.
FUN AND FASCINATING! December 1, 2004
Tim Janson (Michigan)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
Almost all Americans celebrate Christmas but so few of us really know its deep-rooted and ancient origins as well as the origins of so many of the traditions we hold so dear.
In his wonderful book called, Jock Elliott has charted all of this story (and more) with care and good cheer. He reminds us of how recent the Christmas "tradition" is, and how ancient. He tells us, for example, that the Christmas tree is basically a product of the second half of the American 19th century, and can be traced to England. The British royal family - themselves imports from Germany - first pitched such trees in their palatial homes. But the trees, and the rituals of winter celebrations, could themselves be traced all the way back to pagan times and the celebrations of the winter solstice.
We learn about the men who defined Santa claus Including Clement Moore who wrote the "Night Before Christmas", and Thomas nast. Nast was the greatest political cartoonist of the 19th century, perhaps of any American century. During the holiday season of 1862-63, Nast put visual flesh on the poetic bones provided by Moore. In the Jan. 3, 1863, issue of Harper's Weekly, he showed Santa Claus cheering up the battered Union troops. He's wearing striped pants and a shirt spangled with stars. Nast would do a year-end drawing of Santa Claus for each of the following 25 years.
From giving gifts to misletoe, Elliots great book fills us in on the origins of Everything Christmas. Highly Recommended
A Real Christmas Gem October 7, 2003
K. Giorlando (Eastpointe, Michigan United States)
19 out of 22 found this review helpful
This book is such an amazing find! It tells the whole celebration of the Christmas holiday, from it's pre-Christian pagan celebrations, through the 20th century. Particularly interesting is how it became a Christian Holiday a few hundred years after the birth of Christ. But the book also covers how Santa Claus came to be, the history of the Christmas Tree, carols, and a pretty extensive article on Charles Dickens 'A Christmas Carol.'
The author, Jock Elliott, is probably the foremost collector of Christmas memorabelia, and through many color photos has shared some of his extensive collection with us. The man even has his letters to Santa from the 1920's! But, most impressive of all (to me!) is his 'A Christmas Carol' collection. He has a copy of the original first edition from 1843, as well as the original newspaper advertisement for the book from that same year! And, yes, Mr. Elliott shares this with us, too.
I've compared his history of the holiday with other books I own and I feel I can safely say that Mr. Elliott has done his research. His writing style is very entertaining and easy to follow, so the younger set can enjoy this book, too.
All in all, this is one of the most entertaining books I've read on the Christmas holiday. I guess if I had one complaint it would be for Mr. Elliott to maybe add a bit about the Reason for the Season - Jesus Christ.
Very highly recommended.
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