Holly, Reindeer, and Colored Lights: The Story of the Christmas Symbols (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Ursula Arndt (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: manger scene, Christmas Eve, Christ Child, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Traces the origins of our favorite holiday customs and symbols, many of which antedate the first Christmas.

Each of our holidays has its own familiar traditions: Trick-or-treating on Halloween, eating turkey on Thanksgiving, waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas, exchanging cards on Valentine"s Day. But where do these customs come from, when did they begin, and why do we continue to observe them?

In the engaging blend of careful research and lively prose that has earned her books a lasting place on the holiday bookshelf, Edna Barth explores the multicultural origins and evolution of the familiar and not-so-familiar symbols and legends associated with our favorite holidays. Full of fascinating historical details and little-known stories, these books are both informative and engaging. Festively illustrated by Ursula Arndt, they are now available again in hardcover as well as paperback editions, featuring new, eye-catching jacket designs, and fun holiday activities inside the paperback covers. Each book includes an annotated list of holiday stories and poems and an index.

About the Author

Ursula Arndt has illustrated a number of popular children's books, including the six holiday titles written by Edna Barth for Clarion. She is now retired and lives in Germany.

The late Edna Barth worked as a librarian, a teacher, and an editor of books for young people before becoming the author of many well-known books for children.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (September 21, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618067868
• ISBN-13: 978-0618067862
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,515,141 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book covering the symbols of Christmas, November 17, 2008

By	C. Pierce - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Since I try to keep Christmas focused on Christ rather than Santa, I like to be able to tell my kids the origins of the traditions of Christmas. This book is a great resource, and also fun to read for anyone who likes to trace things back in history. Having a long-standing historic basis can give deeper meaning to otherwise meaningless things like candy canes, etc.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the Halloween one, July 8, 2009

By	A. Forster "retrokowe" (Blairstown, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Holly, Reindeer, and Colored Lights: The Story of the Christmas Symbols (Paperback)

This is a nice book, telling stories of many Christmas symbols from an historical, rather than religious standpoint. I don't think it's quite as entertaining or easy to read as the Halloween book though, which is really, really good.