The Four Who Changed Our Christmas Celebrations
It wasn't very long ago that Christmas in the United States and England was very different from the holiday we enjoy today because it was barely celebrated, if it was celebrated at all.
Christmas Day, the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, was, instead, very much an ordinary day. The various levels of government remained in session, businesses were open and schools were open and students were definitely expected to attend classes. In other words, people paid little, if any, attention to religious matters on December 25 unless the day just happened to fall on a Sunday.
It began to change in the mid-1800s through the work and efforts of four individuals from the 1800s:
? Washington Irving
? Clement Moore
? Charles Dickens
? Thomas Nast
Much of how, and even why, we celebrate Christmas today, from Santa Claus, the idea of charity, enjoying music, getting together with family and close friends and even the ubiquitous office party, owe much to these four men, who collectively and individually, have given us the idea of Christmas that we celebrate today.
This book isn't a biography of the four men but instead describes how and why their work, including Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Irving's A Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., Moore's "A Visit From St. Nicholas" and Nast's illustrations have influenced the way we celebrate the magical holiday season.
The book is about how they've shown that Christmas can be a quiet, charitable and reflective time to spend with friends and family but it can also be a time of exchanging gifts, enjoying music, putting up decorations and even enjoying secular figures such as Santa Claus and the reindeer and, of course, a Christmas tree.
-- CONTENTS --
? Introduction
? Early Influences
? Washington Irving
? Clement Moore
? Charles Dickens
? Thomas Nast
? Other Influences
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Christmas Day, the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, was, instead, very much an ordinary day. The various levels of government remained in session, businesses were open and schools were open and students were definitely expected to attend classes. In other words, people paid little, if any, attention to religious matters on December 25 unless the day just happened to fall on a Sunday.
It began to change in the mid-1800s through the work and efforts of four individuals from the 1800s:
? Washington Irving
? Clement Moore
? Charles Dickens
? Thomas Nast
Much of how, and even why, we celebrate Christmas today, from Santa Claus, the idea of charity, enjoying music, getting together with family and close friends and even the ubiquitous office party, owe much to these four men, who collectively and individually, have given us the idea of Christmas that we celebrate today.
This book isn't a biography of the four men but instead describes how and why their work, including Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Irving's A Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., Moore's "A Visit From St. Nicholas" and Nast's illustrations have influenced the way we celebrate the magical holiday season.
The book is about how they've shown that Christmas can be a quiet, charitable and reflective time to spend with friends and family but it can also be a time of exchanging gifts, enjoying music, putting up decorations and even enjoying secular figures such as Santa Claus and the reindeer and, of course, a Christmas tree.
-- CONTENTS --
? Introduction
? Early Influences
? Washington Irving
? Clement Moore
? Charles Dickens
? Thomas Nast
? Other Influences
The Four Who Changed Our Christmas Celebrations
It wasn't very long ago that Christmas in the United States and England was very different from the holiday we enjoy today because it was barely celebrated, if it was celebrated at all.
Christmas Day, the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, was, instead, very much an ordinary day. The various levels of government remained in session, businesses were open and schools were open and students were definitely expected to attend classes. In other words, people paid little, if any, attention to religious matters on December 25 unless the day just happened to fall on a Sunday.
It began to change in the mid-1800s through the work and efforts of four individuals from the 1800s:
? Washington Irving
? Clement Moore
? Charles Dickens
? Thomas Nast
Much of how, and even why, we celebrate Christmas today, from Santa Claus, the idea of charity, enjoying music, getting together with family and close friends and even the ubiquitous office party, owe much to these four men, who collectively and individually, have given us the idea of Christmas that we celebrate today.
This book isn't a biography of the four men but instead describes how and why their work, including Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Irving's A Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., Moore's "A Visit From St. Nicholas" and Nast's illustrations have influenced the way we celebrate the magical holiday season.
The book is about how they've shown that Christmas can be a quiet, charitable and reflective time to spend with friends and family but it can also be a time of exchanging gifts, enjoying music, putting up decorations and even enjoying secular figures such as Santa Claus and the reindeer and, of course, a Christmas tree.
-- CONTENTS --
? Introduction
? Early Influences
? Washington Irving
? Clement Moore
? Charles Dickens
? Thomas Nast
? Other Influences
Christmas Day, the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, was, instead, very much an ordinary day. The various levels of government remained in session, businesses were open and schools were open and students were definitely expected to attend classes. In other words, people paid little, if any, attention to religious matters on December 25 unless the day just happened to fall on a Sunday.
It began to change in the mid-1800s through the work and efforts of four individuals from the 1800s:
? Washington Irving
? Clement Moore
? Charles Dickens
? Thomas Nast
Much of how, and even why, we celebrate Christmas today, from Santa Claus, the idea of charity, enjoying music, getting together with family and close friends and even the ubiquitous office party, owe much to these four men, who collectively and individually, have given us the idea of Christmas that we celebrate today.
This book isn't a biography of the four men but instead describes how and why their work, including Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Irving's A Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., Moore's "A Visit From St. Nicholas" and Nast's illustrations have influenced the way we celebrate the magical holiday season.
The book is about how they've shown that Christmas can be a quiet, charitable and reflective time to spend with friends and family but it can also be a time of exchanging gifts, enjoying music, putting up decorations and even enjoying secular figures such as Santa Claus and the reindeer and, of course, a Christmas tree.
-- CONTENTS --
? Introduction
? Early Influences
? Washington Irving
? Clement Moore
? Charles Dickens
? Thomas Nast
? Other Influences
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The Four Who Changed Our Christmas Celebrations
The Four Who Changed Our Christmas Celebrations
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940156686889 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Scott Slaughter |
| Publication date: | 11/14/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 3 MB |
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