The Book of Christmas Descriptive of the Customs, Ceremonies, Traditions, Superstitions, Fun, Feeling, and Festivities of the Christmas Season

"The Book of Christmas" by Thomas K. Hervey is a study of the Christmas season's culture. Hervey explores Christmas customs, ceremonies, traditions, superstitions, fun, feeling, and festivities, using history and literature. The book shows Christmas as both a religious time and a time for people to gather together. Hervey starts by thinking about time and celebrations and also discusses the history of various traditions and how pagan and Christian customs have mixed. Hervey prepares people to read about the many parts of Christmas time and why rituals are important through poems and philosophical writing.