Restad shows that as times changed, Christmas changed-and grew in popularity. Puritan New Englanders denounced the whole affair. City dwellers flooded the streets in raucous demonstrations. In colonial times, it was celebrated either as an utterly solemn or a wildly social event-if it was celebrated at all. In Christmas in America, Restad brilliantly captures the rise and transformation of our most universal national holiday. As Penne Restad reveals in this marvelous new book, it has always been an ambiguous meld of sacred thoughts and worldly actions- as well as a fascinating reflection of our changing society. But the history of Christmas cannot be summed up so easily as the commercialization of a sacred day. The manger or Macy's? Americans might well wonder which is the real shrine of Christmas, as they take part each year in a mix of churchgoing, shopping, and family togetherness.
0 kommentar(er)
