Holiday History

Anyone who laments the excesses of Christmas might consider the Puritans of colonial Massachusetts: they simply outlawed the holiday. The Puritans had their reasons, since Christmas was once an occasion for drunkenness and riot, when poor "wassailers" extorted food and drink from the well-to-do. In this intriguing and innovative work of social history, Stephen Nissenbaum rediscovers Christmas's carnival origins and shows how it was transformed, during the nineteenth century, into a festival of domesticity and consumerism.

You think you know about Christmas celebrations? Get ready to discover the truth behind it all! You just need an audiobook that reveals how almost every "timeless" tradition is a product of invention, pagan rituals, and brilliant marketing.

Have you ever wondered if your favorite Christmas traditions are more pagan than Christian? Do you question what a decorated tree, Santa Claus, and gift-giving have to do with the birth of Jesus? Every year, as lights go up and carols play, questions arise about the true meaning of Christmas. We’re told our traditions were borrowed from pagans, that Santa was created by Coca-Cola, and that the entire celebration is more about shopping than salvation. But what is the real story? The Holy Night: The Sacred History of Christmas Through the Ages is a captivating journey that debunks the myths...

Young listeners learn about the early traditions which have led to our present-day celebration of Thanksgiving.

Tiffany, Stone and Rosie visit a "historic" small town - but the local historians' tales don't seem quite believable. But that's not the only secret this small town harbors; when a local landlord is killed, the trio must uncover the truth behind his death. Temperamental chefs, confused old ladies and a troublesome housekeeper add to Tiffany's difficulties. Could any of them have been involved in the murder?

No singer has been more mythologized and more misunderstood than jazz legend Billie Holiday, who helped to create much of the mystique herself with her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues - and this authentic biography sets the record straight. Donald Clarke was given unrivaled access to a treasure trove of interviews from the 1970s with those who knew Lady Day in all stages of her short, tragic life - from her childhood in the streets and good-time houses of Baltimore, through the early days of success in New York and the years of fame, to her tragic decline.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER Timeless insights into what it takes to lead a meaningful life—still profoundly relevant nearly two thousand years later. Now featuring a brand-new foreword from Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle Is the Way! “Meditations offers a...

In this fourth installment of the Chrissy the Shih Tzu Cozy Mysteries, Autumn Clarke and Ray Reed are planning the winter wedding of the year, and the first major social event at Autumn's newly renovated Peabody Mansion Bed & Breakfast. Autumn's dreams are about to come true: a spectacular, romantic ceremony with the handsome love of her life.

USA TODAY BESTSELLER "Tate blends fact and fiction with elegance...A captivating, emotionally resonant portrait of a singular woman who refused to be diminished." — LIBRARY JOURNAL "Tate has a rare gift for storytelling that strikes straight to the heart." — SADEQA JOHNSON, New York Times...

With his trademark acerbic wit, incisive humor, and infectious paranoia, one of our foremost comedians and most politically engaged civil rights activists looks back at 100 key events from the complicated history of black America. A friend of luminaries including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Winner of the PEN New England Award “Enchanting…A book filled with so much love…Long before Oregon, Rinker Buck has convinced us that the best way to see America is from the seat of a covered wagon.” —The Wall Street Journal “Amazing…A real...

The lights are strung. The gifts are wrapped. But for these families, the guest at the door wasn't Santa Claus. For most, December is a season of warmth, reunion, and joy. But for homicide detectives, the winter break is often a time of high stress, simmering resentments, and tragic outcomes. In TRUE CRIME - Holiday Horror, author Logan Carter pulls back the curtain on the dark side of the festive season. From frozen rural fields to the neon-lit panic of modern cities, this collection documents twenty of the most harrowing cases ever opened under the cover of the season. Inside, you will ...

Not so very long ago, Yuletide was as much a chilling season of ghosts and witches as it was a festival of goodwill. In The Old Magic of Christmas, you'll rub elbows with veiled spirits, learn the true perils of elves, and discover a bestiary of enchanted creatures. Rife with the more frightful characters from folklore and the season's most petulant ghosts, this book takes you on a spooky sleigh ride from the silvered firs of a winter forest to the mirrored halls of the Snow Queen.

This gritty bestselling memoir by the singer Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age, and Soulsavers documents his years as a singer and drug addict in Seattle in the '80s and '90s. When Mark Lanegan first arrived in Seattle in the mid-1980s, he was just "an arrogant...

**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** A Scotsman’s guide to the extraordinary tapestry of the land, history, folklore and stories of his homeland. From the majestic beauty of the wild Scottish landscape to the hidden traces of its history waiting to be uncovered in every town and village, Andrew...

✨ 4 AMAZING BONUSES INCLUDED WITH PURCHASE - DOWNLOAD THEM TODAY! ✨ 🌟The Gift That Proves She Can Be the Hero - Starting Now 🌟 Has she ever searched for heroes who look like her—only to find far too few? Has she ever doubted if her dreams truly matter? This book shows her she’s seen, celebrated, and unstoppable—just like the 20 extraordinary women inside. She’ll step into the lives of trailblazing Black women who broke barriers, defied the odds, and turned challenges into triumphs. By the last page, she won’t just admire their victories—she’ll believe she can create ...

For years Foreigners always tried to decode and understand Filipina habits and their actions. Most relay on hear say and end up divorcing or getting scammed. This book is written to give you information to understand Filipinas. From where it all began with a short history, Traits that were instilled by colonizers,changes of traditions and culture thru time,81 bare it all questions that might be running in your head asked by foreigners such as "why does a Filipina keep a Filipino boyfriend even if she has a foreign Boyfriend who supports her?"and many more that were answered by the author ...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Read by the author. "A fast-paced debut...Espionage buffs will savor this vibrant account." — Publishers Weekly A U.S. naval counterintelligence officer working to safeguard Pearl Harbor; a Japanese spy ordered to Hawaii to gather information on the American fleet. On...

Don't miss out on this incredible holiday adventure with this special historical Western Mail Order Bride romance boxed set from #1 bestselling author and Kindle All-Star Katie Wyatt! Curl up with a cup of hot chocolate by a fire and settle down for a cozy read! Follow Sally, Amelia, Jenny, Margaret, Jane, and Bessie as they venture into the Wild West, pursuing their dreams. The road to true love never runs smooth … buckle up and join the girls on their frontier adventures—and don’t forget Christmas is just around the corner, so miracles might just happen! The Complete Christmas ...

'Superb ... entertaining ... Phillips traverses this sprawling terrain with energy and charm' Telegraph 'Exceptionally funny from cover to cover, it is not only an entertaining read but also deeply researched and thoughtful' Irish Independent 'Fans of Phillips's earlier books Humans and Truth...