Monday, December 12, 2022

Book Review: Christmas Past by Brian Earl

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Interesting articles on Christmas traditions past and present
Cons: A few leave us with questions, a bit dry at times
The Bottom Line:
Christmas traditions
Come see how they have evolved
Interesting book



A Look at Christmas Traditions Past and Present

Have you ever wondered why we do what we do at Christmas?  I mean, so many traditions we just accept, but why did they start?  How have they changed over the years?  If I’ve got your attention, you’ll love Christmas Past by Brian Earl.  Given how much I love Christmas, you know I was intrigued when I heard about this book.

The book divides itself into four sections: Food and Drink, Characters and Entertainment, Sights and Sounds, and Society and Culture.  Each second has chapters that focus on one particular topic.  They can really be read as stand alones, and with twenty-six chapters, you could read one a day and finish up on Boxing Day.  No, the book doesn’t get into that mostly British holiday, but it does look at some former traditions like sugarplums, mince pies, and wassail.  We also find out the origins of Rudolph, both the character and the special.  We take a look at how Christmas lights evolved and how gift wrap got started.  We even discuss why we say “Merry Christmas.”

This book looks at Christmas purely from a secular celebration stand point.  Occasionally, it touches on the religious element of the holiday, most noticeably when talking about the carol “Silent Night.”  But, since the book is focusing on traditions and how we celebrate it, that’s fine with me.  I wasn’t expecting the religious aspect to be a focus when I picked up this book, so I wasn’t disappointed.

Some of the stories told are fascinating.  As I was reading the various chapters, I sometimes remembered things I’d heard over the years but forgotten.  Other times, I was surprised by what I was learning.  For example, he names a couple of popular Christmas set classic movies that were released in the summer.  What?  I did find the food section a little hard to get through, and I sometimes felt like I didn’t learn much other that supposition in those chapters.  The writing can be a little dry at times, too.  But overall, I learned some interesting trivia and I enjoyed it.

Brian Earl hosts the Christmas Past podcast.  I haven’t heard of it before or listened to it, but my understanding is that these chapters originated as episodes on his podcast.

I also enjoyed the chapter where he looks at modern Christmas trends and tries to predict if they will be long term traditions or modern trends that will come and go.  It will be interesting to see if his predictions come true or not.

Each chapter also includes black and white photos, some of them vintage, showing how the topic under discussion has changed over the years.

There’s plenty more he didn’t touch upon here.  But the topics in Christmas Past are sure to spark the interest of anyone who loves Christmas.  And isn’t that the majority of people this time of year?

3 comments:

  1. I requested that my public library buy this book. It looks fascinating. The history of popular culture is always something I enjoy reading, so I hope I can get a hold of a copy soon! Thanks for the recommendation.

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  2. This sounds really good. I'd like to know more about Christmas traditions and where they came from

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  3. This looks interesting! Even if not every chapter was a winner it sounds like a fun read this time of year.

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