A Christmas Cornucopia

The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions

Mark Forsyth

$32.99

Hardback

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English

Viking
01 December 2016

History; Social & cultural history

The curious origins and meanings of our cracking Christmas customs

For 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 was first celebrated on 28 March in 243 AD - and only moved to 25 December 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. We're unaware of the recipe that inspired the Twelve Days of Christmas. And we would never have guessed that the invention of crackers was merely a way of popularizing sweet wrappers.

Luckily, like a gift from Santa himself, 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.

By: Mark Forsyth
Imprint: Viking
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 188mm, Width: 116mm, Spine: 19mm
Weight: 198g
ISBN: 9780241267738
ISBN 10: 0241267730
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 01 December 2016
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Born in London in 1977, Mark Forsyth (a.k.a The Inky Fool) was given a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary as a christening present and has never looked back. His book The Etymologicon was a Sunday Times No. 1 Bestseller, and a passage on adjective order was recently retweeted more than 50,000 times. His TED Talk 'What's a snollygoster?' has had more than half a million views. He has also written a specially commissioned essay 'The Unknown Unknown' for Independent Booksellers Week and the introduction for the new edition of the Collins English Dictionary. He lives in London with his dictionaries, and blogs at blog.inkyfool.com.

Reviews for A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions

Witty and revelatory. Blooming brilliant -- Raymond Briggs Mark Forsyth wears his considerable knowledge lightly. He also writes beautifully -- David Marsh Guardian This year's must-have stocking filler ... the essential addition to the library in the smallest room is Mark Forsyth's The Etymologicon. -- Ian Samson Guardian With his casual elegance and melodious voice, Mark Forsyth has an anachronistic charm totally at odds with the 21st century Sunday Times South Africa A perfect bit of stocking filler for the bookish member of the family, or just a cracking all-year-round-read. Highly recommended. The Spectator