Adams Media - Christmas Trivia: Celebrating the magic of the holidays

Avon, Massachusetts

When you distill the true meaning of Christmas whether you celebrate on December 6, December 25, January 6, or a little bit on each of those days it all comes down to a single word: wonder.

It was wonder that led the Magi to follow the Star to Bethlehem. It was wonder that filled the stable in Bethlehem the night that Jesus was born. Its wonder that you feel in church and carol services over Christmas, imagining the more than 2,000 years of tradition and history that have made Christmas what it is today. And its wonder that fills the eyes of a five year old who starts down the stairs on Christmas morning to see the tree aglow and then shares the long tradition of exchanging gifts.

Christmas begins in the mists of long-distant history and extends along the future of the human family. Its informed by countless Christmases past and the knowledge that, as long as there are children and a sense of tradition, there are likely to be Christmases in the future. But the true event, the true day of days, is neither an account of old customs nor a prediction of the ways in which this holiday will continue to change and to grow. The true experience of Christmas is wonder.

After all, the wonder of Christmas is tied inextricably to memory. For many, Christmases past are the standards by which they measure Christmases present and future. Like the Charles Dickens creation, Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol, you can use your memories as a springboard to make each holiday better and more meaningful than the last.

Luckily, Christmas isnt about perfection. Its not about having the best-decorated house on the block, and it doesnt matter that the turkey took two extra hours to cook and the peas were left behind in the microwave (although hopefully not all on the same day). What matters is the creation of new memories, centered on a sense of family and being loved, whether you come with a ready-made family or one that you create yourself. Memory is, ultimately, the basis of tradition and what is Christmas if not one of the fundamental traditions of our time? Warm and wonderful memories are certainly what this book wishes for you, just as it hopes to provide inspiration for the Christmases that are in your future.

Once a year, on December 25, Christmas reintroduces you to wonder on a scale that you should never forget. This book is intended as a celebration of that wonder. May you read it as part of the most precious gift that the holiday brings: the ability to see things, for a time, through the eyes you once had on Christmas morning.

For more Christmas stories, songs, recipes, traditions, and more, check out The Everything Family Christmas Book, available in print (978-1-59869-561-8) and eBook (978-1-60550-783-5) formats.

The way in which people celebrate Christmas is a relatively recent development in the history of the holiday, which of course originates with the birth of Jesus, the Christ child, some 2,000 years ago. The festivities of December 25 have been shaped by many people and many cultures from the early Romans to Englands Queen Victoria and they continue to change even today. Whether you celebrate the day as part of Christianity or simply as a time of family togetherness, the ori-gins and evolution of Christmas span the globe.