The Christmas Book

As seen in Elle, The Associated Press, and Real Simple

A visual celebration of Christmas, from religious beginnings to festive cultural touchstones – a book to treasure

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.

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.

Bob Richter is an American interior designer, author, and TV personality. He is also the author of A Very Vintage Christmas (2016) and Vintage Living (2019).

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

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.