Why do we have turkey and Christmas pudding at our Christmas dinner? Why were children encouraged to burn their fingers at Christmas in Victorian England? What was the kissing bough? The answers are in this compendium of the festive season, which is stuffed full of fascinating facts, spiced with extracts of poetry and prose and served with a delightful selection of illustrations. Ancient customs, traditional recipes and the religious beliefs behind all the merry-making are all included in this book, which will delight anyone who loves Christmas and the festive season.