Christmas. How did it all get started? Christmas: a Candid History, by Bruce David Forbes will explain. There were decades where it was not celebrated at all (Dickens wasn't all that far off when Scrooge didn't want to give Bob Cratchit the day off). What caused the comeback? How did Santa enter the picture? And get to the size and shape he did? In the traditional poem, he's an elf, with a tiny sled and reindeer. This was Very Interesting read!

Also enjoyable was The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey by Dr. Roger Highfield. That's right, a real scientist wrote this book! Learn what may have caused Rudolph's red nose! How all those gifts might be delivered. The reason for seasonal moods. This was published in 1998, be sure to read the Chapter 12: Christmas in 2020 to see how close the author is (or isn't)! A good book to combine with the one above.

Do you have an Ugly Christmas sweater? If so, wear it with pride, and then check out the ones in Rock Your Ugly Christmas Sweater, by Anne Marie Blackman & Brian Clark Howard. Some were intentionally designed to be ugly, some just turned out that way, and two, at least to me, were not ugly, but rather nice (p. 42). There are ugly sweaters for Hanukkah and Kwanza, too. Don't miss the gerbil!

Christmas Day in the Morning, by Pearl S. Buck, first came out in 1955. Almost as good (to me) as Gift of the Magi, it is a wonderful story about finding the perfect gift. Here it is beautifully illustrated by Mark Buehner.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Reading Hermit With Dog