Were They Wise Men Or Kings?: The Book of Christmas QuestionsWestminster John Knox Press, 1 gen 2001 - 127 pagine Christmas is a time of celebration, rich with ritual and detail. In this book of fifty questions about Christmas, Joseph Walsh gives us the details behind such Christmas traditions as the Nativity, Santa Claus, Rudolph, holiday decorations and greenery, Christmas tales, celebrations and rituals, the giving of gifts, and the sending of cards. In this delightfully illustrated book, readers will find answers to the questions they've often asked and some they've never thought of. A perfect book for reading to children, and generating many holiday conversations and memories. |
Sommario
Why does Santa travel by sleigh and reindeer? | 5 |
Why is mistletoe so potent? | 11 |
The Nativity | 30 |
Have modern astronomers identified the Star of Bethlehem? | 40 |
When was Jesus born? | 46 |
Why did Charles Dickens write A Christmas Carol? | 53 |
Was Ebenezer Scrooge based on anyone in particular? | 56 |
Where did the idea for the movie Its a Wonderful Life come from? | 58 |
Has Christmas ever been suppressed in a Christian country? | 85 |
Has childrens anticipation of Christmas ever fomented rebellion? | 87 |
Is Christmas commercialism new? | 90 |
Is Christmas dangerous to your health? | 92 |
How do savvy merchants convince us to spend so much at Christmas? | 94 |
What are the Twelve Days of Christmas? | 99 |
Whats Victorian about a Victorian Christmas? | 101 |
Why do we give gifts at Christmas? | 103 |
What is the origin of the Christmas carol? | 60 |
What does Bilbo Baggins have to do with Christmas? | 62 |
What is the Magnificat? | 64 |
Celebration | 65 |
Why do we celebrate Jesus birth on December | 69 |
What is the Epiphany? | 71 |
What were the Saturnalia and what do they have to do with Christmas? | 73 |
What does Yule mean? | 76 |
Whats a wassail? | 78 |
Naughty or Nice Christmas | 81 |
Had children better watch out? | 83 |
Where does the custom of hanging a stocking come from? | 105 |
Why long ago were children allowed to be Bishop for a Day in the Christmas season? | 106 |
Who invented the Christmas card? | 108 |
Why is Christmas the most important holiday in our professedly secular country? 87 90 92 76 94 99 101 103 105 106 108 | 110 |
How did Christmas become a time for charitable giving? | 115 |
When did Christmas cause an improbable truce in the midst of a savage war? | 118 |
Have guns ever been part of Christmas celebration? | 120 |
What do Hanukkah and Christmas have to do with each other? | 122 |
Does Kwanzaa have anything to do with Christmas? | 124 |
Where can I learn more about Christmas? | 126 |
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