Christmas In Britain

Each 80-page Christmas Around the World Book includes full narratives explaining the customs of the region covered, photography and illustrations, spe cial sections of native songs, recipes, and fun-to-do crafts.

Each 80-page Christmas Around the World Book includes full narratives explaining the customs of the region covered, photography and illustrations, spe cial sections of native songs, recipes, and fun-to-do crafts.

Explores the various traditions with which the British celebrate Christmas.

A delightful history of how Christmas has been celebrated in Britain over the past 2,000 years. From the legend of Arthur pulling the sword from the stone one Christmas day, to when the Puritan Parliament tried to 'ban' Christmas, through to Charles Dickens's vivid recollections of his boyhood celebrations, and his delight in the present of a jumping frog. Amongst the wealth of stories and personal reminiscences this book also teaches us how the traditions we now hold so dear came into being, including Mrs Beeton's recipe for the original Christmas cake (made with a horn of mead), the birth of Christmas carolling, the first ever Christmas tree to be brought to England from Germany by Prince Albert and the origins of the Christmas cracker. This is simply the perfect book with which to celebrate Christmas and all the traditions that surround it.

The modern Christmas was made by the Victorians and rooted in their belief in commerce, family and religion. Their rituals and traditions persist to the present day but the festival has also been changed by growing affluence, shifting family structures, greater expectations of happiness and material comfort, technological developments and falling religious belief. Christmas became a battleground for arguments over consumerism, holiday entitlements, social obligations, communal behaviour and the influence of church, state and media. Even in private, it encouraged reflection on social change and the march of time. Amongst those unhappy at the state of the world or their own lives, Christmas could induce much cynicism and even loathing but for a quieter majority it was a happy time, a moment of a joy in a sometimes difficult world that made the festival more than just an integral feature of the calendar: Christmas was one of British culture's emotional high points. Moreover, it was also a testimony to the enduring importance of family, shared values and a common culture in the UK. Martin Johnes shows how Christmas and its traditions have been lived, adapted and thought about in Britain since 1914. Christmas and the British is about the festival's social, cultural and economic functions, and its often forgotten status as both the most unusual and important day of the year

Explores the various traditions with which the British celebrate Christmas.

To celebrate the beginning of 1800, Queen Charlotte invites 100 children to Windsor Castle, where England's first Christmas tree, laden with gifts, is the centerpiece. Includes biographical information about Queen Charlotte and a timeline.