The love of story-telling seems to be ingrained in human nature.
Travellers tell of vari-coloured races sitting round their watch fires
reciting deeds of the past; and letters from colonists show how, even
amidst forest-clearing, they have beguiled their evening hours by
telling or reading stories as they sat in the glow of their camp
fires. And in old England there is the same love of tales and stories.
One of the chief delights of Christmastide is to sit in the united
family circle and hear, tell, or read about the quaint habits and
picturesque customs of Christmas in the olden time; and one of the
purposes of _CHRISTMAS_ is to furnish the retailer of Christmas wares
with suitable things for re-filling his pack.

From the vast store of materials collected it is not possible to do
more than make a selection. How far I have succeeded in setting forth
the subject in a way suited to the diversity of tastes among readers I
must leave to their judgment and indulgence; but I have this
satisfaction, that the gems of literature it contains are very rich
indeed; and I acknowledge my great indebtedness to numerous writers of
different periods whose references to Christmas and its time-honoured
customs are quoted.

I have to acknowledge the courtesy of Mr. Henry Jewitt, Mr. E.
Wiseman, Messrs. Harper, and Messrs. Cassell & Co., in allowing their
illustrations to appear in this work.

My aim is neither critical nor apologetic, but historical and
pictorial: it is not to say what might or ought to have been, but to
set forth from extant records what has actually taken place: to give
an account of the origin and hallowed associations of Christmas, and
to depict, by pen and pencil, the important historical events and
interesting festivities of Christmastide during nineteen centuries.
With materials collected from different parts of the world, and from
writings both ancient and modern, I have endeavoured to give in the
present work a chronological account of the celebrations and
observances of Christmas from the birth of Christ to the end of the
nineteenth century; but, in a few instances, the subject-matter has
been allowed to take precedence of the chronological arrangement. Here
will be found accounts of primitive celebrations of the Nativity,
ecclesiastical decisions fixing the date of Christmas, the connection
of Christmas with the festivals of the ancients, Christmas in times of
persecution, early celebrations in Britain, stat