Christmas Cornucopia

<p>For something that happens every year of our lives we really don't know much about Christmas. We don't know that the date we celebrate was chosen by a madman or that Christmas etymologically speaking means Go away Christ. Nor do we know that Christmas was first celebrated in 243 AD on March 28--and only moved to December 25 in 354 AD. We're oblivious to the fact that the advent calendar was actually invented by a Munich housewife to stop her children pestering her for a Christmas countdown. And we would never have guessed that the invention of Christmas crackers was merely a way of popularizing sweet wrappers. Luckily Mark Forsyth is here to unwrap this fundamentally funny gallimaufry of traditions and oddities making it all finally make sense--in his wonderfully entertaining wordy way.</p> <br>