The True Gifts of Christmas
Unwrapping the Meaning Behind Our Most Cherished Traditions
A warm and informative holiday book, The True Gifts of Christmas excavates the religious meanings and values of a bevy of Christmas traditions.
Megan Alexander’s festive, faith-based coffee table book The True Gifts of Christmas explores the origins of twenty-five Christmas traditions to encourage a more meaningful holiday season.
Concerned with the significance of iconic Christmas traditions, the book covers topics including candy canes, mistletoe, and the poinsettia in terms of their historical origins and cultural meanings. Crafts and activities to engage with each tradition and cultivate deeper understanding are included; one involves staging a children’s candy cane hunt followed by a thoughtful discussion of Jesus, and another is lighting candles in honor of deceased loved ones. Recipes for gingerbread cookies, cinnamon rolls, Christmas punch, and eggnog are included, embellished by Alexander’s own Christmas memories, as of seeing The Nutcracker for the first time, and family traditions, such as singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus.
Throughout the book, challenges to the commercialization of Christmas are also issued, and answers are proffered to questions like “Was there a real Santa Claus?,” “Why do we decorate Christmas Trees?,” and “Who created the first nativity scene?” Its pages are colorful, vibrant, and rooted in faith, with each tradition’s religious meanings explored in full. For instance, the individuality of snowflakes is both a scientific fact popularized by photographer Wilson Bentley and is made representative of the Christian belief that humans are unique individuals created in God’s image. Traditions are attributed to different divine “gifts” or values, too: Santa Claus is made to represent generosity, and angels are made to represent protection. The book’s historical accounts are also informative and engaging, as where it delves into the legends and legacy of the real-life St. Nicholas.
Some inconsistencies arise in the book’s arguments, though. For example, while the book expresses concern that Christmas has become “a purely commercial consumeristic event,” mentions of Alexander’s Christmas-themed television show, tie-in picture book, and forthcoming Christmas film reflect such commercialism. In addition, the book makes frequent use of a thin, italicized font that is often hard to read, especially when printed white on red. And while its photographs are stylish and cheerful, too many stock images are included among the book’s depictions of Christmas food, including fruit, bread, and hot chocolate. More distinguishing are the photographs of Alexander and her family celebrating Christmas themselves.
Festive and bright, The True Gifts of Christmas is a coffee table book about the cultural origins of holiday customs.
Reviewed by
Hannah Pearson
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
