Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past

Author Brian Earl is back with another look at the fascinating stories behind the most wonderful time of the year. Get ready to experience Christmas as you've never seen it before.

Surely, Christmas in the distant past must have been different from the one we know today. But how different? You're about to find out. The Christmases of long long, ago were a merry mess of of odd superstitions, dangerous games, and overindulgences that lasted from Christmas Day until Epiphany twelve days later. The "Christmas season" of earlier times was not the period from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day that Americans experience today, but rather a no-holds-barred bacchanalia following the austerity period of Advent. From it evolved some of our present-day traditions, such as caroling, which had its roots in beggars performing for a meal. This book also answers such questions as: when was Christmas Day first celebrated on December 25? Which president celebrated the first White House Christmas? What are the origins of holly and ivy as Christmas décor? These questions and more are answered in this fascinating look back at Christmases past.

Author: Brian Earl
Publisher: Lyons Press
Published: 09/30/2025
Pages: 184
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.31lbs
Size: 10.17h x 7.25w x 0.57d
ISBN: 9781493089659

About the Author
Brian Earl is the host of Christmas Past, the hit podcast that tells the fascinating stories behind Christmas traditions. Christmas Past has appeared on The History Channel and NPR, and in Time, People, Vanity Fair, The Saturday Evening Post, Newsweek, and elsewhere. Brian lives in San Jose, California, with his wife and son. This is his second book.

Dorothy Siemens is an illustrator and printmaker based in Portland, Oregon. Her work is an exploration of form and color, drawing on warm textured shapes, bold colors, and spirited (but casual) actors to weave atmospheric stories. Her work has appeared in publications such as Mother Jones, and The New York Times. She lives in Portland, Oregon.