{"product_id":"a-christmas-cornucopia-the-hidden-stories-behind-our-yuletide-traditions-9780241267738","title":"A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor something that happens every year of our lives, we really don't know much about Christmas. We don't know that the date we celebrate was chosen by a madman, or that Christmas, etymologically speaking, means \"Go away, Christ.\" Nor do we know that Christmas was first celebrated in 243 AD on March 28--and only moved to December 25 in 354 AD. We're oblivious to the fact that the advent calendar was actually invented by a Munich housewife to stop her children pestering her for a Christmas countdown. And we would never have guessed that the invention of Christmas crackers was merely a way of popularizing sweet wrappers. Luckily, Mark Forsyth is here to unwrap this fundamentally funny gallimaufry of traditions and oddities, making it all finally make sense--in his wonderfully entertaining wordy way.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMark Forsyth\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Etymologicon \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e The Horologicon. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Viking","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51749288378642,"sku":"9780241267738","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5f136a32-96a7-40be-8324-eba5473e6224.jpg?v=1764075631","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/a-christmas-cornucopia-the-hidden-stories-behind-our-yuletide-traditions-9780241267738","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}