This book is the Christmas volume of a series of books that explores folklore throughout North America.

This book is is a celebration of the fun side of Christmas -- the songs, the movies, the television shows, the history, the people, the laughs, even the commercialism . . . all that and more. So you'll see such top-ten lists as different versions of both "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and "A Christmas Carol." You'll read about traditions and the standard gift givers around the world. You'll relive the great-and not-so-great-cartoons of Christmas past. You'll discover which television celebrities "graced" the world with their very own album of holiday tunes. And you'll learn about births, deaths, and historical events that occurred on Christmas Day.

In "Follow the Star," Bishop T. D. Jakes shares the Christmas stories that touched his heart and shaped his life. He colorfully recounts childhood memories and deeply personal experiences that illuminate the significance of the season: family stories about the worst of times, when they found the spirit of Christmas despite poverty and hardship; stories about the best of times, and the need to slow down and appreciate the real gifts of fellowship, love and God.

This is a glitzy tribute to maverick homeowners, entire neighborhoods, even whole towns that pump up the wattage of the holiday spirit by installing elaborate light displays.

With charming vintage illustrations by such famous artists as Thomas Nast, Everett Shinn, Al Hirschfeld, and Arthur Rackham, "Inventing Christmas" explains how most of America's cherished traditions evolved over the 25-year period from 1822 (when Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" was published) to 1848. Contains 100 full-color illustrations.

Celebrating Christmas is so often about nostalgia. With a nod and a wink to the days of Christmas past, "It's a Wonderful Christmas" presents classic images of the Yuletide icons of mid-20th-century America.

This beautiful, fully-illustrated coffee table book provides a closer look at Christmas and the St. Nicholas of history and legend. Full of historical information and rare illustrations from Christian traditions around the world, this book will entertain, inform, and inspire readers as it teaches the true meaning of Christmas giving.

This book explains the real inspiration behind the special symbols and acts that have come to mean so much at Christmas.

When was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become its date? How did the Bible's "magi from the East" become three kings named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar who rode camels from three different continents to venerate the newborn Christ? When did the first Christmas music appear? Who was the real St. Nicholas, and how did he become the most famous of all Christian saints? Professor Kelly ably answers such questions in this concise and readable account on the origins of Christmas.

Ah, the delights of Christmas holiday carolers, beautifully wrapped packages, twinkling lights, and . . . a feast of caterpillars fried in oil?!? Welcome to "Weird Christmas," a journey off the beaten path to the bizarre side of the world's favorite holiday, where, for every Christmas sugarplum there is a plate of lutefisk (that's cod soaked in lye -- a Christmas favorite in Norway).