The long cold nights of winter provide ample time for storytelling, feasting and revelry. Through many ages the Christmas period has taken a special place in the year's calendar. It was also a time of magic when the Wren Boys would hunt for the sacred bird which, if killed, would bring good luck for the year. In Rumania werewolves roamed, while goblins would steal down chimneys in Greece. In Scandinavia - shrouded in seemingly perpetual night - it was easy to believe that Frost Giants and Elves moved across the icy landscape. The Book of Christmas is a colourful, entertaining celebration of this great tradition, bringing you delightful tales of Christmas, New Year's Eve and Twelfth Night. The Gospel stories, ancient myths and medieval traditions stand side by side in one enchanting volume.