| christmas a candid history: Christmas Bruce David Forbes, 2007-10-10 In a fascinating, concise tour through history, the book tells the story of Christmas-from its pre-Christian roots, through the birth of Jesus, to the holiday's spread across Europe into the Americas and beyond, and to its mind-boggling transformation through modern consumer culture.--Page 2 of cover. |
| christmas a candid history: America's Favorite Holidays Bruce David Forbes, 2015-10-27 Explores how five of America's culturally dominant holidays--Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving--came to be what they are today: combinations of seasonal and religious celebrations heavily influenced by modern popular culture ... The book offers a comprehensive look at the Christian origins of these holidays and also touches on Passover, the religions of ancient Rome, Celtic practices, Mexico's Day of the Dead, and American civil religion--Provided by publisher. |
| christmas a candid history: A Christmas Story Caseen Gaines, 2013-10-01 The definitive guide to everything fans want to know about A Christmas Story shares the inside story behind the film’s production, release, and unlikely ascent to the top of popular culture. From Jean Shepherd’s original radio broadcasts to Bob Clark’s 1983 sleeper hit film and beyond, A Christmas Story has become a beloved Yuletide tradition over the last three decades. In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of its theatrical release, this is the untold story of the making of the film, and what happened afterwards. Ralphie Parker’s quest for a Red Ryder air rifle didn’t end with the movie’s release; the tale inspired massive VHS sales, a Broadway production, and a mountain of merchandise. Complete with rare and previously unreleased photographs, now fans of the movie and film buffs alike can lean all they didn’t know about the timeless classic. |
| christmas a candid history: The Origins of Christmas Joseph F. Kelly, 2014-10-14 When was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become the date for the feast? How did the Bible’s “magi from the East” become three kings named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar who rode camels from three different continents to worship the newborn Christ? How did the Feast of the Nativity generate an entire liturgical season from Advent to Candlemas? Why did medieval and Renaissance artists portray Joseph as an old man? When did the first Christmas music appear? And who was the real Saint Nicholas? These and many other questions are answered in this revised and expanded edition of The Origins of Christmas. The story of the origins of Christmas is not well known, but it is a fascinating tale. It begins when the first Christians had little interest in Christ’s Nativity, and it finishes when Christmas had become an integral part of Christian life and Western culture. The Origins of Christmas covers a variety of topics in a concise and accessible style, and is suitable for group discussions. |
| christmas a candid history: The Book of the Year Anthony F. Aveni, 2004-04-22 Halloween, Valentine's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's Day - these are but a handful of modern holidays descended from the red-letter days, seasonal celebrations we have invented and reinvented over more than five millennia to meet our changing human needs. When we explore their origins, the holidays begin to reflect not only who we are but also why, through oppressed by time and thwarted by the forces of nature, we never seem to lose the will to control the future. |
| christmas a candid history: Religion and Popular Culture in America, Third Edition Bruce David Forbes, Jeffrey H. Mahan, 2017-03-01 The connection between popular culture and religion is an enduring part of American life. With seventy-five percent new content, the third edition of this multifaceted and popular collection has been revised and updated throughout to provide greater religious diversity in its topics and address critical developments in the study of religion and popular culture. Ideal for classroom use, this expanded volume gives increased attention to the implications of digital culture and the increasingly interactive quality of popular culture provides a framework to help students understand and appreciate the work in diverse fields, methods, and perspectives contains an updated introduction, discussion questions, and other instructional tools |
| christmas a candid history: Christmas Judith Flanders, 2017-10-24 First published: Great Britain: Picador, 2017. |
| christmas a candid history: The Man Who Invented Christmas Les Standiford, 2008-11-04 As uplifting as the tale of Scrooge itself, this is the story of how Charles Dickens revived the signal holiday of the Western world—now a major motion picture. Just before Christmas in 1843, a debt-ridden and dispirited Charles Dickens wrote a small book he hoped would keep his creditors at bay. His publisher turned it down, so Dickens used what little money he had to put out A Christmas Carol himself. He worried it might be the end of his career as a novelist. The book immediately caused a sensation. And it breathed new life into a holiday that had fallen into disfavor, undermined by lingering Puritanism and the cold modernity of the Industrial Revolution. It was a harsh and dreary age, in desperate need of spiritual renewal, ready to embrace a book that ended with blessings for one and all. With warmth, wit, and an infusion of Christmas cheer, Les Standiford whisks us back to Victorian England, its most beloved storyteller, and the birth of the Christmas we know best. The Man Who Invented Christmas is a rich and satisfying read for Scrooges and sentimentalists alike. |
| christmas a candid history: Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas Stephanie Barron, 2014-10-28 Jane Austen turns sleuth in this delightful murder mystery set over the twelve days of a Regency-Era Christmas party. Christmas Eve, 1814: Jane Austen has been invited to spend the holiday with family and friends at The Vyne, the gorgeous ancestral home of the wealthy and politically prominent Chute family. As the year fades and friends begin to gather beneath the mistletoe for the twelve days of Christmas festivities, Jane and her circle are in a celebratory mood: Mansfield Park is selling nicely; Napoleon has been banished to Elba; British forces have seized Washington, DC; and on Christmas Eve, John Quincy Adams signs the Treaty of Ghent, which will end a war nobody in England really wanted. Jane, however, discovers holiday cheer is fleeting. One of the Yuletide revelers dies in a tragic accident, which Jane immediately views with suspicion. If the accident was in fact murder, the killer is one of Jane’s fellow snow-bound guests. With clues scattered amidst cleverly crafted charades, dark secrets coming to light during parlor games, and old friendships returning to haunt the Christmas parties, whom can Jane trust to help her discover the truth and stop the killer from striking again? |
| christmas a candid history: The Christmas Clash Suzanne Park, 2022-10-04 A PopSugar Best New Holiday Romance Book of 2022! Who's naughty and nice at Riverwood Mall? In this hilarious YA holiday rom-com, two rivals get together to save their families' livelihoods, and Christmas, too! Chloe Kwon can't stand Peter Li. It's always been that way. Their families don't get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court—Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. Now it's the holiday season and Chloe's the photographer at the mall's Santa's Village, and Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience right across the atrium. It's all Chloe can do to avoid Peter's smug, incredibly photogenic face. But it turns out the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished for condos. Eviction notices are being handed out right before Christmas. Their parents don't know what to do, and soon Chloe and Peter realize that the two of them need to join efforts to try to save the mall. Just when it seems like they can put aside their differences and work closely (very closely) together, they discover that the Kwon and Li feud goes far deeper than either of them realize... Perfect for readers who... Love holiday rom-coms Enjoy rivals-to-lovers stories Fans of Kasie West, Rachel Lynn Solomon, and Sandhya Menon Praise for The Christmas Clash: Park has a knack for writing delightful romances that sparkle with her depiction of Asian culture. The Christmas Clash is a gift we're ready to open over and over.—Entertainment Weekly Think of the perfect, coziest Hallmark movie but with way more edge, wit, and authentic representation. The ideal stocking-stuffer for anyone who loves the holidays, ridiculously adorable romance, delicious Asian food, and malls! —Stephan Lee, author of K-Pop Confidential A delicious romp of a rom-com. It left me craving spicy pork and sesame balls and nostalgic for the feeling of the mall at Christmastime. —Tiffany Schmidt, author of I'm Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas It's the perfect book to read for the holidays, chock full of humor, banter, food, mall shenanigans, and a side mission that brings these two opposites together. —Tif Marcelo, USA Today bestselling author of The Holiday Switch Keep the holiday spirit alive in this Romeo and Juliet flavored rom-com —Publishers Weekly A fun rivalry-to-romance romp —Kirkus Reviews |
| christmas a candid history: Tanya's Christmas Tanya Burr, 2017-10-19 A beautiful celebration of Christmas from bestselling author Tanya Burr, crammed with festive recipes and craft projects. 'My wish for you all is to have the most wonderful Christmas imaginable and I hope this book becomes your go-to read for festive inspiration, not just for this Christmas but for all those magical ones to come. Love, Tanya x' Tanya's Christmas is a pure celebration of the season. Within its pages, Tanya Burr shares everything you need to make the most of Christmas. From finding the perfect gift, decorating your home and hosting a party to remember, to cooking roast turkey with all the trimmings, baking indulgent festive treats and her own hair and make-up tips. Presented as a countdown to the main event and into the new year, this beautiful book has over 50 sumptuous recipes and thoughtful craft projects. At every step, bestselling author Tanya suggests easy ways for you, your family and friends to create special memories together that will last a lifetime. |
| christmas a candid history: The Biggest Little Boy Poppy Harlow, 2021-11-23 CNN news anchor Poppy Harlow has crafted a Christmas classic with lots of heart. Perfect for holiday gift giving! Luca loves BIG things. BIG trucks. BIG buildings. BIG bowls of pasta. But what he wants most is the biggest Christmas tree of all. With Christmas approaching, Luca goes in search of a special tree. But he soon finds out that what matters most is having a BIG heart. CNN news anchor Poppy Harlow has crafted a timeless Christmas story brimming with good cheer and Ramona Kaulitzki brings the festive holiday season to life. The Biggest Little Boy reassures all young readers that they are special, just the way they are. |
| christmas a candid history: A Kosher Christmas Joshua Eli Plaut, 2012-10-24 Christmas is not everybody’s favorite holiday. Historically, Jews in America, whether participating in or refraining from recognizing Christmas, have devised a multitude of unique strategies to respond to the holiday season. Their response is a mixed one: do we participate, try to ignore the holiday entirely, or create our own traditions and make the season an enjoyable time? This book, the first on the subject of Jews and Christmas in the United States, portrays how Jews are shaping the public and private character of Christmas by transforming December into a joyous holiday season belonging to all Americans. Creative and innovative in approaching the holiday season, these responses range from composing America’s most beloved Christmas songs, transforming Hanukkah into the Jewish Christmas, creating a national Jewish tradition of patronizing Chinese restaurants and comedy shows on Christmas Eve, volunteering at shelters and soup kitchens on Christmas Day, dressing up as Santa Claus to spread good cheer, campaigning to institute Hanukkah postal stamps, and blending holiday traditions into an interfaith hybrid celebration called “Chrismukkah” or creating a secularized holiday such as Festivus. Through these venerated traditions and alternative Christmastime rituals, Jews publicly assert and proudly proclaim their Jewish and American identities to fashion a universally shared message of joy and hope for the holiday season. See also: http://www.akosherchristmas.org |
| christmas a candid history: The Eleven Days of Christmas Marshall L. Michel (III), 2002 In December 1972, with an increasingly dovish Congress preparing to cut off all funding for the war in Vietnam, President Richard Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi by the Strategic Air Command's big stick, its fleet of B-52 bombers. Never before had a B-52 been lost in combat, but the North Vietnamese SAM missile crews knocked them out of the sky in the first days of the engagement. Despite the losses, the surviving bombers kept coming, inflicting huge losses on the North Vietnamese. For eleven days the momentum swung back and forth, moving from what appeared to be a certain U.S. triumph, to a possible North Vietnamese victory, to the ultimate ambiguous denouement in which both sides won and lost. |
| christmas a candid history: The Oxford Handbook of Christmas Timothy Larsen, 2020-10-21 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 numerous disciplines, 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 plum pudding; 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 entire year. 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 Oxford Handbook of Christmas provides an invaluable reference point for anyone interested in this global phenomenon. |
| christmas a candid history: A Simple Christmas Mike Huckabee, 2012-11-06 “Every Christmas, I still think about that guitar and the sacrifice it represented. And I hope I don’t forget to think about the greatest sacrifice of all, God’s gift of Himself.” Christmas has become synonymous with shopping, overindulging, competition, and stress. But according to Mike Huckabee (who was a pastor before getting into politics), that was never God’s intention. Going back to the Nativity, Christmas is supposed to be about simple things: faith, love, family, and hope. The hard part, in today’s crazy world, is remembering that those simple things are the most precious of all. Now Huckabee recounts twelve Christmas memories—often funny, sometimes deeply moving—that range from his childhood in Arkansas to his years as a young husband and father to his time as a governor and then a presidential candidate. These true stories will help you smile, take a deep breath, and maybe slow down your own holiday treadmill. If you’re looking for a little clarity, sanity, and inspiration at this insane time of year, you’re sure to enjoy A Simple Christmas. |
| christmas a candid history: So, This Is Christmas Tracy Andreen, 2022-10-11 Let It Snow meets Dash and Lily's Book of Dares in this small-town Christmas romance. When Finley Brown returned to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma, from boarding school, she expected to find it just as she left it. Christmas hasn't changed much in her sixteen years. But instead she returns to find that her best friend is dating her ex-boyfriend, her parents have separated, and her archnemesis got a job working at her grandmother's inn. And she certainly didn't expect to find the boy she may or may not have tricked into believing that Christmas was an idyllic holiday paradise on her grandmother's doorstep. It's up to Finley to make sure he gets the Christmas he was promised. This is Finley's Christmas. It's about home and family and friends and finding her place, and along the way she also finds the best Christmas present of all: love. |
| christmas a candid history: Letters to Santa Claus The Elves, 2015-10-05 A “poignant” collection of real letters sent to Santa Claus—a town in Indiana—from the 1930s to the twenty-first century, from both children and adults (The New York Times). For countless Christmases, children—and sometimes adults—have stuffed their dreams, wishes, and promises into envelopes. Over many decades, millions of these letters have poured into Santa Claus, Indiana. Arriving from all corners of the globe, the letters ask for toys, family reunions, snow, and help for the needy—sometimes the needy being the writers themselves. They are candid, heartfelt, and often blunt. Many children wonder how Santa gets into their chimneyless homes. One child reminds Santa that she has not hit her brothers over 1,350 times that year, and another respectfully requests two million dollars in “cold cash.” One child hopes to make his life better with a time machine, an adult woman asks for a man, and one miscreant actually threatens Santa’s reindeer! Containing more than 250 actual letters and envelopes from the naughty and nice reaching back to the 1930s, this moving book will touch hearts and bring back memories of a time in our lives when the man with a white beard and a red suit held out the hope that our wishes might come true. “Often very affecting . . . also offers an unusual window into American history.” —Library Journal “The letters . . . are alternately silly and somber, hilarious and heartfelt.” —The Weekly Standard |
| christmas a candid history: Jackie's Gift Sharon Robinson, 2010-10-14 Young Steve Satlow is thrilled when his hero Jackie Robinson moves onto his block. After the famed second baseman invites Steve to a Dodgers game, the two become friends. So when Jackie hears that the Satlows don't have a Christmas tree, he decides to give them one, not realizing the Satlows are Jewish. But Jackie's gift helps these two different families discover how much they have in common. Written by the daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson and illustrated by a Caldecott Honor winner, Jackie's Gift is a holiday tale-based on a true story-about friendship and breaking barriers. |
| christmas a candid history: Franklin and Winston Douglas Wood, Barry Moser, 2011-09-13 Describes the month-long visit between world leaders Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt in December 1941, during which they discussed the strategies of the Allied powers in World War II and how to sustain peace after the war would end. |
| christmas a candid history: Christmas: its origin and associations William Francis Dawson, 1902 |
| christmas a candid history: Another Life Is Possible Clare Stober, 2020-06-16 A stunning photo essay paired with 100 stories of members gives a rare glimpse into an intentional community that has stood the test of time. Yes, it is possible to create a society where there are no rich or poor, where children and elderly are welcome, where everyone has work and no one lives alone. Meet 100 individuals from diverse backgrounds who have ventured everything to build a life together where everyone belongs and everyone can contribute. A cross-section of the Bruderhof community's international and intergenerational membership, they have pooled their income, possessions, talents, and energy to take care of one another and to reach out to others. Defying five generations of naysayers, this is a community that works. As they reflect on 100 years of community, Bruderhof members reveal why they personally have chosen this radical was of life and share insights they have gleaned along the way. With photography by acclaimed British photojournalist Danny Burrows, this book is a celebration of what is possible when people take a leap of faith and dare a change. It's a window into a lived example that will inspire and encourage anyone working to build a more just, peaceful, and sustainable future. |
| christmas a candid history: Personal History Katharine Graham, 2018-03-29 As seen in the new movie The Post, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Meryl Streep, here is the captivating, inside story of the woman who piloted the Washington Post during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of American media. In this bestselling and widely acclaimed memoir, Katharine Graham, the woman who piloted the Washington Post through the scandals of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate, tells her story - one that is extraordinary both for the events it encompasses and for the courage, candour and dignity of its telling. Here is the awkward child who grew up amid material wealth and emotional isolation; the young bride who watched her brilliant, charismatic husband - a confidant to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson - plunge into the mental illness that would culminate in his suicide. And here is the widow who shook off her grief and insecurity to take on a president and a pressman's union as she entered the profane boys' club of the newspaper business. As timely now as ever, Personal History is an exemplary record of our history and of the woman who played such a shaping role within them, discovering her own strength and sense of self as she confronted - and mastered - the personal and professional crises of her fascinating life. |
| christmas a candid history: Creating the Illusion Jay Jorgensen, Donald L. Scoggins, Turner Classic Movies, 2015-10-06 Marilyn Monroe made history by standing over a subway grating in a white pleated halter dress designed by William Travilla. Hubert de Givenchy immortalized the Little Black Dress with a single opening scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's. A red nylon jacket signaled to audiences that James Dean was a Rebel Without a Cause. For more than a century, costume designers have left indelible impressions on moviegoers' minds. Yet until now, so little has been known about the designers themselves and their work to complement and enrich stories through fashion. Creating the Illusion presents the history of fashion on film, showcasing not only classic moments from film favorites, but a host of untold stories about the creative talent working behind the scenes to dress the stars from the silent era to the present day. Among the book's sixty-five designer profiles are Clare West, Howard Greer, Adrian, Walter Plunkett, Travis Banton, Irene, Edith Head, Cecil Beaton, Bob Mackie, and Colleen Atwood. The designers' stories are set against the backdrop of Hollywood: how they collaborated with great movie stars and filmmakers; how they maneuvered within the studio system; and how they came to design clothing that remains iconic decades after its first appearance. The array of films discussed and showcased through photos spans more than one hundred years, from draping Rudolph Valentino in exotic sheik dress to the legendary costuming of Gone with the Wind, Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, Bonnie and Clyde, Reservoir Dogs, and beyond. This gloriously illustrated volume includes candid photos of the designers at work, portraits and wardrobe tests of stars in costume, and designer sketches. Drawing from archival material and dozens of new interviews with award-winning designers, authors Jay Jorgensen and Donald L. Scoggins offer a highly informative, lavish, and entertaining history of Hollywood costume design. About TCM: Turner Classic Movies is the definitive resource for the greatest movies of all time. It engages, entertains, and enlightens to show how the entire spectrum of classic movies, movie history, and movie-making touches us all and influences how we think and live today. |
| christmas a candid history: The Christmas Mitzvah Jeff Gottesfeld, 2021-09-07 Al Rosen starts to do favors for his Christian friends and neighbors on Christmas eve and day, starting a tradition of the Christmas Mitzvah, a kind deed that helps out others. |
| christmas a candid history: Always, in December Emily Stone, 2021-10-12 “A poignant, heart-tugging, life-affirming story that will wrap around you like a hug during any season. Keep tissues nearby!”—Josie Silver, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December It started with a letter. It ended with a love story. Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger--a stranger who will change the course of Josie's life. Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special. Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye. Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again? A devastating, romantic, life-affirming love story, Always, in December will stay with readers long after they've finished the last page. |
| christmas a candid history: Religion and Popular Culture in America Bruce David Forbes, Jeffrey H. Mahan, 2005-11-17 PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION: “A solid introduction to the dialogue between the disciplines of cultural studies and religion…. A substantive foundation for subsequent exploration.”—Religious Studies Review “A splendid collection of lively essays by fourteen scholars dealing with religion and popular culture on the contemporary American scene.”—Choice |
| christmas a candid history: Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas Adam Kay, 2019-10-17 The number one Sunday Times bestseller in a new festive package, Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas is the perfect stocking filler from the author of multi-million-copy bestseller This is Going to Hurt – now a major BBC TV series. Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat . . . but 1.4 million NHS staff are heading off to work. In this perfect present for anyone who has ever set foot in a hospital, Adam Kay delves back into his diaries for a hilarious, horrifying and sometimes heartbreaking peek behind the blue curtain at Christmastime. This is a love letter to all those who spend their festive season on the front line, removing babies and baubles from the various places they get stuck, at the most wonderful time of the year. ‘The perfect surgical stocking-filler’ The Times |
| christmas a candid history: Ask a Manager Alison Green, 2018-05-01 From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together |
| christmas a candid history: A Christmas to Remember Anton Du Beke, 2020-10-29 You are cordially invited to the wedding of the year! London, 1938. As the festive season approaches at the luxurious Buckingham Hotel, romance is in the air. The hotel staff are preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime event - the marriage of chambermaid Nancy Nettleton to debonair demonstration dancer Raymond de Guise. As wreaths are hung and carols are sung, life at the hotel is busier than ever. Guests arrive from around the world, seeking comfort, relaxation and refuge as tensions build across Europe and whispered rumours of war grow louder. Behind the scenes, the staff work tirelessly, ensuring the smooth operation of the hotel, not only keeping the confidences of their guests, but also protecting their own secrets . . . As Raymond takes Nancy in his arms for their first dance, one thing is certain - this will be a Christmas to remember. Be swept away by the new breath-taking romantic novel from Sunday Times bestselling author and Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beke. A novel that's like a hug! Phillip Schofield |
| christmas a candid history: Rapture, Revelation, and the End Times Bruce David Forbes, Jeanne Halgren Kilde, 2004-06-12 An objective look at the Left Behind series, the significance of the Biblical references in the books, and what they can tell us about apocalyptic Christian fiction in general |
| christmas a candid history: Year of Yes Shonda Rhimes, 2015-11-10 The creator of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal details the one-year experiment with saying yes that transformed her life, revealing how accepting unexpected invitations she would have otherwise declined enabled powerful benefits. |
| christmas a candid history: Once Upon a Christmas Eve Elizabeth Hoyt, 2017-12-05 A heartwarming stand-alone novella from New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt! Adam Rutledge, Viscount d'Arque, really rather loathes Christmas. The banal cheerfulness. The asinine party games. And, worst of all, the obligatory trip to the countryside. His grandmother, however, loves the holiday---and Adam loves his grandmother, so he'll brave the fiercest snowstorm to please her. But when their carriage wheel snaps, they're forced to seek shelter at the home of the most maddening, infuriating, and utterly beguiling woman he's ever met . . . Sarah St. John really rather loathes rakes. The self-satisfied smirks. The sly predatory gazes. Oh, and the constant witty banter rife with double meaning. But in the spirit of the season, she'll welcome this admittedly handsome viscount into her home. But as the snowstorm rages, the Yule log crackles, and the tension rises, Sarah and Adam find themselves locked in a fiery, passionate kiss. If love is the true meaning of Christmas, it's the one gift this mismatched pair can't wait to unwrap. |
| christmas a candid history: The Little Book of the Icelanders Alda Sigmundsdóttir, 2022-01-21 After more than 20 years away, Alda Sigmundsdottir returned to her native Iceland as a foreigner. With a native person's insight yet an outsider's perspective, Alda quickly set about dissecting the national psyche of the Icelanders. This second edition, from 2018, contains new and updated chapters from the original edition, reflecting the changes in Icelandic society and among the Icelandic people since the book was first published in 2012. Among the fascinating subjects broached in The Little Book of the Icelanders: • The appalling driving habits of the Icelanders • Naming conventions and customs • The Icelanders’ profound fear of commitment • The Icelanders’ irreverence • Why Icelandic women are really men • How the Icelanders manage to make social interactions really complicated • The importance of the family in Icelandic society • Where to go to meet the real Icelanders (and possibly score some free financial advice) • Rituals associated with the most important life events (weddings, confirmations, graduations, and deaths) ... and many more. One chapter leads to the next, creating a continuous chain of storytelling. It feels as if you’re sitting in the author’s kitchen, enjoying a cup of coffee and conversing with her about the quirks of her countrymen, every now and then bursting out laughing. [...] I’m going to heartily recommend The Little Book of the Icelanders, both to fans of Sigmundsdóttir’s blog and those unfamiliar with her work. - Iceland Review Online There aren’t many books I’d recommend reading over morning coffee but The Little Book of the Icelanders is one of them. [...] I laughed at the essays in this book, not because I was laughing at Icelanders but because I recognize much of the behavior in myself and members of my family. It felt good. It’s not just the sanest, most impressive characteristics that we pass on and share but also some of the zaniest. As I read this book, I frequently thought, yup, I’m definitely part Icelandic. - Lögberg-Heimskringla, Canada Excerpt Even though they live on the edge of the inhabitable world with engulfing darkness for several months of the year, the Icelanders continue to score among the most optimistic people in the world. Is it the fish? The fresh air? The cod liver oil? Natural selection? The copious amounts of anti-depressants they consume? Nobody really knows. However, one thing is sure: this character trait serves Icelanders well and has helped the nation cope with innumerable shocks, from volcanic eruptions to famines, to a massive economic crisis. Whatever happens, you can be sure that the Icelanders will seek the silver lining and soldier on, firmly believing that things will soon get better. Indeed it is fascinating to observe how the Icelanders deal with trauma at a national level. Their initial reaction always seems to be to bond together. People who on regular days will bicker and quarrel amongst themselves, suddenly become enormously supportive of each other. I’ve seen this happen in the aftermath of disasters such as snow avalanches and volcanic eruptions, or tragedies that capture the nation’s attention. Take, for example, the economic meltdown of 2008, which for the Icelanders was one of the most catastrophic events in recent history. Many people feared an onslaught of suicides in the wake of all the bankruptcies that ensued. Yet it turned out that the number of suicides actually declined. According to the Directorate of Health, it was because the nation had bonded together, and people were closer and more supportive of each other than they had been in a very long time. In other words, the optimism is probably a long-term survival strategy. After all, through the centuries of hardship and geographical isolation that the Icelandic nation has endured, defeat was not an option – it was stand together, fight together, or die. |
| christmas a candid history: EGO IS THE ENEMY Ryan Holiday, 2019-04-08 Buku yang Anda pegang saat ini ditulis dengan satu asumsi optimis: Ego Anda bukanlah kekuatan yang harus Anda puaskan pada setiap kesempatan. Ego dapat diatur. Ego dapat diarahkan. Dalam buku ini, kita akan melihat orang-orang, seperti William Tecumseh Sherman, Katharine Graham, Jackie Robinson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bill Walsh, Benjamin Franklin, Belisarius, Angela Merkel, dan George C. Marshall. Bisakah mereka mendapatkan yang telah mereka dapatkan sekarang—menyelamatkan perusahaan yang hampir bangkrut, menguasai seni peperangan, menjaga kekompakan tim bisbol, merevolusi strategi rugbi, melawan tirani, dan menghadapi ketidakberuntungan—jika ego menguasai mereka dan membuat mereka hanya memikirkan diri sendiri? Hal yang membuat mereka sukses adalah pemahaman terhadap realitas dan kesadaran—sesuatu yang pernah dikatakan oleh seorang penulis dan ahli strategi Robert Greene, “kita perlu menyerupai laba-laba dalam sarangnya”. Itulah inti dari kehebatan mereka, kehebatan penulisan, kehebatan desain, kehebatan bisnis, kehebatan dalam pemasaran, dan kehebatan kepemimpinan mereka. Yang kami temukan saat mempelajari orang-orang tersebut adalah mereka selalu memiliki dasar berpikir, berhati-hati, dan realistis. Tidak ada satu pun dari mereka yang tidak memiliki ego sama sekali. Akan tetapi, mereka tahu cara meredamnya. Tahu cara menyalurkannya dan melepaskannya, ketika ego muncul. Mereka hebat namun tetap rendah hati. Sebentar, tunggu dulu, tetapi ada juga beberapa orang yang memiliki ego tinggi dan sukses. Bagaimana dengan Steve Jobs? Kanye West? Beberapa dari mereka mempelajari kerendahan hati. Beberapa orang memilih ego. Beberapa mempersiapkan diri untuk perubahan nasib, positif ataupun negatif. Yang lainnya tidak siap. Yang mana yang akan Anda pilih? Akan menjadi siapakah Anda? Yang pasti, Anda telah memilih buku ini karena merasa bahwa Anda membutuhkan menjawab pertanyaan itu, cepat atau lambat, sadar atau tidak sadar. |
| christmas a candid history: Everyday Wonders Michael James Oleksa, 2018-03-15 Popular author and speaker Archpriest Michael J. Oleksa has spent most of his life serving the Church in Alaska and advocating for the Native populations there. But he has also had many adventures in other parts of the world. The unifying thread in all his experiences is the providence of God, leading him, providing for him, and guiding him through miracles large and small. In this collection of reminiscences, Fr. Michael relates story after story of the wondrous love and mercy of God working in his life and the lives his ministry has touched. His faith and enthusiasm are contagious. |
| christmas a candid history: A History of Christianity Diarmaid MacCulloch, 2010 From a prize-winning author, this book charts the course of Christianity from ancient history onwards. |
| christmas a candid history: Christmas, Easter, and Halloween Vance Ferrell, 2003-01-01 This is a book that you have waited for. It is an amazing collection of historical facts and insights. Here you will find the real story behind Christmas, Easter, and Halloween: How they originated in ancient times. The inner meanings of each. How they entered Christianity. What historians tell us about them. What the Bible reveals.It is all here. This is the entire remarkable story, filled with facts you want to know! Over eighty statements by research historians. An astounding collection of information. |
| christmas a candid history: Summer Katherine Applegate, 1996 Away from her family and with her love life looking dismal, Summer Smith isn't expecting a very merry Christmas in Florida. But Christmas is a time of magic, and Summer's about to discover that mistletoe still works in the land of palm trees. |
| christmas a candid history: Peter Griffin's Guide to the Holidays Danny Smith, Seth MacFarlane, 2008 The holidays are the best time of the year for the loveable, amiable dunce -- um, I mean everyman extraordinaire, and with this new book he steps into the spotlight and delivers a holiday book that is sure to become a classic. With endless Christmas specials (a couch-potato's dream!), plenty of family merriment, and eggnog that's heavy on the booze, what's not to like about the holiday season? In this unique Yuletide treasure, the fat man offers up a host of holiday memories from the Griffin household, as well as hilarious tips for merry-making the Family Guy way. Funny and sentimental, Peter offers his most important tip: have fun while the festivities last, because you've only got a week or so before it all gets crappy again! |
Holidays and Celebrations - JW.ORG
The World Book Encyclopedia (1982) observes under “Christmas”: “During the 1600’s . . . Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America.” Since people …
Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Christmas? - JW.ORG
Myth: You miss out on the “Christmas spirit” of generosity, peace on earth, and goodwill toward men. Fact: We strive to be generous and peaceable every day. ( Proverbs 11:25; Romans 12:18 ) …
Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25? - Grace to You
The decision to celebrate Christmas on December 25 was made sometime during the fourth century by church bishops in Rome. They had a specific reason for doing so. Having turned long ago …
What is the real meaning of Christmas? - Grace to You
Christmas is not about the Savior's infancy; it is about His deity. The humble birth of Jesus Christ was never intended to conceal the reality that God was being born into the world. But the modern …
Why do so many people miss the real meaning of Christmas?
Because although many celebrate Christmas every year, most don't know what it's about. In spite of all the media promotion of Christmas, the majority of people will miss it because it has become so …
Christmas Prophecies Fulfilled - Grace to You
Subject to Import Tax. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this …
The Real Meaning of Christmas - Grace to You
Subject to Import Tax. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this …
The Real Meaning of Christmas - Grace to You
May 25, 2018 · John MacArthur’s study The Real Meaning of Christmas helps you think of Christmas in a whole new way—in part because it looks at Bible passages you probably don’t …
The Theology of Christmas - Grace to You
Dec 20, 2009 · To put it mildly, Christmas is a little bit confusing to the watching world, I’m pretty sure. I never really get over that. Year after year, I’m struck by the paradoxes of Christmas, the …
Should Christians celebrate Christmas? - Grace to You
Christmas is chiefly about the promised Messiah who came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The holiday provides us with a wonderful opportunity to share this truth. …
Holidays and Celebrations - JW.ORG
The World Book Encyclopedia (1982) observes under “Christmas”: “During the 1600’s . . . Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America.” Since …
Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Christmas? - JW.ORG
Myth: You miss out on the “Christmas spirit” of generosity, peace on earth, and goodwill toward men. Fact: We strive to be generous and peaceable every day. ( Proverbs 11:25; Romans …
Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25? - Grace to You
The decision to celebrate Christmas on December 25 was made sometime during the fourth century by church bishops in Rome. They had a specific reason for doing so. Having turned …
What is the real meaning of Christmas? - Grace to You
Christmas is not about the Savior's infancy; it is about His deity. The humble birth of Jesus Christ was never intended to conceal the reality that God was being born into the world. But the …
Why do so many people miss the real meaning of Christmas?
Because although many celebrate Christmas every year, most don't know what it's about. In spite of all the media promotion of Christmas, the majority of people will miss it because it has …
Christmas Prophecies Fulfilled - Grace to You
Subject to Import Tax. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this …
The Real Meaning of Christmas - Grace to You
Subject to Import Tax. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this …
The Real Meaning of Christmas - Grace to You
May 25, 2018 · John MacArthur’s study The Real Meaning of Christmas helps you think of Christmas in a whole new way—in part because it looks at Bible passages you probably don’t …
The Theology of Christmas - Grace to You
Dec 20, 2009 · To put it mildly, Christmas is a little bit confusing to the watching world, I’m pretty sure. I never really get over that. Year after year, I’m struck by the paradoxes of Christmas, the …
Should Christians celebrate Christmas? - Grace to You
Christmas is chiefly about the promised Messiah who came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The holiday provides us with a wonderful opportunity to share this truth. …
