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Tables of Contents for Were They Wise Men or Kings
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
Acknowledgments
xi
Introduction
1
4
Santa
Who was the original St. Nick?
5
2
Why does Santa Claus wear that peculiar outfit?
7
2
Where did Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer come from?
9
1
Who wrote ``A Visit from St. Nicholas''?
10
3
Why does Santa travel by sleigh and reindeer?
13
2
Is Santa Claus the true founder of New York City?
15
2
Who wrote Santa's biography?
17
2
Why does Santa come down the chimney?
19
4
Deck the Halls
Where does the Christmas tree come from?
23
2
Why do holly and ivy appear at Christmas?
25
2
Why is mistletoe so potent?
27
2
Whose idea was it to display Christmas Nativity Scenes?
29
2
Why are candles so much a part of Christmas?
31
4
The Nativity
Where does the traditional Christmas narrative come from?
35
3
Were they wise men or kings?
38
2
Have modern astronomers identified the Star of Bethlehem?
40
2
What are frankincense and myrrh, anyway?
42
2
Who was Herod?
44
2
When was Jesus born?
46
2
What do the ox and ass have to do with Jesus' birth?
48
5
The Arts and Senses
Why did Charles Dickens write A Christmas Carol?
53
3
Was Ebenezer Scrooge based on anyone in particular?
56
2
Where did the idea for the movie It's a Wonderful Life come from?
58
2
What is the origin of the Christmas carol?
60
2
What does Bilbo Baggins have to do with Christmas?
62
2
What is the Magnificat?
64
5
Celebration
Why do we celebrate Jesus' birth on December 25?
69
2
What is the Epiphany?
71
2
What were the Saturnalia, and what do they have to do with Christmas?
73
3
What does Yule mean?
76
2
What's a wassail?
78
5
Naughty or Nice Christmas
Had children ``Better watch out''?
83
2
Has Christmas ever been suppressed in a Christian country?
85
2
Has children's anticipation of Christmas ever fomented rebellion?
87
3
Is Christmas commercialism new?
90
2
Is Christmas dangerous to your health?
92
2
How do savvy merchants convince us to spend so much at Christmas?
94
5
Traditions
What are the Twelve Days of Christmas?
99
2
What's Victorian about a ``Victorian Christmas''?
101
2
Why do we give gifts at Christmas?
103
2
Where does the custom of hanging a stocking come from?
105
1
Why, long ago, were children allowed to be ``Bishop for a Day'' in the Christmas season?
106
2
Who invented the Christmas card?
108
2
Why is Christmas the most important holiday in our professedly secular country?
110
5
Peace on Earth
How did Christmas become a time for charitable giving?
115
3
When did Christmas cause an improbable truce in the midst of a savage war?
118
2
Have guns ever been part of Christmas celebration?
120
2
What do Hanukkah and Christmas have to do with each other?
122
2
Does Kwanzaa have anything to do with Christmas?
124
2
Where can I learn more about Christmas?
126