Christmas and Christmas Lore
Thomas G. Crippen
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
For above forty years I have been a diligent collector of history, tradition, legend, custom, or folklore, whether from familiar or unfamiliar sources, relating to the festival of the Holy Nativity. Moreover, I have gathered copiously from scarce pamphlets of the 17th and 18th centuries, from old chapbooks, newspaper paragraphs, and magazine articles old and new, and from contact with rustics in several counties. The fruits of my gathering are briefly summarized in the following pages, in the hope that they may conduce to that "joy and pious mirth" wherewith we ought, all of us, to commemorate the best and greatest Gift of God to man. - Summary by from the Preface (7 hr 23 min)
Chapters
| Preface and Introduction | 4:13 | Read by TriciaG |
| Origin of Christmas | 13:41 | Read by Julie Burks |
| Coincident Festivals | 5:23 | Read by Julie Burks |
| Names of Christmas | 3:07 | Read by Julie Burks |
| Use of Evergreens | 3:44 | Read by Jane Bennett |
| Holly and Ivy | 8:16 | Read by Jane Bennett |
| Laurel, Rosemary, Fir, etc. | 4:55 | Read by Jane Bennett |
| Mistletoe | 10:53 | Read by Jane Bennett |
| Placing and Removing Evergreens | 5:18 | Read by Jane Bennett |
| Christmas Ghosts | 5:20 | Read by Maeve |
| Christmas Tales | 8:19 | Read by John |
| Christmas Music - The Waits | 3:45 | Read by John |
| Old Christmas Hymns | 10:39 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Christmas Carols | 6:53 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Origin of Carols | 13:39 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| The Oldest English Carols | 11:45 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Legendary, Mystical, and Modern Carols | 15:47 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Use of Carols | 10:27 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Church Observances - Advent | 4:47 | Read by KevinS |
| Church Observances - Christmas Bells | 4:49 | Read by KevinS |
| Church Observances - Midnight Mass | 6:23 | Read by KevinS |
| Nativity Plays | 9:27 | Read by John |
| The Praesepio | 7:23 | Read by John |
| Cradle-Rocking: The Posada, etc. | 6:53 | Read by John |
| The Children's Christmas | 8:01 | Read by John |
| Puritan Hostility to Christmas | 14:13 | Read by John |
| Mumming | 6:26 | Read by KevinS |
| Hodening, Schimmel, etc. | 4:23 | Read by Jaimiechurch95 |
| Wassailing | 8:33 | Read by Jaimiechurch95 |
| Christmas Eve | 7:41 | Read by Jaimiechurch95 |
| The Yule Log | 10:51 | Read by BettyB |
| Christmas Candles | 4:47 | Read by Garth Burton |
| The Christmas Feast | 20:57 | Read by TriciaG |
| The Boar's Head | 7:03 | Read by John |
| Christmas Sports | 7:19 | Read by BettyB |
| Masking | 3:38 | Read by Chris Bloom |
| The Lord of Misrule | 11:51 | Read by KevinS |
| Yule-Firth: ''Unthrifty Folk'' | 3:04 | Read by TriciaG |
| Christmas Gifts - Santa Claus, etc. | 10:18 | Read by BettyB |
| The Christmas Sheaf | 2:20 | Read by Ruth Logrono |
| The Christmas Tree | 9:14 | Read by Ruth Logrono |
| The Christmas Ship | 3:29 | Read by John |
| Christmas Boxes | 6:15 | Read by BettyB |
| Christmas Cards, etc. | 4:53 | Read by TriciaG |
| Family Reunions - The Children's Day | 4:02 | Read by John |
| Miscellaneous Christmas Superstitions, etc. | 11:30 | Read by TriciaG |
| Yule-tide in Thule | 7:02 | Read by TriciaG |
| Subsidiary Festivals | 14:15 | Read by Lynette Caulkins |
| New Year's Eve - Hagmena | 12:53 | Read by Jane Bennett |
| Old Christmas Eve: Wassailing Trees | 6:41 | Read by Jane Bennett |
| Epiphany | 9:52 | Read by Jane Bennett |
| Twelfth Night | 9:03 | Read by Jane Bennett |
| Feast of Fools, or of The Ass | 6:39 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Plough Monday, etc. | 3:27 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Candlemas | 12:42 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Epilogue | 4:34 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
Reviews
aooper
Fascinating summary of European Christmas traditions and beliefs from the first centuries into the early twentieth. Variety of readers with a variety of skill levels. Touches on many languages and word origins and a little brush up on a chapters’ tricky words would have helped. Overall I am very grateful for this recording as Crippen’s book helps put Christmas and its traditions into a wider context and creates a greater appreciation for same.