The Everything Family Christmas Book

THE

Family Christmas Book

Dear Reader,

When I think of Christmas, I think of family, and the traditions that I grew up with. When I was quite small, my Auntie Joy sent a gift of money for Christmas, and my mother and I found a lovely fairy doll—a beautiful, blonde girl dressed in white and silver, bearing a wand with a little star on top—in a local shop. She became the fairy that, each December, topped our Christmas tree. When I moved away from home, Mum asked me if I’d like to take the Christmas fairy with me.

I’m so glad that I said no, that she belonged on my parents’ tree —our family tree. Today, my two amazing, energetic, and totally loved nephews open presents under the watchful eye of that very same fairy, a tradition that I’m so grateful to be a part of. And now my own tree bears a beautiful Christmas angel of its own, handmade by Mum.

It’s memories like these that always make me smile when Christmas comes to mind. I hope that this book brings memories that will make you smile, too, at any time of the year—but especially at Christmas.

Welcome to the
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Key Pieces of Christmas Information

Inspirational Ideas

Influential Christmas Icons

Holiday Lore

PUBLISHER
Karen Cooper

DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION
Paula Munier

MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES
Lisa Laing

COPY CHIEF
Casey Ebert

ACQUISITIONS EDITOR
Lisa Laing

SENIOR DEVELOPMENT EDITOR
Brett Palana-Shanahan

MUSICAL NOTATION
Ernie Jackson

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Hillary Thompson

Visit the entire Everything® series at
www.everything.com

THE

FAMILY

CHRISTMAS

BOOK

Stories, songs, recipes, crafts, traditions, and more!

Yvonne Jeffery

To my sister Lorraine, for being such
a wonderful and loving inspiration

Copyright © 2008 by F+W Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything
^®
Series Book.
Everything
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and everything.com
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are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

Contains material adapted and abridged from
The Everything
^®
Christmas Book,
by Michelle Bevilacqua and Brandon Toropov, copyright © 1996 by Adams Media Corporation, ISBN 10: 1-55850-697-7, ISBN 13: 978-1-55850-697-8.

ISBN 10: 1-59869-561-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-561-8

Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available from the publisher.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

—From a
Declaration of Principles
jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.

Contents

Top Ten Ways to Make Christmas Meaningful for Your Family

Introduction

1 The History of Christmas

The First Christmas

Early Christianity

Setting a Date

The Dawn of Christmas in Europe