Encyclopedia of Christmas
Subtitle: nearly 200 alphabetically arranged entries covering all aspects of Christmas, including folk customs, religious observances, history, legends, symbols, and related days from Europe, America, and around the world
By: Tanya Gulevich ; illustrated by Mary Ann Stavros-Lanning.
Publisher: Omnigraphics
Published: 2000
Place of publication: Detroit, Mich
Language: eng
Number of pages: 729
Subjects: Christmas -- Encyclopedias.
Genres: Encyclopedias.
Description: "Like sparkling lights and colorful ornaments on a holiday tree, Encyclopedia of Christmas offers myriad facts all in one place. The subtitle says it all: 'Nearly 200 alphabetically arranged entries covering all aspects of Christmas, including folk customs, religious observances, history, legends, symbols, and related days from Europe, America, and around the world.' The Encyclopedia's strong point is its international coverage reflected in the 20 or so entries devoted to Christmas in specific countries or regions all over the world, and the multicultural flavor of its articles. Web sites are offered for countries, Christmas trees, customs, and Christmas movies. Fact- and fun-filled, this is a resource for everyone."--"Outstanding reference sources 2000", American Libraries, May 2000. Comp. by the Reference Sources Committee, RUSA, ALA.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.

CONTENTS:

Advent -- Advent calendar -- Advent candle -- Advent wreath -- America, colonial -- America, nineteenth-century -- Amish Christmas -- Angels -- Annunciation -- Armenia -- 

Baboushka -- Barring out the schoolmaster -- Befana -- Bells -- Berchta -- Bethlehem -- Birth of the invincible sun -- Black Peter -- Boar’s head -- Boxing Day -- Boy Bishop -- Brazil -- 

Candlemas -- Ceremony of lessons & carols -- Cert -- Cherry tree -- Children’s letters -- Chrismon tree -- Christkindel -- Christmas ale -- Christmas bonus -- Christmas cakes -- Christmas candles -- Christmas card -- A Christmas Carol -- Christmas carol -- Christmas club -- Christmas crackers -- Christmas lads -- Christmas markets -- Christmas rose -- Christmas Seals -- Christmas season -- Christmas sheaf -- Christmas symbols -- Christmas tree -- Christmas village -- Commercialism -- 

December 25 -- Denmark -- Depression -- Devil’s knell -- 
Ecuador -- Eggnog -- Egypt -- Elves -- England -- Epiphany -- Ethiopia -- Europe, Medieval -- 

Farolitos -- Father Christmas -- Feast of Fools -- Feast of the Circumcision -- Firstfooting -- France -- Frankincense -- Frau Gaude -- 

Games -- Gaudete Sunday -- Germany -- Ghosts -- Gifts -- Gingerbread -- Glastonbury thorn -- Gold -- Gospel accounts of Christmas -- Gospel according to Luke -- Gospel according to Matthew -- Grandfather Frost -- Greece -- Greenery -- Guatemala -- 

Hanukkah -- Herod, King -- Hogmanay -- Holly -- Holy Innocents’ Day -- 

Ireland -- Italy -- Ivy -- 

Jesse tree -- Jesus, birth of -- Jonkonnu -- Julklapp -- Jultomten -- 

Kalends -- Kallikantzari -- King of the bean -- Kissing bough -- Knecht Ruprecht -- Knocking nights -- Kwanzaa -- 

Lamb’s wool -- Laurel -- Lord of misrule -- Luminarias -- 

Magi -- Martinmas -- Masque -- Merry -- Messiah -- Mexico -- Midnight Mass -- Mincemeat pie -- Misa de Gallo -- Mistletoe -- Mumming -- Myrrh -- 

Nativity legends -- Nativity play -- Nativity scene -- New Year’s Day -- Noel -- North pole -- Nutcracker -- 

Old Christmas Day -- Ornaments -- 

Pantomime -- Paradise tree -- Pastores, Los -- Peace of Christmas -- Philippines -- Plough Monday -- Plum pudding -- Plygain -- Poinsettia -- Poland -- Posadas, Las -- Puritans -- Pyramid -- 

Reindeer -- Reveillon -- Robin -- Rosemary -- Russia -- 

St. Barbara’s Day -- St. Distaff’s Day -- St. John’s Day -- St. Knut’s Day -- St. Lucy’s Day -- St. Nicholas -- St. Nicholas’s Day -- St. Stephen’s Day -- St. Sylvester’s Day -- St. Thomas’s Day -- Santa Claus -- Saturnalia -- Shooting in Christmas -- Snow Maiden -- Spain -- Star boys -- Star of Bethlehem -- Stir-Up Sunday -- Stockings -- Sugarplums -- 

Timkat -- Twelfth Night -- Twelve Days of Christmas -- 

Up Helly Aa -- Urban Legends -- 

Victorian England -- 

Waits -- Wales -- Wassail -- Wassailing the Fruit Trees -- Weihnachtsmann -- Wenceslas, King -- White Christmas -- Wild Hunt -- Winter solstice -- Wrapping paper -- Wreath -- Wren hunt -- 

Yule -- Yule goat -- Yule log -- Yule straw -- Zagmuk.