A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions

Author: Forsyth, Mark

Brand: VIKING

Edition: UK ed.

Features:

• VIKING

Binding: hardcover

Format: illustrated

Number Of Pages: 192

Release Date: 22-11-2016

Part Number: 25583669

Details: BY THE SUNDAY TIMES NO.1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR

The perfect gift for anyone who has ever wondered about the unpredictable origins and etymologies of our Christmas customs!

For something that happens every year of our lives, we really don't know much about Christmas.

We don't know that the date we celebrate was chosen by a madman, or that Christmas, etymologically speaking, means "Go away, Christ". We're oblivious to the fact that the advent calendar was actually invented by a Munich housewife to stop her children pestering her for a Christmas countdown. And we would never have guessed that the invention of crackers was merely a way of popularising sweet wrappers.

Luckily, like a gift from Santa himself, Mark Forsyth is here to unwrap this fundamentally funny gallimaufry of traditions and oddities, making it all finally make sense - in his wonderfully entertaining wordy way.

'Witty and revelatory. Blooming brilliant' Raymond Briggs

'Everything we ever thought about Christmas is wrong! Great stuff' Matthew Parris

EAN: 9780241267738

Package Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.6 x 0.9 inches

Languages: English