Random House New Releases - Religion - Holidays

The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs

2013-09-17T00:30:00-05:00

The Women of Christmas Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna
Written by Liz Curtis Higgs

Hardcover, 224 pages | WaterBrook Press | Religion - Christian Life - Women's Issues; Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Religion - Biblical Studies - Bible Study Guides | $14.99 | 978-1-60142-541-6 (1-60142-541-4)

The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs

2013-09-17T00:30:00-05:00

The Women of Christmas Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna
Written by Liz Curtis Higgs

eBook, 224 pages | WaterBrook Press | Religion - Christian Life - Women's Issues; Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Religion - Biblical Studies - Bible Study Guides | $11.99 | 978-1-60142-542-3 (1-60142-542-2)

The Christmas Plains by Joseph Bottum

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

The Christmas Plains
Written by Joseph Bottum

Hardcover, 224 pages | Image | Biography & Autobiography - Personal Memoirs; Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Family & Relationships - Family Relationships | $14.99 | 978-0-7704-3765-7 (0-7704-3765-6)

A well-respected writer and editor's memoir of childhood Christmases set in the sometimes harsh but always captivating landscape of South Dakota.

Wreaths and holly, fruitcakes and mistletoe, ornaments and snowflakes, St. Nick and Scrooge's humbug, Joseph and Mary, a young child in a manger and magi from the East. These words automatically stir up the season of Christmas and invoke memories of family and friends and hope and faith. By turns sweet and comic, sentimental and serious, the former editor of First Things magazine shares his reflections of the mad joys and wild emotions of the season while growing up on the South Dakota plains.

The Christmas Plains by Joseph Bottum

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

The Christmas Plains
Written by Joseph Bottum

eBook, 224 pages | Image | Biography & Autobiography - Personal Memoirs; Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Family & Relationships - Family Relationships | $9.99 | 978-0-7704-3766-4 (0-7704-3766-4)

The World Encyclopedia of Christmas by Gerry Bowler

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

The World Encyclopedia of Christmas
Written by Gerry Bowler

eBook | McClelland & Stewart | Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Reference - Encyclopedias | $9.99 | 978-1-55199-607-3 (1-55199-607-3)

At last, a truly comprehensive look at Christmas and all of its customs with its long history around the world. The World Encyclopedia of Christmas contains articles on the history of Christmas baking, drinking, and merrymaking, and Christmas dramas, music, literature, art, and films. It includes entries on the evolution of the Christmas tree and the Christmas card, gift-giving, and decoration of church and home. There are profiles of the many gift-bringers, from Santa Claus to Babouschka, and miraculous tales of the numerous saints associated with the season. And there are histories of seasonal celebrations and folk customs around the world, from the United States to Japan, from Egypt to Iceland.

Who, for example, knew the links between the Punch and Judy show and Christmas? That the medieval Paradise tree hung with tempting apples was the forerunner of the Christmas tree? About the Peerie Guizers, who terrorized the Shetland Islands, going door-to-door for Christmas charity? Or what Freudians make of our interest in Christmas stockings and Santa’s entrance through the chimney? There are detailed accounts of Wren Boys and Star Boys, mumming and wassailing, the Feast of Fools and the origins of eggnog. And of course stories of the Nativity and legends of the Magi.

With beautifully illustrated accounts ranging from the pagan roots of Yuletide, through the birth of Christ, and the long and fascinating history of the festival ever since, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas, is a rich and continually surprising array of religious and secular history, trivia, literature, and art. This wonderful book deserves to find a home with every family that celebrates Christmas.

From the Hardcover edition.

To Every Thing There Is a Season by Peter Rankin

2012-10-09T00:30:00-05:00

To Every Thing There Is a Season A Cape Breton Christmas Story
Written by Alistair MacLeod
Illustrated by Peter Rankin

eBook, 48 pages | McClelland & Stewart | Fiction - Literary; Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Travel - Canada | $7.99 | 978-1-55199-603-5 (1-55199-603-0)

The story is simple, seen through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy. As an adult he remembers the way things were back home on the farm on the west coast of Cape Breton. The time was the 1940s, but the hens and the cows and the pigs and the sheep and the horse made it seem ancient. The family of six children excitedly waits for Christmas and two-year-old Kenneth, who liked Halloween a lot, asks, “Who are you going to dress up as at Christmas? I think I’ll be a snowman.” They wait especially for their oldest brother, Neil, working on “the Lake boats” in Ontario, who sends intriguing packages of “clothes” back for Christmas. On Christmas Eve he arrives, to the delight of his young siblings, and shoes the horse before taking them by sleigh through the woods to the nearby church. The adults, including the narrator for the first time, sit up late to play the gift-wrapping role of Santa Claus.

The story is simple, short and sweet, but with a foretaste of sorrow. Not a word is out of place. Matching and enhancingthe text are black and white illustrations by Peter Rankin, making this book a perfect little gift.

For readers from nine to ninety-nine, our classic Christmas story by one of our greatest writers.

From the Hardcover edition.

The Jewish Festivals by Hayyim Schauss

2012-04-04T00:30:00-05:00

The Jewish Festivals A Guide to Their History and Observance
Written by Hayyim Schauss

eBook, 336 pages | Schocken | Religion - Holidays - Jewish; Religion - Judaism - Beliefs, Practices, Rituals; Religion - Judaism - History | $13.99 | 978-0-307-81748-8 (0-307-81748-2)

Why is the Jewish New Year designated on the Jewish calendar as the first day of the seventh month, and not of the first month? Why do women cover their eyes when reciting the blessing over the Sabbath candles? How did the Seder originate? Does the Book of Esther, read on Purim, mirror any real historical events?

Long considered a classic, The Jewish Festivals provides a rich and charming account of the origins, development, and symbolism of the Jewish holidays, and of the diverse rituals, prayers, ceremonial objects, and special foods that have been used throughout history and around the world to celebrate them. Drawing upon a wealth of knowledge of Jewish folkways and customs, Hayyim Schauss shows how these holidays evolved in meaning and importance, depending on the contemporary needs of those who observed them. Written with passion and warmth, this book will infuse your own experience of the holidays with extra meaning and delight.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford

2011-10-25T00:30:00-05:00

The Man Who Invented Christmas How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits
Written by Les Standiford

Trade Paperback, 256 pages | Broadway Books | Biography & Autobiography - Literary; Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Literary Criticism & Collections - English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh | $14.99 | 978-0-307-40579-1 (0-307-40579-6)

As uplifting as the tale of Scrooge itself, this is the story of how one writer and one book revived the signal holiday of the Western world.

Just before Christmas in 1843, a debt-ridden and dispirited Charles Dickens wrote a small book he hoped would keep his creditors at bay. His publisher turned it down, so Dickens used what little money he had to put out A Christmas Carol himself. He worried it might be the end of his career as a novelist.

The book immediately caused a sensation. And it breathed new life into a holiday that had fallen into disfavor, undermined by lingering Puritanism and the cold modernity of the Industrial Revolution. It was a harsh and dreary age, in desperate need of spiritual renewal, ready to embrace a book that ended with blessings for one and all.

With warmth, wit, and an infusion of Christmas cheer, Les Standiford whisks us back to Victorian England, its most beloved storyteller, and the birth of the Christmas we know best. The Man Who Invented Christmas is a rich and satisfying read for Scrooges and sentimentalists alike.

From the Hardcover edition.

The Little Big Book of Christmas by Lena Tabori

2011-09-27T00:30:00-05:00

The Little Big Book of Christmas
Edited by Lena Tabori

Hardcover, 352 pages | Welcome Books | Religion - Holidays - Christmas | $24.95 | 978-1-59962-100-5 (1-59962-100-2)

Long out of print, the definitive Christmas anthology is back...deeply revised with new images, recipes, jacket, and introduction. Lavishly illustrated throughout with nineteenth- and twentieth-century artwork, this book is everything you want Christmas to be — loving, warm and celebratory. Timeless and adorable, beautifully designed, The Little Big Book of Christmas is a great big stocky little book—stuffed with stories to read, carols to sing, biblical verse to share, recipes to make and bake, and Christmas history and lore to learn.

Inside you'll find:

· Gospel stories, including those of St. Luke and St. Matthew.
· Poetry of William Shakespeare, John Milton, Robert Frost, Clement Clarke Moore, Ogden Nash, W. H. Auden, and Lewis Carroll.
· Stories from Louisa May Alcott, Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Dickens, O. Henry, Langston Hughes, Norman Vincent Peale, Lincoln Steffens, and Selma Lagerlof.
· Christmas lore from Dorothy Thompson, Norman Vincent Peale, and Francis P. Church.
· Carols galore including "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," "The First Noel," "Joy to the World," and "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
· The best holiday recipes, including New England Eggnog, Classic Sugar Cookies, Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Sticks, A Brownie Christmas Tree, Swedish Gingerbread Cookies, Refrigerator Cookies, and Scandinavian Glogg.

My Mother's Wish by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

2010-12-08T00:30:00-05:00

My Mother's Wish An American Christmas Carol
Written by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

eBook, 96 pages | WaterBrook Press | Fiction - Christian - Classic & Allegory; Fiction - Christian; Religion - Holidays - Christmas | $9.99 | 978-0-307-76887-2 (0-307-76887-2)

Something strange is brewing
at the Comeback Café

A grandfather’s song has turned a diner into hallowed ground. A contrary girl with a gypsy heart feels the tug of home. And a truck driver named Jedidiah keeps his foot on the gas, ready to sweep you into an unforgettable story of belonging and grace.

It’s the 1960s Midwest, and Ellee Crumb wants to change the world, starting with her mother, but she’s having trouble even getting her teachers to know her real name. So Ellee sits at the Comeback, her broken heart lying there on a table, when a three-armed waitress and a quirky stranger show up and hand her back the pieces.

An affecting tale, My Mother’s Wish will remind you of the power of grand hopes and effect of impossible expectations. You’ll witness the influence every life has on another, and you’ll find new reasons to believe in the comfort and joy in an everyday, American version of the story of Christmas: being known and loved, just as you are.

From the Hardcover edition.

Everything Christmas by Tom Winters

2010-10-05T00:30:00-05:00

Everything Christmas
Written by David Bordon and Tom Winters

Hardcover, 320 pages | WaterBrook Press | Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Religion - Christian Life - Inspirational; Religion - Christian Life | $14.99 | 978-0-307-72929-3 (0-307-72929-X)

Opening this book is like opening a box full of Christmas cheer.

Christmas is a time of celebration and wonder, a time to embrace longstanding traditions and establish new ones. It’s a time for meals made of memories and heartwarming stories shared around the fireplace. It’s a time for worship, reflection, and remembrance of God’s greatest gift.

Everything Christmas brings all the best ideas for the holiday season together in one volume. In this book, you’ll find your favorite classic Christmas stories and a few new ones destined to join them. You’ll discover the most delectable holiday recipes, enjoy the words to treasured hymns and carols, be encouraged by inspirational Christmas poems, and find renewed joy in the Nativity story. From decoration ideas to Christmas trivia and humor – it’s all here!

In the Days of the Angels by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

2010-05-19T00:30:00-05:00

In the Days of the Angels Stories and Carols for Christmas
Written by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

eBook, 176 pages | WaterBrook Press | Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Religion - Christian Life - Inspirational; Religion - Christian Life | $9.99 | 978-0-307-56545-7 (0-307-56545-9)

"In the perfect center of all my circles and of all the spheres of all the world--is Jesus. Here! Come and see! Can you see the tiny baby born? Can you see the Infant King? Can you recognize in him Immanuel? Now you are seeing Christmas."

And so, in this collection of powerful and evocative stories and essays, does Walter Wangerin open our eyes--and our hearts--to the truth of Christmas. A young boy, intent on self-protection, recognizes in his father's preparations for Christmas "a hope that risks a violent hurt"--and lays bare his heart to love. And so do we. A young girl, encountering death for the first time, finds hope in an empty manger. With her we, too, find hope. A family torn apart by grief finds Christmas once again--and when they do, we weep for both their pain and joy. We weep for ourselves.

The African hornbill gives up flight and freedom for the sake of her chicks--and we can only bow our hearts in wonder and gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ, who forsook the glory of heaven to take upon himself the form of man. So much did he love us!

The original carols woven throughout this beautiful book, three with musical scores included, are meant to be read or sung aloud. From the whimsical "Sing Softly the Cherries," to the joyful "Carol of All the Instruments," to the triumphant "In the Days of the Angels," Wangerin illuminates and celebrates the true meaning of Christmas. Come worship Immanuel with him.

As rare and precious as the gifts the magi brought the Christ child are the jewels presented in these pages by one of America's most beloved Christian storytellers. Full of vivid imagery and unexpected turns, the stories, essays, and original carols are lovingly crafted to reflect not only the Christmas story, but the whole of God's redemptive action in the world:

I will love you till day is done--
Love you until that night,
Night of dying,
Dies in rising!
Then in the holy dawn
I will bear you, my children, home--

Such is the beauty and power of these compelling pieces, whether you read them silently by the fire or aloud at your Advent celebration, you'll want to return to them year after year, again and again.

From the Hardcover edition.

Eastertide by Phyllis Tickle

2010-03-10T00:30:00-05:00

Eastertide Prayers for Lent Through Easter from The Divine Hours
Written by Phyllis Tickle

eBook, 272 pages | Image | Religion - Holidays - Easter | $16.99 | 978-0-307-55229-7 (0-307-55229-2)

"A wise rabbi once told me that it is not how many prayers we don’t say that matters to God, but rather how many we do. That is important to all of us, but especially for beginners. If this is your first attempt to return to this most ancient of Christian practices, it is wise to remember that you are entering into a discipline and, like all disciplines, this one sits hard and heavy upon one at times. There are hours you will miss and/or some that you can’t even begin to figure out how to observe. That is all right, for either the joy will carry you into greater joy and transmute the discipline into privilege, or you will find yourself simply the wiser and the richer for such experience as you have had. As the rabbi said, that is what matters ultimately."

In her acclaimed trilogy, The Divine Hours, Phyllis Tickle introduced modern Christians to the time-honored practice of "praying the hours." In this exquisite new volume, she provides a vibrant program of prayer dedicated to the anticipation of Christ’s resurrection.

Beginning with Ash Wednesday and moving through Lent and on to Easter Sunday, Eastertide provides the daily prayers that bring practitioners into the full spirit of this season. Each day is filled with psalms, readings from the Bible, and hymns of praise and worship, just as they appear in the larger volume, The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime. Newcomers to this beloved tradition will find that Eastertide is the perfect introduction to joining the ancients in the tradition of fixed-hour prayer.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Pesach for the Rest of Us by Marge Piercy

2009-04-02T00:30:00-05:00

Pesach for the Rest of Us Making the Passover Seder Your Own
Written by Marge Piercy

eBook, 304 pages | Schocken | Religion - Holidays - Jewish | $13.99 | 978-0-307-49727-7 (0-307-49727-5)

Every year, poet and novelist Marge Piercy creates her own Passover seder with a group of family and friends. Babies have been born and grown up, friends have moved or divorced, but the principals continue to gather in her rustic Cape Cod home to participate in a seder that Piercy takes joy in tweaking each spring to make it more meaningful. In this journey through the ritual, Piercy coaxes us toward “a significant contemporary interpretation, rather than an emphasis on what is strictly ‘correct’ or traditional.” She reminisces about her grandmother, who thought herself unworthy to lead a seder because of her limited Hebrew but presided “morally” at the table; she urges adding an orange to the seder plate; she even describes her heroic efforts to make her own gefilte fish (an experiment not to be repeated).

Piercy offers her distinct slant on each element of the feast and provides dozens of her own wonderful recipes, which she delivers in the same warm, commanding voice as is heard in her poems and prose: “When I told Ira that I was going to explain how to cook matzoh brei, he thought I was crazy. Everybody knows how to make matzoh brei, he said. But I am of the opinion that there is no longer anything that everybody knows how to cook.”

It is in that spirit–no question too simple–that Piercy welcomes readers to her kind of seder: a homemade and personal affair, the kind we all wish we could attend. This charming and instructive book of Passover wisdom, brimming with favorite dishes and Marge Piercy’s own moving Passover poems and blessings, invites us to look at an important Jewish ritual in a whole new way.

From the Hardcover edition.

The Adventure of Christmas by Jeannie Mooney

2009-02-25T00:30:00-05:00

The Adventure of Christmas Helping Children Find Jesus in Our Holiday Traditions
Written by Lisa Whelchel
Illustrated by Jeannie Mooney

eBook, 72 pages | Multnomah Books | Religion - Holidays - Christian; Religion - Christian Life - Inspirational; Religion - Christian Life - Spiritual Growth | $10.99 | 978-0-307-56382-8 (0-307-56382-0)

The ADVENTure of Christmas is a guide for moms concerned that their children are losing sight of Jesus in the midst of the distractions the holiday season brings. Lisa Whelchel was such a mom, but instead of abandoning the traditions of Christmas she rediscovered their original meanings, which were intended to remind people of God’s unfathomable gift. Hanging lights on the house, wrapping gifts, and decorating the tree have become opportunities to teach her children about how they relate to Jesus’ birth. With The ADVENTure of Christmas, mothers can redeem what’s been lost from the very symbols that are gentle reminders of the true meaning of Christmas.

Have you discovered that Jesus sometimes gets lost in the middle of the hustle and bustle of His birthday party? Would you like to be able to keep your children's focus on Jesus and also join them in the wonder of the celebration?

For each of the twenty-four days preceding Christmas, The ADVENTure of Christmas serves as a fun and handy guide that describes the significance behind your favorite traditions. Hanging lights on the house, wrapping gifts, and decorating the tree will become opportunities to share how these customs relate to Jesus' birth. The ADVENTure of Christmas recaptures the true meaning of this beloved season, giving reasons to celebrate for years to come.

Story Behind the Book

Feeling like Jesus had gotten lost in the frenzy of the holiday season, I asked the Lord to show me what I could do to teach my children the true meaning of Christmas. I was caught off-guard when He simply replied, "Don’t do anything differently. Look in the middle of the celebration and you will find Me." He was right. There was no need to orchestrate moments to pontificate about "the commercialization of Christmas." Instead, Jesus is beckoning us to come to the party and bring the kids. In doing so, we run into Him at the mall, the movies, even at school. He hides in the lights, the carols, and the cards. He is there when we dress the evergreen tree, when Dad dresses up in a red suit, and even when we eat turkey and dressing!

From the Hardcover edition.

First Christmas by Adel Nassief

2008-09-16T00:30:00-05:00

First Christmas
Written by Alastair Macdonald
Illustrated by Adel Nassief

Hardcover, 56 pages | Welcome Books | Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Juvenile Fiction - Holidays & Festivals - Christmas | $22.50 | 978-1-59962-055-8 (1-59962-055-3)

The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is told by Zeke, Joseph's faithful and hardworking donkey. Zeke spins his tale in playful verse, telling of the events that lead up to the wonderous moment of the birth of baby Jesus. As he tells us at the end of his story,

"'Twas a night to remember, I'll never forget,
When Jesus the Christ child and I first met."

First Christmas is beautifully illustrated by Adel Nasief, an accomplished Coptic Christian artist who lives and works in Alexandria, Egypt. His twenty-one iconic paintings bring the story alive as never before, giving Zeke's poetic narrative both depth and dignity.

First Christmas will delight adults and children alike. It is the perfect story for families to share each Christmas; the perfect story to read to children before they go to bed on Christmas Eve; the perfect story to remind us all of the real meaning of Christmas.

Beautifully printed with a fifth color gold throughout, with a cloth hardcover with a hand-tipped image and foil stamping and written in anapestic tetrameter - the same upbeat, and rhyming rhythm of "The Night Before Christmas" and much of the poetry of Dr. Seuss - First Christmas is destined to become an instant Christmas classic.

My Mother's Wish by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

2008-09-16T00:30:00-05:00

My Mother's Wish An American Christmas Carol
Written by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

Hardcover, 96 pages | WaterBrook Press | Fiction - Christian - Classic & Allegory; Fiction - Christian; Religion - Holidays - Christmas | $12.99 | 978-1-4000-7405-1 (1-4000-7405-3)

Primera Navidad by Yanitzia Canetti

2008-09-16T00:30:00-05:00

Primera Navidad
Written by Alastair Macdonald
Illustrated by Adel Nassief
Translated by Yanitzia Canetti

Hardcover | Welcome Books | Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Juvenile Fiction - Holidays & Festivals - Christmas | $22.50 | 978-1-59962-058-9 (1-59962-058-8)

La historia del nacimiento de Jesús es contada aquí, en Primera Navidad, por Zeke, el fiel e incansable burrito de José. Zeke nos ofrece su versión de los hechos hasta el maravilloso momento del nacimiento del Niño Jesús, a través de hermosos y divertidos versos. Así lo cuenta él al final de la historia: Qué noche inolvidable aquella que vivimos, cuando el Niño Jesús y yo nos conocimos. La historia ha sido ilustrada hermosamente por Adel Nassief, un talentoso y reconocido artista de la tradición cóptica cristiana que vive y trabaja en Alejandría, Egipto. Su trabajo, que consiste de veintiuna piezas en el estilo de íconos cópticos, le da vida a esta historia como nunca antes y le da a la narrativa poética de Zeke tanto profundidad como dignidad. Primera Navidad deleitará a adultos y a niños por igual. Es la historia ideal para compartir en familia durante la Navidad; la historia ideal para leerles a los niños al irse a la cama en Nochebuena; la historia ideal para recordarnos el verdadero sentido de la Navidad. A pesar de todo el ajetreo y distracción de la Navidad moderna, Primera Navidad nos regresa a un tiempo muy especial, hace más de dos mil años, cuando el nacimiento de un niñito en un humilde establo nos trajo nuevas esperanzas y cambió nuestro mundo para siempre. Impreso con un hermoso color dorado adicional y encuadernado en tela, con la imagen tratada a mano y estampada en metálico, Primera Navidad está destinado a ser un clásico navideño.

A Mystical Haggadah by Eliahu Klein

2008-03-11T00:30:00-05:00

A Mystical Haggadah Passover Meditations, Teachings, and Tales
Written by Eliahu Klein

Trade Paperback, 200 pages | North Atlantic Books | Religion - Judaism - Beliefs, Practices, Rituals; Religion - Holidays - Jewish | $16.95 | 978-1-55643-649-9 (1-55643-649-1)

In a generation that has seen an explosion in popularity of books about mystical and meditative traditions, very little has been published about the rich and fascinating mystical traditions of the Jewish holy days. Passover, the first religious holiday of the Jewish people, particularly rewards a re-viewing from a mystical perspective. A Mystical Haggadah takes readers through the Passover ritual with Kabbalistic meditations and affirmations in a friendly, accessible format. This Haggadah also includes many Hassidic teachings and stories that have never been presented to the English reading audience. The book is especially valuable for its transliterations of all the major prayers and rituals, and is refreshing in its creative and spiritually-based adaptation and translation of the primary Haggadah text.

A Mystical Haggadah is for all spiritual seekers who wish to explore this root tradition of Judaism as a ritual of cosmic importance. The book is also for Jewish seekers of all denominations who wish to explore the mystical, meditative, and empowering aspects of Jewish traditions as seen through the rich and meaningful Passover eve Seder ritual.

Las Christmas by Joie Davidow

2007-12-18T00:30:00-05:00

Las Christmas Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories
Written by Esmeralda Santiago and Joie Davidow

eBook, 224 pages | Vintage | Religion - Holidays - Christmas; Social Science - Customs & Traditions; Social Science - Ethnic Studies | $9.99 | 978-0-307-42655-0 (0-307-42655-6)

Twenty-five celebrated Latino writers delight and move us with their recollections of Christmas in this splendid holiday extravaganza.
From Julia Alvarez's tale of how Santicló delivered a beloved uncle from political oppression to Junot Díaz's story of his own uneasy assimilation on his first Christmas in America, to Sandra Cisneros's poignant memories of her late father's holiday dinners, Las Christmas gives us true stories from writers of many traditions--memories of Christmas and Hanukkah that vividly capture the pride and pain, joy and heartbreak, that so often accompany the holidays in the Americas.
Richly illustrated and embellished with songs and poems, along with recipes for an unforgettable Christmas dinner--from traditional sweet tamales to Puerto Rican asopao (stew) and coquito (coconut eggnog)--this is an enduring treasury of Latino writing to read again and again.
A heartwarming holiday gift.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Random House New Releases - Religion - Holidays

The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Women of Christmas Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and AnnaWritten by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Women of Christmas Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and AnnaWritten by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Christmas Plains by Joseph Bottum

The Christmas Plains Written by Joseph Bottum

The Christmas Plains by Joseph Bottum

The Christmas Plains Written by Joseph Bottum

The World Encyclopedia of Christmas by Gerry Bowler

The World Encyclopedia of Christmas Written by Gerry Bowler

To Every Thing There Is a Season by Peter Rankin

To Every Thing There Is a Season A Cape Breton Christmas StoryWritten by Alistair MacLeod Illustrated by Peter Rankin

The Jewish Festivals by Hayyim Schauss

The Jewish Festivals A Guide to Their History and ObservanceWritten by Hayyim Schauss

The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford

The Man Who Invented Christmas How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday SpiritsWritten by Les Standiford

The Little Big Book of Christmas by Lena Tabori

The Little Big Book of Christmas Edited by Lena Tabori

My Mother's Wish by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

My Mother's Wish An American Christmas CarolWritten by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

Everything Christmas by Tom Winters

Everything Christmas Written by David Bordon and Tom Winters

In the Days of the Angels by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

In the Days of the Angels Stories and Carols for ChristmasWritten by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Eastertide by Phyllis Tickle

Eastertide Prayers for Lent Through Easter from The Divine HoursWritten by Phyllis Tickle

Pesach for the Rest of Us by Marge Piercy

Pesach for the Rest of Us Making the Passover Seder Your OwnWritten by Marge Piercy

The Adventure of Christmas by Jeannie Mooney

The Adventure of Christmas Helping Children Find Jesus in Our Holiday TraditionsWritten by Lisa Whelchel Illustrated by Jeannie Mooney

First Christmas by Adel Nassief

First Christmas Written by Alastair Macdonald Illustrated by Adel Nassief

My Mother's Wish by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

My Mother's Wish An American Christmas CarolWritten by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

Primera Navidad by Yanitzia Canetti

Primera Navidad Written by Alastair Macdonald Illustrated by Adel Nassief Translated by Yanitzia Canetti

A Mystical Haggadah by Eliahu Klein

A Mystical Haggadah Passover Meditations, Teachings, and TalesWritten by Eliahu Klein

Las Christmas by Joie Davidow

Las Christmas Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday MemoriesWritten by Esmeralda Santiago and Joie Davidow

The Women of Christmas Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna
Written by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Women of Christmas Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna
Written by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Christmas Plains
Written by Joseph Bottum

The Christmas Plains
Written by Joseph Bottum

The World Encyclopedia of Christmas
Written by Gerry Bowler

To Every Thing There Is a Season A Cape Breton Christmas Story
Written by Alistair MacLeod
Illustrated by Peter Rankin

The Jewish Festivals A Guide to Their History and Observance
Written by Hayyim Schauss

The Man Who Invented Christmas How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits
Written by Les Standiford

The Little Big Book of Christmas
Edited by Lena Tabori

My Mother's Wish An American Christmas Carol
Written by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

Everything Christmas
Written by David Bordon and Tom Winters

In the Days of the Angels Stories and Carols for Christmas
Written by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Eastertide Prayers for Lent Through Easter from The Divine Hours
Written by Phyllis Tickle

Pesach for the Rest of Us Making the Passover Seder Your Own
Written by Marge Piercy

The Adventure of Christmas Helping Children Find Jesus in Our Holiday Traditions
Written by Lisa Whelchel
Illustrated by Jeannie Mooney

First Christmas
Written by Alastair Macdonald
Illustrated by Adel Nassief

My Mother's Wish An American Christmas Carol
Written by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

Primera Navidad
Written by Alastair Macdonald
Illustrated by Adel Nassief
Translated by Yanitzia Canetti

A Mystical Haggadah Passover Meditations, Teachings, and Tales
Written by Eliahu Klein

Las Christmas Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories
Written by Esmeralda Santiago and Joie Davidow