A Righte Merrie Christmasse: The Story of Christ-Tide

"A Righte Merrie Christmasse: The Story of Christ-Tide" by John Ashton is a journey through time, exploring the making of Christmas. Ashton describes the beginnings of Christmas celebrations, noting disagreements about when Jesus was born. Then he moves on to tracing the path of how December 25th became the day for Christmas, sharing how church rules and local habits molded the holiday. There is also talk of old pagan events, like Roman Saturnalia and Yule, and their influence of what Christmas is today. Ashton sets the stage for a full view of how, as years have passed, Christmas has changed, mixing religious and non-religious traditions together.