Christmas Book Recommendations: Nonfiction
- A Foxfire Christmas by New in paperback This captivating book of recollections celebrates the holiday traditions of Appalachian families as passed from one generation to the next. Based on Foxfire students' interviews with neighbors and family members, the memories shared here are from a simpler time, when gifts were fewer but perhaps more precious, and holiday tables were laden with traditional favorites. More than just reminiscences, however, A Foxfire Christmas includes instructions for recreating many of the ornaments, toys, and recipes that make up so many family traditions, from Chicken and Dumplings to Black Walnut Cake, and from candy pulls to corn husk dolls and hand-whittled toy cars.Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780807899045Publication Date: 2010-02-15
- Christmas Around the World by More than two millennia ago, a child was born in the village of Bethlehem, and from this event grew, first, a devoted cult, then a dedicated following, then a religion that is today the worlds largest: Christianity. The celebration of Christs birth is a glorious holiday. It is beautiful, warm, festive, joyous, sweet and steeped in tradition. Life captures in words and vibrant pictures the customs of Christmas everywhere, from Sinterklass in Holland to the observance of the winter solstice at Englands Stonehenge to the origins of this great day in the Holy Land. On Christmas, the world rejoices and reflects. Here, Life does too, in this special commemorative edition Christmas Around The World.Call Number: GT4985 .C472 2004ISBN: 1932273506Publication Date: 2004-11-02
- The Women of Christmas by God Reached Down from Heaven with the Best Gift of All A sacred season is about to unfold for three women whose hearts belong to God. Elizabeth is barren, yet her trust in God remains fertile. Mary is betrothed in marriage, yet she is willing to bear God's Son. Anna is a widow full of years, yet she waits patiently, prayerfully for the Messiah to appear in the temple courts. Following in their footsteps, you too can prepare for the Savior to enter your heart, your mind, and your life in a vibrant, new way. Best-selling author Liz Curtis Higgs explores the biblical stories of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna, unwrapping each verse with tender care and introducing you afresh to The Women of Christmas.Call Number: BT315.3 .H53 2013ISBN: 9781601425416Publication Date: 2013-09-17
- The Purpose of Christmas by Hailed by The Economist as the "the most influential pastor in America," and by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, the bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life expounds on the profound origins of Christmas, describing it as an opportune time to welcome peace into our lives. In his powerful yet compassionate voice, Pastor Rick Warren sounds the clarion call to "remember the reason for the season," taking readers back in time to the most wonderful story of all--the birth of the baby Jesus. When he was just a small boy, young Rick asked his parents if they could celebrate Christmas with a birthday party for Jesus--and the tradition began that the Warrens have upheld for over fifty years. Now through stirring imagery and compelling personal insights, The Purpose of Christmas honors the significance and promise of this cherished holiday. Pastor Warren encourages readers to identify and confront what drains peace from their lives. Warren explains that the way to respond to these peace robbers is to learn how to surrender to God's will and not feel defeated or discouraged when life does not go as planned. True peace of mind is found by having an unshakeable faith in God--knowing that His empowering Spirit will guide His children through life's challenges. Beautifully written, The Purpose of Christmas will stir readers to honor the true significance of Christmas and to nurture God's gifts of love and peace in this world.Call Number: BV45 .W25 2008ISBN: 9781416559009Publication Date: 2008-11-04
- The Case for Christmas by A fascinating look into the truth behind the Christmas story. The story, recorded in Luke 2:8--18, describes how an angel announced to a ragtag group of shepherds that a Savior who is Messiah and Master had been born in the town of David. Was this a hoax? A hallucination? Or was it the pivotal event of human history - the incarnation of the living God? Join journalist and former atheist Lee Strobel as he investigates the Christmas story.combining material from The Case for Christ with new research, he investigates the mysterious events surrounding Christmas and asks: is there any credibility to the accounts about Jesus' birth - or are they merely legends as skeptics claim? does history confirm a Roman census sending Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem? did Herod the Great try to destroy his supposed rival by ruthlessly slaughtering the infants in that rural village? The result is the perfect gift for believers that want to reaffirm their faith or seekers looking for guidance as they pursue solid answers about this miraculous occurrence.Call Number: BT203 .S78 2005abISBN: 0310268788Publication Date: 2005-09-13
- The War on Christmas by The push to secularize Christmas into a neutered holiday season so non Christians won't be offended is stronger than one thinks. Gibson shows readers how they can help save Christmas from being twisted beyond recognition, with even the slightest reference to Jesus completely disappear ing.Call Number: BT315 .G53 2005ISBN: 1595230165Publication Date: 2005-10-20
- Christmas in Germany by For poets, priests, and politicians--and especially ordinary Germans--in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the image of the loving nuclear family gathered around the Christmas tree symbolized the unity of the nation at large. German Christmas was supposedly organic, a product of the winter solstice rituals of pagan "Teutonic" tribes, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and the age-old customs that defined German character. Yet, as Joe Perry argues, Germans also used these annual celebrations to contest the deepest values that held the German community together: faith, family, and love, certainly, but also civic responsibility, material prosperity, and national belonging. This richly illustrated volume explores the invention, evolution, and politicization of Germany's favorite national holiday. According to Perry, Christmas played a crucial role in public politics, as revealed in the militarization of "War Christmas" during World War I and World War II, the Nazification of Christmas by the Third Reich, and the political manipulation of Christmas during the Cold War. Perry offers a close analysis of the impact of consumer culture on popular celebration and the conflicts created as religious, commercial, and political authorities sought to control the holiday's meaning. By unpacking the intimate links between domestic celebration, popular piety, consumer desires, and political ideology, Perry concludes that family festivity was central in the making and remaking of public national identities.Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780807899410Publication Date: 2010-09-27
- 1001 Christmas Facts and Fancies 1937 byCall Number: GT4985 .H6 1944ISBN: 9781162734330Publication Date: 2010-09-01
Christmas Book Recommendations: Fiction
- Some Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens' work is ranked among the finest writing in the Western canon, and the author specialized in seasonal stories to warm the hearts of his adoring fans during the holiday season. This collection of Christmas-themed tales are an entertaining read during the holidays or any time you need a quick pick-me-up.Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781775451334Publication Date: 2011-02-01
- A Christmas Promise by The holiday season is upon the townspeople of Cape Light, and the village has a special guest. James McDougal, a minister who runs a mission in Central America, has decided to make a trip to Cape Light to work with Reverend Ben and spend some time with its warm-hearted residents. It's during the season's first snowstorm, when James's car collides with another car, that the first hint of trouble befalls this close-knit community. No one is hurt, but out-of-towner Leigh Baxter is forced to stay until her car is fixed. Trying to escape a troubled past, Leigh figures Cape Light will make a decent hiding place for a few days. What she doesn't expect, however, is that the charm of this beautiful, seaside hamlet and its citizens will soon win her over-and that she will fall in love with James, the compassionate minister who has so generously welcomed her into his life. A few days quickly turns into a month, and suddenly Leigh finds herself wondering whether James will still accept her in his heart if her dark secrets ever come to light. In the meantime, Jessica and Sam Morgan find their relationship put to the test. More than anything else this Christmas, they want a baby to call their own. But they soon discover that life's most precious gifts often come in unexpected packages.Call Number: PS3561.I534 C47 2004ISBN: 0425198251Publication Date: 2004-10-05
- A Victorian Christmas Quilt by Catherine Palmer, Peggy Stoks, Debra White Smith, and Ginny Aiken A romance anthology that features four Victorian-era novellas, each involving a particular quilt pattern.Call Number: PS648.C45 V52 1998ISBN: 0842377735Publication Date: 1998-10-01
- The Christmas Shoes by Sometimes, the things that can change your life will cross your path in one instant-and then, in a fleeting moment, they're gone. But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe.... Robert is a successful attorney who has everything in life-and nothing at all. Focused on professional achievement and material rewards, Robert is on the brink of losing his marriage. He has lost sight of his wife, Kate, their two daughters, and ultimately himself. Eight year old Nathan has a beloved mother, Maggie, whom he is losing to cancer. But Nathan and his family are building a simple yet full life, and struggling to hold onto every moment they have together. A chance meeting onChristmas Even brings Robert and Nathan together-he is shopping for a family he hardly knows and Nathan is shopping for a mother he is soon to lose. In this one encounter, their lives are forever altered as Robert learns an important lesson: sometimes the smallest things can make all the difference.The Christmas Shoes is a universal story of the deeper meaning of serendipity, a tale of our shared humanity, and of how a power greater than ourselves can shape, and even save, our lives.Call Number: PS3622.A66 C48 2001ISBN: 0312289510Publication Date: 2001-11-09
- The Christmas Blessing by InThe Christmas Shoes, young Nathan Andrews was a child who lost his mother to cancer. Now his deepest wish is to become a doctor. When a stranger named Robert gave him the money to buy his mother a pair of shoes for her last Christmas, both Robert and Nathan learned the deepest lessons of love and giving. Now a medical student in his third year, Nathan realizes there are still things to be learned about faith, blessings, and sacrifice. Lessons he will learn from Meghan Sullivan-a young woman born with a hole inher heart that has not kept her from becoming a champion runner. And lessons learned from a young boy named Charlie, who teaches how to live a life of true courage. Together, they will help guide Nathan through the darkest period in his life.The Christmas Blessing is an inspiring about hope existing in the darkest places, and love is always the greatest gift of all.Call Number: PS3622.A66 C482 2003ISBN: 0312322933Publication Date: 2003-10-28
- The Christmas Hope by Perennial New York Times bestsellers and Audie Award finalists TheChristmas Shoesand The Christmas Blessing have become inspirational holiday classics, and THE CHRISTMAS HOPE is poised to become a seasonal favorite in its own right Patricia and Mark Addison have long given up the hope of having a meaningful Christmas. But this year, Patricia's job as a social worker will lead her to a very special five-year-old. Against her better judgment, Patricia bends the rules and takes the little girl to her own home. Through the presence of Emily in their house, and her penetrating questions about heaven, the Addisons learn that there is no sorrow so great that faith cannot help you find your way through. And Christmas will once more be a time of joy in their home. THE CHRISTMAS HOPE is a story of love in the face of loss, joy when all seems hopeless, and how light can shine into the darkest places.Call Number: PS3622.A66 C487 2005ISBN: 0312334508Publication Date: 2005-10-25
- How Far Is It to Bethlehem: the Plays and Poetry of Frances Chesterton by Frances Chesterton, wife of British journalist G.K. Chesterton, was a gentle poet and playwright. Her sweet works long lay in obscurity, except for a few Christmas lyrics, which have never gone out of print. Her plays for children were in demand when she wrote them; there is a demand for them again today. Her poems and plays reveal a woman of deep thought, a spiritual woman, a woman longing for Christ, and especially drawn to Him at the Nativity, when He was a small baby. To read these works is to understand better G.K. Chesterton's wife and spiritual companion. And so, these works are offered back to a world that has almost forgotten them.A revised edition (1/2013) adds three important features: an index to the entire work, plus an index to the poem titles; and in addition to that, an index to the first lines of the poems. Many small corrections were made to the text to improve readability.Call Number: PR6005.H47 H69 2013ISBN: 9781469907406Publication Date: 2012-07-19
- The Father Christmas Letters by A collection of the letters Tolkien wrote to his children every year from Father Christmas, filled with tales about life at the North Pole and illustrated with Tolkien's drawings.Call Number: PZ7.T5744 Fat 1991ISBN: 039559698XPublication Date: 1991-11-12
How Christmas Came to Be
Have you ever wondered how the popular Christmas traditions we enjoy year after year came to be? Watch this fascinating video about opens new windowThe Amazing History of Christmas.
What is Christmas without Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol or a picture of Victorian carolers strolling down a dimly lit street with the moon's glow reflecting off the snow? Many traditions that we enjoy actually became popular during the Victorian Period, especially in Britain. Check out these fascinating articles about the opens new windowHistory of Christmas and opens new windowVictorian Christmas Traditions
What did ornaments look like during the Victorian era? Who illustrated the first Christmas card? What are Christmas Crackers? If you have ever asked any of the questions above, opens new windowVictorian Christmas: Christmas in the Victorian Times offers interesting insights into how some of our modern Christmas traditions evolved over the years.
History of Christmas
- Apollo 8 and Our Privileged PlanetGuillermo Gonzalez, Stephen C. Meyer
- History of ChristmasHistory Channel
What is Christmas?: Christian Perspectives
- What is ChristmasRachel Dawson, Crosswalk
- Calculating Christmas: The Story Behind December 25William J. Tighe, touchstone
- ‘The Purpose of Christmas’ What are you celebrating this Christmas?Rick Warren, Christianity Today
Christmas Reference Materials
- The Christmas Encyclopedia by This considerably expanded third edition of The Christmas Encyclopedia (2001) adds 281 new entries, bringing the total number of Christmas topics to more than 760. Continuing in the format of the previous editions, a wide variety of subjects are included: individual carols and songs; historical events at Christmastime; popular Christmas symbols; Christmas plants, place names, and stamps; and celebrations in countries around the world, including the origins of some of the most cherished traditions in the United States. Unique to this work is its emphasis on Christmas as depicted in the popular media, with entries covering literary works such as Call Me Mrs. Miracle and Silver Bells, classic television series such as Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie, motion pictures such as Arthur Christmas and Santa Clause 3, and television specials expressing holiday themes.Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780786468270Publication Date: 2013-09-04
- The Oxford Handbook of Christmas by The Oxford Handbook of Christmas provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary account of all aspects of Christmas across the globe, from the specifically religious to the purely cultural. The contributions are drawn from a distinguished group of international experts from across numerousdisciplines, including literary scholars, theologians, historians, biblical scholars, sociologists, anthropologists, art historians, and legal experts. The volume provides authoritative treatments of a range of topics, from the origins of Christmas to the present; decorating trees to eating plumpudding; from the Bible to contemporary worship; from carols to cinema; from the Nativity Story to Santa Claus; from Bethlehem to Japan; from Catholics to Baptists; from secularism to consumerism.Christmas is the biggest celebration on the planet. Every year, a significant percentage of the world's population is draw to this holiday - from Cape Cod to Cape Town, from South America to South Korea, and on and on across the globe. The Christmas season takes up a significant part of the entireyear. For many countries, the holiday is a major force in their national economy. Moreover, Christmas is not just a modern holiday, but has been an important feast for most Christians since the fourth century and a dominant event in many cultures and countries for over a millennium. The OxfordHandbook of Christmas provides an invaluable reference point for anyone interested in this global phenomenon.Call Number: DatabaseISBN: 9780198831464Publication Date: 2020-11-21
Countdown to Christmas
Christmas Decorating and Other Craft Ideas
Do you need a little holiday inspiration? Check out the list below for fun creative ideas to add your own personal touch to the Christmas season.
opens new windowHow to Put Ribbon on a Christmas Tree
opens new windowCreating Custom Christmas Garland
opens new windowDo It Together: Creating Your Own Christmas Ornaments
Christmas Recipes
No holiday is complete without dessert, and Christmas is no exception. Arguably one of the most popular sweets around the house during the season is Christmas Cookies. Whether baking for the family or creating a gingerbread masterpiece for the White House, the links below provide a variety of fun, tasty, and festive information sure to sprinkle your holiday with a little Christmas joy.
opens new windowChristmas Cookie Headquarters
opens new window150 of Our Best Christmas Cookie Recipes
opens new window90 Irresistibly Good Christmas Cookies To Make This Season
Image: White House Gingerbread
opens new windowGingerbread at the White House