Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well Worth Reading, March 23, 1998
This book was originally published in 1912 under the title "Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan". This Book not only covers Christmas, but Halloween and various Saint's Days. Mr. Miles does an interesting job of exploring the lore behind Christmas breads and cakes, the Yule log, decorating, and the Christmas Dramas of Europe and the British Isles, earlier this century. A quaint Northumberland ritual utilizing Holly leaves is presented from page 275 of this work: "....Nine leaves are taken up and tied with nine knots into a
"handkerchief, and put under the pillow by a person who
"desires prophetic dreams.
"For this purpose smooth leaves (without prickles)
"must be employed...."
The next sentence informs us that "holly is hated by witches".... A twist on the familiar "Kissing under the Mistletoe" is given on the previous page, and we are informed that after each kiss, the boy removes a berry from the bough, and "when the berries were all picked, the privilege ceased." You will also find a scattering of black and white reproductions of paintings, a wonderfully etched reproduction of Albreht Durer's "Madonna and Child", as well as a bibliography, notes and an index. This book is well worth it's modest price.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Delightful Book For All Christmas Lovers, February 4, 2001
I really enjoyed this book. Clement A. Miles draws from a rich history of celebrating the season. Here we can see where the Church would take a pagan custom and "Christianize" it. The end result is that most of these customs, especially the celebration of Christmas on December 25, have competed with the pagan ritual or observance so that the pagan religous significance is no longer left. The Christian version is the reality that usually comes down to us today.Miles's study includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1) Christmas poetry; 2) Christmas liturgy and popular devotion; 3) Christmas drama; 4) Pre-christian winter festivals; 5) Christmas feasting; 6) Christmas tree and decorations etc. Also, there is quite a bit of comment on several feast days and non-Christmas related observances. In organising the book, Miles begins with many common Christmas observances and then considers other celebrations largely in the order that they appear in the calendar. This book is not difficult to read. Every year one member of our family drafts a Christmas quiz which is composed of multiple choice questions about the season. When my year came up, this book was invaluable. Fill your mind with yuletide knowledge and enjoy the book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recommended, October 2, 2007
You certainly won't find any fluff in this book. It is not, as suggested by another reviewer, written in early modern English, but in thoroughly modern English. The prose is a bit stiff and formal, almost academic (which is consistent with its publication date), but entirely readable. There are a few quotes and poems in original languages which are not translated.
These problems aside, for anyone truly interested in the origins of how we celebrate various "festivals" this time of year, this book is indispensable. I actually found the second part of the book, dealing with pagan rituals and festivals, to be the most interesting; it is fascinating to me how these practices, some thousands of years old, have survived to this day in various forms in different parts of the world.
The origins of Christmas are dealt with in a very straightforward, dispassionate way.
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