The Atlas of Christmas

January 15, 2021
Early Christians adapted pagan practices for Christmas purposes, and countries around the world have developed Christmas traditions that fit their own cultures. The Atlas of Christmas takes a brief, festive look at many of them, from the Icelandic Christmas book flood (J�lab�kafl��) to the Junkanoo musical extravaganza in the Bahamas, to the many ways people around the world set things on fire. Divided into categories (celebrations, musical traditions, quirky events, etc.), entries are brief and include cross-references and text boxes to show how a tradition has been adapted in different regions; for example, Austrian Christmas demon Krampus has cousins in France, Germany, and the Czech and Slovak regions. Though there are no recipes included, chapters on food cover the Pavlova of Australia and New Zealand and how KFC became a Japanese Christmas tradition. Most entries cover Europe, especially Germany, Austria, and Scandanavia, but this is truly an international collection, including Mexico, Brazil, Liberia, Iran, the Philippines, and more. The volume concludes with a bibliography and index. A sweet resource for those looking for some international Christmas flair.

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