Christmas in America : A History

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Restad, Penne L.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Christmas--United States--History.

United States--Social life and customs.

Christmas--History--United States.

Christmas.

United States.

Local Subjects:

Christmas--United States--History.

United States--Social life and customs.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (445 p.)

Other Title:

Christmas in America

Place of Publication:

New York ; Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1995.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The manger or Macy's? Americans might well wonder which is the real shrine of Christmas, as they take part each year in a mix of churchgoing, shopping, and family togetherness. But the history of Christmas cannot be summed up so easily as the commercialization of a sacred day. As Penne Restad reveals in this marvelous new book, it has always been an ambiguous meld of sacred thoughts and worldly actions-- as well as a fascinating reflection of our changing society. In Christmas in America, Restad brilliantly captures the rise and transformation of our most universal national holiday. In colonia

Contents:

Cover Page; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Foreword; 1 European Inheritances: Christmas in the Colonies; 2 Red-Letter Days: Christmas and the New American Calendar; 3 The Beginnings of a Modern Christmas; 4 Home for Christmas: Family, Religion, and Santa Claus; 5 Home for Christmas: Christmas Trees and Christmas Giving; 6 Christmas in the Slave South; 7 A Holiday for the Nation; 8 A Traditional American Christmas; 9 Gilding Christmas: Gifts, Charity, and Commerce; 10 The American Santa Claus; 11 A Frame of Mind: Christmas in the Twentieth Century; Notes; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-4294-0685-2

0-19-992358-2

0-19-535509-1

OCLC:

778339520