Christmas gifts: Vintage Christmas Countdown

Like all traditions, the celebration of Christmas is rich in symbols, music and rituals passed down through generations.

As time passes, the traditions remain but the original meaning or reason for them is lost or forgotten. This beautifully illustrated e-book explores the origins of many of our Christmas traditions, tracing them back to the practical reasons for them and to belief systems that once existed but have been lost to time.

Each day of December, up to December 25th features an article about the rich history of Christmas, with traditional recipes from over a hundred years ago, desktop wallpaper you can download to celebrate the Christmas season and links to vintage Christmas gifts and goodies.

• Download Vintage Christmas Countdown

Note: Vintage Christmas Countdown is in PDF e-book format. It has been zipped for faster downloads so you will need WinZip to open it and Adobe PDF reader to open and print the coloring pages.

The Christmas Countdown

1. Yuletide - A Season of Celebration
2. Christmas Star
3. Tracing the Origins of Christmas
4. Here We Come A’Wassailing
5. The Eve of Saint Nicholas
6. Saint Nicholas Day
7. Santa’s Reindeer
8. Christmas Bells
9. Holly and Ivy
10. Oh Christmas Tree
11. Christmas Cards
12. Mistletoe
13. Christmas Tree Ornaments with Tree Decoration Advice from 1901
14. Maskers and Mummers
15. Christmas Superstitions
16. More Christmas Superstitions
17. Medieval Christmas Feasts
18. Jingle Bells and Carriages
19. Christmas Rose
20. Kriss Kringle - The Christkindl
21. Christmas Grain and Bread
22. Christmas Candles
23. Christmas Carols
24. Christmas Eve

Historical Christmas Recipes

• Lussekatter (Lucia Buns)
• Recipe for Wassail from the 1600s
• Champagne Cup - A Victorian Recipe
• Figgy Pudding - a Traditional Recipe
• Julgrot - Christmas Rice Porridge
• Glogg - a historic recipe from 1847
• Candied White Pine
• Traditional Gingerbread Recipe from 1814
• Spiced Pomander Balls - Traditional Victorian
• Pop-Corn Balls
• Pottage of Cherries from 1591
• Posset - a Traditional English Christmas Eve Drink
• Christmas Salad
• Perys in Confyte - 15th Century
• Victorian Eggnog Recipe from 1887
• Stuffed Baked Apples (Bratäpfel)
• Traditional Italian Panettone
• Dundee Cake - Traditional Scottish Christmas Cake

Vintage Christmas Desktop Wallpaper

• Christmas Morn
• Santa by the Fireplace
• Christmas Bell
• Christmas Maskers
• Man's Best Friend
• Bringing in the Christmas Trees
• Trotting Cracks in the Snow
• Christkindl Angel
• Nativity Scene
• The Adoration of the Magi
• The Lighted Church
• Madonna with the Christ Child
• Carolers