Just say Noel: A History of Christmas from the Nativity to the Nineties [Paperback]

David Comfort (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1995

Do the holidays make your heart sing, or do they send your blood pressure skyrocketing? Do you smile when you hear the strains of "Jingle Bells," or do you just hear ringing in your ears? Do you want to deck the halls with boughs of holly, or do you want to deck the man in the Santa suit?

Whether you treasure Christmas and all the trimmings or you have a bad case of holiday humbug, "Just Say Noel!" is filled with enough gold, frankincense, and myrrthful nonsense to make anyone burst into fa-la-la-la-las and chim-chim-cheries. This joyful and triumphant holiday history is stuffed fuller than any stocking with tidbits and treasures from Christmases past and present: vital statistics on eating, shopping, caroling, and other expressions of the Christmas spirit; Historic Holiday Menus and Recipes from the kitchens of Queen Katherine to First Lady Hillary Clinton; To Be or Not to Be: The Claus Controversy; Gifts and Stocking Stuffers of the Rich and Fmous, including a Neiman Marcus "supergifts" retrospective; The Just Say Noel Gift List: an official catalogue for the men who hate the Yule and the women who have to shop for them; and Snowin' in the Wind: a guide to Christmas protest songs.

Here, too, are Nut & Datelines outlining historic holiday happenings (1843: Dickens writes "A Christmas Carol"); Yule School, where you can take a Christmas quiz (Can you name that Noel tune?); North Polls, which chart popular opinions on topics like trees (Scotch pine or polyvinyl?); and, of course, the Rudolph Report. Whether you take your eggnog spiked or with just a cinnamon stick, you're sure to revel in this one-of-a-kind cavalcade of Christmas from yesterday to today--for grinches and good spirits alike!

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684800578
• ISBN-13: 978-0684800578
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,505,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Comfort is the author of three popular nonfiction titles from Simon & Schuster. His short fiction has won several literary prizes and has reached the finals for such prestigious awards as the Faulkner Award, Nelson Algren Award and America's Best. His current title, THE ROCK AND ROLL BOOK OF THE DEAD, The Fatal Journeys of Rock's Seven Immortals, is a study of the tempestuous lives, tormented relationships, and tragic ends of Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, and Kurt Cobain.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A FUN AND FASCINATING FUND OF INFORMATION ABOUT CHRISTMAS, December 22, 2010

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just say Noel: A History of Christmas from the Nativity to the Nineties (Paperback)

In the Foreword to this 1995 book, David Comfort writes that the book "is dedicated to brightening spirits ... How does it propose to do this? By reporting all the joyful and triumphant tales of Christmases past to presents---from the Nativity to the nineties. By mining all its myrrh, frankincense, and gold from the beginning and showcasing it in one modest treasury. Above all, this text is dedicated to giving the season a much-needed update. A spruce-up, a shine, a makeover. The legends of Christmases past, though near and dear to us, have become a bit dated. What about Christmases present? Many heartening but unheralded events have occurred in recent seasons, providing the stuff for a new generation of Yuletide tales and torchbearers."

There are a variety of chapters, such as on "Christmas Song," "Holiday Decoration," "Shopping & Gift-Giving," "Holiday Food and Drink," "St. Nick: Yesterday and Today," and more.