Christmas Is Coming: Traditions from Around the World

Description

The perfect book for long wintery evenings-not just under the Christmas tree! Why do we decorate Christmas trees? Do all children receive gifts on the same day? Come find out as Monika Utnik-Strugala captures the smells, tastes, and unforgettable traditions about the most popular, exciting, contemplative, and unqiue Christmas customs and legends from around the world. Find out why celebrate Christmas on December 25th, who invented the first glass ornament, why people build nativity scenes, and more! With the atmospheric illustrations by Ewa Poklewska-Koziello, this is an ideal companion for the Christmas season.

Monika Utnik-Struga studied Romance Studies at the University of Warsaw in Poland and is a lifestyle and design journalist. She made her debut with a children's book about Italian culture. In Italy she likes to spend her free time in her beloved country house. Ewa Poklewska-Koziello was born and raised in Gdansk, Poland. There she studied architecture. She prefers to paint, especially for children. She illustrated dozens of books and magazines for children.

An international collection of legends, histories, traditions, and celebrations from around the world is included in this beautifully illustrated and detailed book.-- "OmniLibros" ....perfect for a spirited storytime!-- "Atlanta Parent" Adding a fitting charm to the fascinating details are stylized illustrations with folk art colors and patterns from the represented countries and cultures. A merry offering, indeed-- "Booklist" In thirty-nine sections consisting of a few pages each, plus a glossary, readers are provided with a wealth of information about religious and secular Christmas (and some New Year) traditions celebrated around the world. Some occur in just one country (the Christmas lottery in Spain), while others (the festival of Saint Nicholas's Day) are more widespread, so Utnik-Strugala organizes the book by topic rather than by geography; a table of contents makes it easier to browse. The text, lengthy but conversational, is full of illuminating facts about decorations, foods, festivals, and more. Poklewska- Koziello's highly colorful and detailed illustrations depict an ethnically diverse cast of people from the various cultures described.-- "The Horn Book"