Tanya Gulevich - Christmas from A to Z

Omnigraphics, Inc

Cherie D. Abbey, Managing Editor
Peggy Daniels Becker and Helene Henderson, Contributors

Peter E. Ruffner, Publisher
Matthew P. Barbour, Senior Vice President

Elizabeth Collins, Research and
Permissions Coordinator
Kevin M. Hayes, Operations Manager

Allison A. Beckett and Mary Butler, Research Staff
Cherry Edwards, Permissions Assistant
Shirley Amore, Martha Johns, and Kirk
Kauffmann, Administrative Staff

Special thanks to Frederick G. Ruffner Jr. for his role in creating this book.

Copyright 2011 Omnigraphics, Inc.
ISBN 978-0-7808-1244-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Christmas from A to Z : history - observances - legends - customs - symbols / edited by Tanya Gulevich.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Summary: Covers the folk and religious customs, traditions, legends, and symbols related to Christmas, from antiquity to the present day. Includes more than 150 alphabetically arranged entries, plus bibliography and indexProvided by publisher.

ISBN 978-0-7808-1244-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. ChristmasDictionaries. I. Gulevich, Tanya. GT4985.C3846 2011

394.2663dc23

2011017404

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

The information in this publication was compiled from sources cited and from sources considered reliable. While every possible effort has been made to ensure reliability, the publisher will not assume liability for damages caused by inaccuracies in the data, and makes no warranty, express or implied, on the accuracy of the information contained herein.

This book is printed on acid-free paper meeting the ANSI Z39.48 Standard. The infinity symbol that appears above indicates that the paper in this book meets that standard.

Printed in the United States

Christmas comes but once a year yet it lives in our imaginations year-round. What is it about Christmas, more than any other holiday, that is so compelling? For some, Christmas is meaningful because of its religious significance, the miracle of the birth of Jesus. For others, the holiday is meaningful because of the celebrations with family, the chance in this increasingly fragmented age to come together with loved ones. Many people look forward to the social aspects of the Christmas seasonthe emphasis on friends, parties, and other events. And certainly everyone enjoys Christmas presents. Yet despite the important place Christmas holds in our thoughts, we really know very little about the holiday.

Christmas from A to Z addresses this sprawling topic, tracing the history of the holiday and describing its observance today. The book covers a wide range of topics, including folk customs and beliefs, religious practices, symbols, legends, my thol ogical and historical figures, foods and beverages, and major artistic and popular works associated with the celebration of Christmas and the Christmas season.

Christmas from A to Z explores the history of Christmas from antiquity to the present day. It contains a number of essays on ancient celebrations and the origins and development of Christ mas as a Christian holiday, including the controversy over the date of Jesus birth and the selection of December 25 as the date of the new festival. Many essays touch on the blossoming of Christmas customs, legends, symbols, and foods in the medieval and Renaissance era. Other essays outline the decline of Christmas following the Protes tant Reformation, as well as its resurgence in the Victorian era. The book also covers the continuing evolution of the holiday up to the twenty-first century, noting the development of modern Christ mas symbols and customs, including Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and Christmas gifts.

Special attention is paid to the history, customs, and symbols of the holiday as it is celebrated in the United States. Essays detail, for example, how Christmas was celebrated by American slaves as well as how Christmas is celebrated in the White House. They also survey a number of the nations favorite Christmas books, movies, and television specials, as well as pop culture contributions to the American holiday season, including Christmas villages and holiday light displays and decorations. Other essays discuss Christmas observances in such distinctive American locations as Williamsburg, Virginia; Beth lehem, Pennsylvania; and New York City.

Christmas from A to Z will be enjoyed by everyone who loves Christmasas well as anyone with a fondness for history and folklore who wants to discover the fascinating stories behind one of Americas most beloved holidays.

According to the Bibles Book of Genesis, God created the first man and woman and invited them to live in a heavenly place called the Garden of Eden. This couple, known as Adam and Eve, lived there in bliss until they took the advice of a serpent and disobeyed Gods command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As punishment for their disobedience, God expelled them from the Garden, thus compelling them to work for their living, suffer pain, and eventually die. Medieval Christians honored Adam and Eve as the father and mother of all people and commemorated their story on December 24, the day before Christmas.

Eastern Christiansthat is, those Christians whose traditions of belief and worship developed in the Middle East, eastern Europe, and north Africawere the first to honor Adam and Eve as saints. Their cult spread from eastern lands to western Europe during the Middle Ages, becoming quite popular in Europe by the year 1000. Although the Roman Catholic Church never formally adopted the pair as saints, it did not oppose their veneration.

Commemorating the lives of Adam and Eve on December 24 promoted comparison of Adam and Eve with Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Medieval theologians were fond of making such comparisons, the point of which was to reveal how Jesus and Mary, through their obedience to Gods will, rescued humanity from the consequences of Adam and Eves disobedience. Indeed, the Bible itself refers to Jesus as the second Adam (Romans 5:14). Whereas humanity inherited biological life from the first Adam, it would imbibe spiritual life from Jesus, the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15: 22, 45, 49). Some theologians took this to mean that Jesus coming could restore humankind to a state of grace lost when Adam and Eve were exiled from Eden. In like manner, Mary would undo the effects of Eves disobedience. When the