Some of the most comforting and enjoyable parts of Christmas are the heartwarming traditions we celebrate year after year. But do you ever wonder where those traditions came from? Who started them, and how did they become so ingrained? From dragging trees indoors to decorate them to bundling up to take in a Santa Claus parade, prolific folklorist David Goss traces the history of the holiday in our region from its earliest celebration—possibly 1604—to modern times.

Using historical records, diaries, and old newspapers, as well as a few fictional short stories, he documents the fascinating narrative of how Christmas in Atlantic Canada has been marked, both religiously and secularly.

Includes 50 images. Features a foreword by Gerry Bowler, author of Santa Claus, A Biography and The World Encyclopedia of Christmas.

David Goss is a native Saint Johner who has shared the city's folklore and history via his neighbourhood Walks n' Talks programs for the past 35 summers. He has also written over 3,500 articles on Saint John and New Brunswick topics, and is the author of a dozen books, including Only in New Brunswick, Saint John Curiosities, It Happened in New Brunswick, and West Side Stories.

David Goss' profile page

"David Goss is one of Canada's most distinguished regional historians, well-versed in the past of the Atlantic provinces of Canada and particularly knowledgeable in the ways Christmas has been celebrated along our Atlantic coast. In this book you will come to appreciate that the area has many unique features which have drawn on the customs of the various peoples that have settled the land—the French, English, Irish, Scots, Germans, and Americans—to create a Christmas that is like nowhere else. You will learn about the New Year's Baby, Queen Mab, belsnickling, and rapee pie, about chicken bones and barley toys, about Christmases that were almost cancelled, and the Order of Good Cheer. You are certain to come away from these pages entertained and educated and a bigger fan of Christmas." —Gerry Bowler, Winnipeg, Author of The World Encyclopedia of Christmas