This book is a unique and groundbreaking visual celebration of Christmas, a joyous religious and cultural occasion observed by billions of people around the world. The origins of Christmas are in the Christian observance of the birth of Christ on 25 December and, since the early 20th century, it has become a secular holiday with a myriad decorations, rituals, and themes.

Key themes covered include advent and the nativity; the Christmas tree and holiday decorations; gift giving and carol singing; classic Christmas films; and festive music. This extraordinary book showcases a broad spectrum of global festive traditions from many different cultures, such as fried chicken eaten for Christmas dinner, surfing Santas, and shoes filled with carrots.

A collection of more than 200 rich and evocative images, paintings, books, prints, sculptures, textiles, ceramics, and photography, thoughtfully paired to highlight similarities and contrasts between them, the works included feature a diverse range of both lesser-known and iconic artists, including Sandro Botticelli, Grandma Moses, Beatrix Potter, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, and many more.

These significant works cover festive topics such as Advent; the Christmas tree and holiday decorations; gift giving and carol singing; and classic Christmas films and music. Essays by Sam Bilton, Dolph Gotelli and David Trigg explore traditional festive food and drink, Santa Claus throughout history, and the religious origins of Christmas.

In The Christmas Book, the significant artistic and cultural influence of Christmas throughout history is explored through a wide range of beautiful and significant artworks and images from across the ages and six continents, creating the ultimate cultural companion to the festive season.

About the Author

Sam Bilton is a food historian, writer and cook, with a particular focus on historical recipes.

Dolph Gotelli is an international expert and lecturer on Christmas, holiday rituals, and Santa Claus. He is Professor Emeritus of Design at University of California, Davis.

David Trigg is a writer, critic, and art historian. He is a regular contributor to books on art.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Founded in 1978, Bibliophile is the publisher of a free monthly mail order catalogue of Bibliophile Book Reviews of popular sellers, favourite authors and classics. Discover out of print books, signed copies, first editions or limited editions that you now want to own. Most books are 50-90% off. Our final, out of print stocks of books sell out fast, so hurry! Schools may be invoiced on receipt of an official order.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Bibliophile Ltd
31 Riverside Buildings, 55 Trinity Buoy Wharf, London, E14 0FP, United Kingdom

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

All books supplied on approval (except overseas). We will gladly accept the return at your expense, within thirty days of receipt, of any books you do not wish to keep for a full refund. Should there be anything wrong with your order we will rectify this. Please report any errors in your order in the same period, enclosing packing note. You will receive a credit to your account. We will also refund the delivery charge if the return is a result of our error.No overseas returns accepted.
The goods...

More Information

Shipping Terms

Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.

Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.

Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Order quantity	59 to 60 business days	49 to 59 business days
First item	US$ 40.96	US$ 54.61

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.