THE
Family Christmas Book
Dear Reader,
When I think of Christmas, I think of family, and the traditions that I grew up with. When I was quite small, my Auntie Joy sent a gift of money for Christmas, and my mother and I found a lovely fairy dolla beautiful, blonde girl dressed in white and silver, bearing a wand with a little star on topin a local shop. She became the fairy that, each December, topped our Christmas tree. When I moved away from home, Mum asked me if Id like to take the Christmas fairy with me.
Im so glad that I said no, that she belonged on my parents tree our family tree. Today, my two amazing, energetic, and totally loved nephews open presents under the watchful eye of that very same fairy, a tradition that Im so grateful to be a part of. And now my own tree bears a beautiful Christmas angel of its own, handmade by Mum.
Its memories like these that always make me smile when Christmas comes to mind. I hope that this book brings memories that will make you smile, too, at any time of the yearbut especially at Christmas.
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Key Pieces of Christmas Information
Inspirational Ideas
Influential Christmas Icons
Holiday Lore
PUBLISHER Karen Cooper
DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION Paula Munier
MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing
COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Lisa Laing
SENIOR DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Brett Palana-Shanahan
MUSICAL NOTATION Ernie Jackson
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Hillary Thompson
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THE
FAMILY
CHRISTMAS
BOOK
Stories, songs, recipes, crafts, traditions, and more!
Yvonne Jeffery
To my sister Lorraine, for being such
a wonderful and loving inspiration
Copyright 2008 by F+W Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything Series Book.
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Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
Contains material adapted and abridged from The Everything Christmas Book, by Michelle Bevilacqua and Brandon Toropov, copyright 1996 by Adams Media Corporation, ISBN 10: 1-55850-697-7, ISBN 13: 978-1-55850-697-8.
ISBN 10: 1-59869-561-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-561-8
Printed in the United States of America.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available from the publisher.
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Contents
Acknowledgments
As I worked on this guide to Christmas, I kept four people very much in mind: To William, Benjamin, Elizabeth, and Grace, thank you so much for helping me see the wonder and joy of Christmas through a childs eyes once again. As for the adults in the family: To Mum and Dad, your constant love and support means so much more than I can saythank you. To Lorraine, I love our conversations so muchyou always understand me, even when I dont, and Im so grateful! And to the Jefferys in Englandthank you for shrinking the Atlantic with your love.
Im truly blessed to have people who make such a difference in my life: To my writer friendsKerrie Etson, Katharine Fletcher, Judith Mulholland, Laura Byrne Paquet, Linda Poitevin, and Theresa Stormyoure simply wonderful. And to Susan and Stephen Yuzwak, thank you so much for always being in my corner.
Im deeply grateful, too, to Barb Doyen, for her guidance, enthusiasm, and encouragement. And to the folks at Adams Media, its always such a pleasure to work with youthank you.
Top Ten Ways to Make Christmas Meaningful for Your Family
- Find a favorite Christmas story and make it a tradition to read it aloud on Christmas Eve.
- Share your good fortune with others at Christmas by volunteering as a family for a charity or nonprofit organization thats close to your hearts.
- Decorate your home each year with a special item that youve chosen or made as a family.
- Choose your favorite holiday baking recipes and share an afternoon with friends and family baking up a storm.
- Create a calendar with a different family photo each month to send to family and friends who cant be with you during the year.