The Medieval Christmas

'Tis the season to be reading. Today''s suggestion: The Medieval Christmas by Sophie Jackson. Which I blogged about before, but it was when I bought it, now I read it so I can safely recommend it without shame. Terrible cover I'm afraid. And as a medievalist myself I am somewhat skeptical about how truly "medieval" the traditions described there are. All the same, there is plenty of information about the origins of the mistletoe, holly, ivy, mince pies, Santa Claus (well of course), some other (now) lesser known saints once associated with Christmastime, wassails, the Christmas tree, etc. All in all, a pleasant and light read.