Christmas
Subtitle: the sacred to Santa
By: Tara Moore
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Published: 2014
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 261
ISBN-13: 9781780233574; 9781780235141
Subjects: Christmas; History; Religious aspects; Social aspects; Weihnachten; Kultur
Description: Christmas: The Sacred to Santa takes us on a journey from its historical origins to its modern incarnation as a global commercial event. Along the way we encounter a vast array of religious personages, fictional characters and mythic figures that have become associated with its celebration, from Saint Nicholas to the Magi, Scrooge and Krampus. Moore explores how the great traditions such as Christmas trees, feasting and gift-giving emerged, as well as how Christmas has been portrayed in culture, from the literary works of Charles Dickens to the now annual bout of films and seasonal music - including traditional carols and the latest Christmas chart-topper. Since Christmas is not all merriment and games, Moore also probes the tension between the sacred and the secular during Christmas as well as the cultural stigmas that have historically accompanied the season. She considers Christmas in its global context as a unifying but also divisive event, enchantingly and compellingly reintroducing us to the holiday we only think we know.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: The original Christmas; title: Early celebrations and customs; title: Christmas in art and culture; title: Christmas outlawed; title: Christmas away from home; title: Commercial Christmas; title: Characters of Christmas; title: The imported global Christmas; title: Public Christmas; title: Christmas and the church.