During the course of writing What is Myrrh Anyway? I inevitably ended up buying various books about Christmas, its history and its traditions. Well, imagine my surprise when I logged onto Amazon today to find that the following book (by Daniel Blythe) had been recommended to me.
Does the sight of a house festooned in glowing coloured bulbs with an illuminated reindeer in the garden bring you out in a cold sweat? Or is the thought of days of endless cold turkey sandwiches enough to make you become a vegetarian? And what of the adorable little carol singers - does their out-of-tune wailing and screeching set your teeth on edge? And the oh-so-annoying Christmas albums constantly on playing in every crowded shop you visit...the jumper-knitting relatives pouting to be kissed under a poisonous plant...the freezing, dark mornings that make you wish you could stay under the duvet forever...If all these things make you want either to jump aboard the next plane to Timbuktu or stick your head in the oven along with the roast tatties, then this is the must-have survival book for you. Find comfort in the curmudgeonly comments. Laugh at the ludicrous festive facts. And pity those about you who are taken in by the silly-season madness!
Now, I would just like to point out that I do not hate Christmas and possibly enjoy it now almost as much as I did as a child. If I didn't love Christmas and find it so fascinating, I wouldn't have written the following book (available from October 2008, from Icon Books). ;-)
This is a hugely enjoyable, festive excursion through the history, science, music, culture and traditions of everyone's favourite winter holiday.Why is Christmas celebrated on 25 December? Why is turkey the traditional festive meat? Why are stockings hung up on Christmas Eve? What is figgy pudding? Who were the three kings? And did Coca-Cola really invent Father Christmas as we're all told?Just like the perfect Christmas stocking, "What is Myrrh Anyway?" contains all manner of delightful surprises and delicious morsels of information. Jonathan Green uncovers the truth behind such familiar festive traditions as carol-singing and cards, and demystifies the origins of Christmas.If you've ever wondered how to cook the perfect roast turkey, what mince pies should really taste like, or why you are forced to endure the cross-dressing antics of a traditional pantomime every year, then simply open this Christmas cracker of a book and discover the answers to all those questions you've been too afraid - or embarrassed - to ask.
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