Staff Christmas Picks

 

Everyone has their own favorite Christmas tales.  Here are some of the ones we think make the holidays bright!

Kristin:

Sandra Boynton is one of my favorite authors and humorists. Her children’s books are full of expressive animal characters that never fail to make me smile. Check out A Dance with Santa Claus, Snow, Snow, Snow!: A Christmastime Song, Merry Christmas, Little Pookie, Christmas Parade, Cows and Holly, Christmastime, Bob and 6 More Christmas Stories,  and my ultimate favorite: Moo, Baa, Fa La La La La!

Tonia:

I enjoyed One Day in December by Josie Silver, and I’m usually not a romance fan, but this book was unexpectedly good.

Jeanne:

My list usually is heavy on children’s books just because there’s a sense of wonder and excitement there. . . and sometimes trepidation.  Merry Christmas, Thomas by A. Vesey is one I love and not just because Thomas is a cat, though that helps. Thomas finds some presents Santa left early and he can’t resist taking a peek.  Will Santa visit Thomas even though he must be at the top of the naughty list? Having once been a child who peeked and then regretted it, I can totally identify with Thomas!

The Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair is another gem. Written in dialect, it begs to be read aloud.  Also, Santa has alligators instead of reindeer.

I would list A Christmas Carol but honestly at Christmas time I’m too busy to re-read it.  I do recommend the annotated version, though. I puzzled over Scrooge’s reference to a “lumber-room” until I found out that was an old term for a storage room.  I had visions of stacks of wood!

Finally there are some great short stories and novellas out there.  One of my favorite stories is “All Seated, On the Ground” by Connie Willis in which aliens land on Earth and do nothing.  They just sit silently and glare.  Desperate to communicate, some members of a commission take them around town while Christmas festivities are going on and they do indeed find something that elicits the aliens’ interest.

Laura:

I love the Christmas Joanne Fluke books. I like to try out at least one new recipe every Christmas and her books are full of recipes, as well as mystery! I have tried several of her recipes and none have ever disappointed. Her Christmas books include Sugar Cookie Murder, Plum Pudding Murder, Christmas Caramel Murder, and Christmas Cupcake Murder. I recommend them all!

The Twelve Jays of Christmas by Donna Andrews

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Decorative blacksmith Meg Lanslow’s Christmas plans have had a bit of a twist—Meg’s ankle, to be specific.  She sent husband Michael and the boys off to their planned ski vacation before the holidays, leaving Meg to rest up.  (Insert laughter here.) Meg is one of those ultra-organized people who has pages of “to-do” lists and makes sure every event runs smoothly—or as smoothly as it can, given the eccentric nature of their extended family.

Take this Christmas, for example.  Even before all the family arrives, Meg discovers there are wombats in the basement, an experiment being conducted by her zoologist grandfather and her nephew to document their biofluorescence. Yep, apparently they glow in the dark.

And that’s not the least of it.  Meg has an irritable and demanding artist in residence who is painting jays and mockingbirds for a book and who has allowed the birds to escape into the house where they seem to view people as delightful targets, moving statues if you will.  Fortunately, Meg has laid in a supply of hats for people to wear.

With the artists’ ex-wives staking out the house, a reporter trying to get a scoop, Meg’s brother and his fiancée trying to have a low key wedding at New Year’s and Meg’s mother plotting an extravaganza, a murder seems almost incidental.

While this may seem over the top and overwhelming, Donna Andrews juggles all the plot elements with the ease and assuredness of a master performer.  There are plenty of laugh out loud moments, but she never loses sight of the serious aspects of the story. She also handles all the characters with ease, so even if this is your first Meg Lanslow mystery you won’t have trouble keeping up.  I had read and enjoyed the first two or three a couple of years back, but had no problem even though there are a lot of new to me characters.  Most of all, Meg herself is a wonderful character.  I love that she’s not a wishy-washy heroine who gets bullied into doing things.  When her family tries to take advantage, she pushes back and offers other solutions.  Most of all I love that there is a warmth and love to the stories even under trying circumstances. 

If you’re looking for a light book to make the holidays bright, pick up one of the yearly Christmas themed books in the series. I’m very glad I did!

Death at a Castle Christmas by Veronica Bond

 

Death at a Castle Christmas by Veronica Bond (Dinner and a Mystery, book 3)

Reviewed by Jeanne

Nora loves working at Castle Dark, an American castle that hosts various forms of entertainment—murder mystery shows, music, etc.  Not only does Nora get to use both her singing and acting talents, but the close-knit castle troupe all pitch in with costumes, lighting, backdrops, and whatever needs doing.  They’ve become a family.

This Christmas is a special one indeed.  Nora loves the musical presentations and comedy skits, even though the schedule is a grueling one. There’s still time for Nora to spend with friends including her detective boyfriend, and Nora’s parents and siblings are coming for the holiday.

The first hint of trouble comes when two small children show up at the castle, claiming to be selling candy for their school.  They’re much too young to be out alone and the candy doesn’t look like anything a school would sponsor.  Nora and company discover the children’s mother Jenn is in the hospital and Charlie, the children’s guardian, left to go to the store and never returned.  All reports say that Charlie was responsible and loving toward Jenn and the kids. This is definitely out of character. Jenn is horrified to discover her young children have been left alone and files a missing person report on Charlie.

Things get even darker when the body of an unidentified man turns up on the Castle grounds after an attempted break in.  Could these two events possibly be connected?

I had read the first two in this series and enjoyed them very much.  The characters are likeable and there’s a strong sense of comradery that appeals to me.  I also love the descriptions of the various performances as told by someone who appreciates theatre and music.  The mysteries have been cleverly constructed too, but the emphasis is on characterization.  The fact that Nora has three kittens doesn’t hurt, either.

The writing is done with a deft hand; while “Veronica Bond” may only have three books to her credit, the author behind the series is really Julia Buckley, a long time mystery author of several series.  I especially loved her Hungarian Teahouse series because of the folklore she included.

While I think this could be read as a standalone, there are a lot of relationships in this story.  In fact, I began to have the feeling this was going to be the last in the series as couples paired off.  While I was glad to see well-deserving characters get their happily ever after, I was less glad to think that I might not see any of them again.

Usually I wouldn’t review this possibly last in series book here on the blog, but this book really feels seasonal.   It’s not just the Christmas carols sung by the troupe, though that is a part of it. I especially liked a section in which Nora meditates on one of the carols, “Good King Wenceslas” and its meaning.  The book felt very festive, and not in a superficial way.  Some books set at Christmas throw in a few seasonal details like shopping or tree trimming but don’t convey the feeling as much as this one does.

The books in the series are

1.       Death in Castle Dark

2.      Castle Deadly, Castle Deep

3.      Death at a Castle Christmas

Christmas at the Women’s Hotel: A Biedermeier Story by Daniel M. Lavery

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Manhattan, the early 1960s:  the Biedermeier Hotel is home to a number of women of various ages, from the young and eager to the elderly and infirm.  All are just scraping by, so for some the Christmas season offers an opportunity to earn much needed extra money. Most are content to pick up extra jobs as window dressers or sales clerks. 

Lucianne has a better idea:  she’ll start a service providing male escorts for young women who want to attend various functions but who don’t want to go alone.  She knows several young men who can be trusted to behave like gentlemen and who will cut a respectable figure. Of course, Lucianne will get a cut of the fee. . . .

Katherine, the first floor manager, has been estranged from her family for years but is cautiously hopeful when she receives a letter from a younger sister.  It’s the first time anyone from the family has reached out.

And then there’s Josephine, a retiree whose methods of picking up some extra cash are definitely not legal.

Author Daniel Lavery uses his characters from The Women’s Hotel to good effect in this holiday novella.  While it can be read as a standalone, Christmas at the Women’s Hotel would be better appreciated if one had read the first novel.  I had not, so I admit I was a bit overwhelmed with all the characters.  What kept me reading was the writing: I love the author’s sense of humor and way that he phrases things.  Of Lucianne, who is from a socially prominent family, he writes, “She was not self-conscious about her age, but she was certainly aware that it could no longer benefit her socially, though it had not as yet begun to count against her.” Of another character he writes that she was “thought of as something better than a nuisance but less than a friend.”

He also makes the 1964 time period come alive, which I really enjoyed.  I liked that not all the problems were solved or that some resolutions were not what I would have hoped.  Perhaps those endings are for another book. It felt realistically festive instead of  saccharine.

If you’re looking for some nostalgia reading set in the Big Apple, this can be an entertaining choice.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

With the release of the new movie, I decided it was time to re-read this children’s classic tale of “the worst kids in the world”—aka the Herdmans. 

Although it’s only 80 pages, Robinson packs a lot into those pages.  Told from the wide-eyed perspective of schoolgirl Beth, we are introduced to the six Herdman children who Beth says are the worst kids in the world.  She then proceeds to list some of things the Herdmans do:  they cuss teachers, steal other kids’ lunches, set fires, and smoke cigars, even the girls.

Yep, those Herdmans are a handful. The one place they haven’t been trouble is in Sunday School, but that’s just because they don’t attend.  In fact, Beth’s brother Charlie lists “No Herdmans” as his favorite thing about Sunday School, which was not really the answer the teacher was looking for, even though it is true.

That’s about to change, and ironically it’s Charlie who causes it by bragging that he doesn’t need his dessert because he gets all the dessert he wants at church: pie, cake, cookies….

The Herdmans are intrigued.  So much so that they turn up for Sunday School just as Beth’s mother is trying to put together the annual Christmas pageant—and the Herdmans take all the roles, even though they have never heard the story of the Nativity.

Will the Wise Men and Joseph get in a fight? Will Mary hit someone with Baby Jesus?  Will the Angel of the Lord whack the Shepherds with her halo?  It seems as if everyone in town can hardly wait to find out.

I had fond memories of this book and I’m happy to say that I found this book just as charming the second time around.  Even better, I discovered there are two sequels:  The Best Halloween Ever (only the Herdmans could get Halloween cancelled) and The Best School Year Ever.

Note:  This is actually the second time this book has been filmed.  It was also done as a TV movie with Loretta Swit and the library does own a DVD of that version.  Both films are very good, but there's nothing like a book.  

Christmas All Through the South

Reviewed by Jeanne

Christmas All Through the South: Joyful Memories, Timeless Moments, Enduring Traditions is a gorgeous coffee table type book from Southern Living. The content is divided up into chapters with the headings, “Joyful Anticipation,” “Delightful Destinations,” Heartfelt Gatherings,” Sparkling Celebrations,” and “Festive Recipes.” Each section has essays by various authors about the season, including pieces by Rick Bragg, Ace Atkins, and Mark Childress, which evoke memories and feelings about the time.

This being a Southern Living publication, the book is filled with beautiful and evocative photos.  It’s a real feast for the eyes.  Some of the photos are of Christmas lights and snow-covered lanes, others are rustic scenes of cozy cabins; there are beautifully decorated rooms, festive scenes, and historic sites, such as Biltmore or New Orleans’ French Quarter.

Most of all, there are photos of food.  Oh, my are there photos of food!  I was not in the least bit hungry when I started thumbing through this book but it wasn’t long before my stomach was rumbling and my mouth was watering.  The book includes recipes for everything from Christmas morning brunch with red velvet pancakes to a cocktail supper with roasted oysters and Bourbon Ginger Punch. 

As enticing as the photos are, I have to say my favorite part was the text. I loved not only the personal recollections but the interesting tidbits about how different parts of the South celebrate the holiday.  I was unfamiliar with the Reveillon dinners, for example, which are a Louisiana staple, or the Christmas Eve bonfires along the Mississippi.

This is a wonderful book to spend time with, whether it’s a few minutes between holiday chores or an hour while waiting for guests to arrive.  Bonus points for having an index!

The Flight of the Reindeer: The True Story of Santa Claus and His Christmas Mission by Robert Sullivan

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Do you ever find yourself doubting that reindeer can fly?  Maybe even there is a split second where you question Santa’s very existence. Never fear, we have just the book to put things all to rights—and to help you explain to that inquisitive six-year-old just how it all works.

Robert Sullivan devoted considerable time and effort in compiling this thorough investigation in which he reveals the history and the science behind the legend.  He interviews scientists, Arctic explorer and environmentalist Will Steger, a veterinarian, and historians to illuminate the truth.  Of course, some things are limited to speculation, such as the exact site of Santa’s birth, though it was probably in south central Greenland somewhere around two thousand years ago.

Flying reindeer, on the other hand, have a much longer lineage, at least judging from the cave paintings.  Santa’s deer are Peary caribou, who are the best fliers.  They are also very long-lived: the current team has been around for a couple of thousand years, except for Rudolph, who is a mere youngster at about 1500 years. 

Of course, a lot of adjustments have had to be made, especially in the last hundred years or so.  For one thing, airspace is a lot more crowded.  This means that Santa has had to enlist a lot of helpers, from meteorologist Al Roker to the President of the United States in order to make his rounds.

This is all just the tip of the iceberg—or Santa’s sleigh if you will, so you really should pick up this lovely oversized book to get all the details.  The Glenn Wolff illustrations are charming, and there are some nice photographs as well.

I think of this book as sort of The Polar Express for a more scientifically minded audience.  Though it pains me to admit any flaw, I do bemoan the lack of an index. It’s just the librarian in me.

A Foxfire Christmas: Appalachian Memories and Traditions

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Many people are familiar with the Foxfire series of books which collected oral histories of Appalachian traditions.  Students in Georgia interviewed people about folkways from planting by the signs to butchering hogs to caning chairs.  A collection of books ensued, and then specialized collections such as this one which features holiday memories.

The book is divided up by topics: Preparation and Decoration, Gifts and Santa, Food and Menus, and so forth.  One that surprised me was Serenading, which I took to mean caroling.  Not exactly! Serenading was done at Christmas when groups of young people would get together and slip off to someone’s house to create a ruckus until the people inside would invite them in.  Cowbells, firing shotguns, beating buckets, anything to make a noise.  Mind, this was mostly done at night and some people even said they would wait until the lights were out in the house before they started.  More than one compared it to modern day Halloween, with tricks and treating. 

I remembered hearing about Christmases of long ago when people strung popcorn and made paper chains to decorate trees, so I was interested to read what other things were popular.  The section on food included recipes such as Black Walnut Pound Cake and Syrup Candy made for sorghum. 

Most of all, I just enjoyed the stories and memories.  Carolyn Jones’ will stay with me for a long time; simply told but powerful. Some stories had echoes of things I had heard from older people in the community, others I wondered if they were just local to that area.

For me, this is a good book choice for this time of year, because I can pick it up and read a bit, then get back to all those little things that need to be done for the holidays.  And, honestly, it’s nice to read about a time when Christmas wasn’t so over-scheduled and didn’t start in October.

Six Cats a Slayin’ by Miranda James

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Christmas is just around the corner, and Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat Diesel are looking forward to it. After all, he has two grandchildren this year, and children always make the holidays brighter—even if they are still really too young to enjoy all the festivities.

As with all holidays, there are going to be some surprises, pleasant and otherwise.  One “otherwise” is an invitation to real estate agent Gerry Albritton’s party.  Not only is the woman obnoxious, but her idea of decorating is garish to say the least. It’s especially jarring in a neighborhood that leans toward tasteful and understated displays. A less gaudy surprise is the discovery of a box of five kittens on Charlie’s porch with a pathetic note.  The kind-hearted librarian takes them in, but is determined to discover the owner’s identity.

Of course, there’s also a murder. . . .

This is the tenth in the Cat in the Stacks mystery, set in sleepy Athena, Mississippi. James has created a solid set of supporting characters, including widower Charlie’s two adult children and their families, his housekeeper Azalea, Azalea’s daughter Kanesha who is a police officer, Charlie’s lady love, Helen Louise, his boarder Stewart and most especially Charlie’s co-worker Melba, who is a wealth of information about the town and its inhabitants.  She can be quite tenacious, and this time she is fixated on Albritton.  The woman is familiar somehow and claims to be from Athena but Melba doesn’t know her—which is clearly impossible.

Of course, Diesel and the kittens steal the book with their adorable antics but there’s a nice little mystery or two in the book.  It’s definitely a cozy mystery set in the South, so expect a lot of gossip and descriptions of meals. As with many cozy series, a book set at the holidays is pretty much expected and James ticks off that box quite well.

If you’re looking for a low key seasonal tale with adorable animals and a bit of mystery, this might just be your glass of sweet tea.

Christmas Reading Beyond A Christmas Carol and A Visit From St. Nicholas

 

Appalachian Christmas

Nora Bonesteel’s Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb blends two plotlines of Christmas in the region.  In one, Sheriff Spencer Arrowood has to serve an arrest warrant in one of the “hollers,” while in the other Nora Bonesteel is called on to investigate a haunting. As usual, McCrumb does a wonderful job of capturing the people and places of Northeast Tennessee.

Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree:  A Contemporary Fantasy by local author Jeanne G’Fellers has Centenary Rhodes returning home to try to make peace with her mother.  It may take magic to make that happen.     

Christmas Stories by North Carolina Writers and Twelve Poems, Too edited by Ruth Moose is a wonderful collection of stories, remembrances, and poems including contributions from Lee Smith, Sue Ellen Bridgers, and Kaye Gibbons.  The selections are perfect for that little break in between holiday chores. 

Lee Smith’s Christmas Letters tells the story of a family over three generations through the annual Christmas letter. The story begins in 1944 with Birdie, who is both a new bride and a new mother. She’s living with her in-laws while her husband is overseas fighting the war.  The letters follow Birdie, then her daughter, and finally her granddaughter. Besides getting to know the characters, and then seeing them from a different perspective, the reader also is aware of how times change while some traditions -- like the Christmas letter-- remain the same.

Christmas Fiction

Christmas at the Cat Café by Melissa Daley is a heartwarming tale told through the eyes of Molly, a former stray cat who has found a home with Debbie and her daughter.  Then Debbie’s sister moves in and tensions rise in the family. Not only that, but two of Molly’s kittens go missing. It’s going to take a miracle to make things right again. Even though I am a sucker for cat books, I still was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one.  Part was the setting (UK) and part was having the book told from the cat's viewpoint as she worries about her kittens and about what is happening with her human family as well.

Irish author Felicity Hayes-McCoy’s The Mistletoe Matchmaker celebrates the season with a tale set in the Finfarran Peninsula.  Canadian Cassie decides to visit her grandparents and to see where her father grew up in Ireland. She is soon immersed in the lives of the villagers in this warm and cozy tale of families, friendships, and secrets, filled with memorable characters. It’s the third in a series but can be read as a standalone. 

Luther Krank has decided to skip Christmas. No presents, no tree, nor cards or festive parties.  Instead they’ll go on a cruise and get away from all the madness. Obviously, thing are not going to go as planned. . . John Grisham’s take on the holiday is memorable fun, but don’t take our word for it. Just read Skipping Christmas for yourself. There is also a movie entitled Christmas with the Kranks.  The library has a copy of the DVD.

Even though it's a considered a children's book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson is beloved by adults as well.  Who can forget the Herdmans? Laugh out loud funny, it still gets to the meaning of Christmas in a way few stories do.

Christmas Memories

An Irish Country Christmas by Alice Taylor is a short but lovely memoir of a rural Irish Christmas in the 1940s. Alice was one of six children who grew up on a farm.  Her account covers the traditional twelve days of Christmas as her family celebrated, and includes details of rural life. (Don't get too attached to the goslings.  Just sayin'.) 

A Gift from Bob is James Bowen’s account of a difficult Christmas. Bowen was an addict struggling to get clean with the help of his friends and a stray orange tabby cat. It's a sequel to the best-selling book A Street Cat Named Bob.  Two movies were made from the books, A Street Cat Named Bob and A Gift from Bob.  Both books and movies are recommended for being sweet but not saccharine, and for being uplifting.  The library holds both books and movies.

A Foxfire Christmas collects stories of Appalachian holiday traditions, including how to make toys like corn husk dolls, recipes, and party games.  These were collected by students in Georgia and are a charming window into the past.

A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd is a semi-autobiographical collection of essays about a little boy and his burning desire for a Red Ryder air rifle.  Sound familiar?  It should, because Shepherd’s tales became the basis for the beloved movie.  Originally published in two other collections, the stories were pulled together for this special edition.

 

Christmas Series

A number of authors have regularly turned out Christmas tales which have proven very popular.  The list includes Anne Perry, Richard Paul Evans, Debbie Macomber, Donna VanLiere, Susan Mallory, Janet Dailey, Nancy Thayer, Elin Hilderbrand, “Cape Light” series by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer, and Donna Andrews.

An Irish Country Christmas by Alice Taylor

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Alice Taylor was one of six children growing up on a farm in County Cork in the 1940s. At the time of this story, she was nine years old, an age when Christmas is still magical and filled with wonder. In this book she relates all the activity surrounding the twelve days of Christmas in a tight-knit community.

The book opens with a local merchant receiving his orders of dried fruit, knowing almost exactly how much each household will want for the Christmas baking. There’s a lot to be done to get ready, and Taylor describes it in vivid and loving detail, from going out to gather the holly to cleaning the chimneys.  There are letters to Santa to be written.  Cards arrive, even some from America. The one from Aunt Kate in New York is a glittery wonder this year, arriving far too early for Mr. Taylor’s taste, but the cheerful Santa gives the children hope that Christmas will indeed come—eventually.  The last to arrive is always the one from Uncle Dan, who left when he was 18 to become a sheep farmer in Oregon.

While Taylor beautifully captures all the excitement and anticipation of Christmas, she doesn’t shy away from the realities.  Those darling little goslings, raised so tenderly by Mr. and Mrs. Goose are destined for holiday tables and their wings will be used as dusters. The children all have to help with the farm chores, and lend a hand to neighbors when needed.

Some of these customs will seem familiar but others are relics of their time, or are family specific. The Taylors always bought new records, for example.  After Christmas Eve dinner, the gramophone is brought out so everyone can hear the new records. This year the favorite tune was “Come Back, Paddy Reilly, to Balljamesduff.” Taylor writes that the song was played constantly “until my father began to regret that his mother had not drowned Paddy Reilly in his baby bathwater….”

I was particularly intrigued by the “Hunting of the Wrens” which took place on December 26.  Thankfully, by this time real wrens weren’t hunted.  Instead, people wear disguises and go from house to house to sing for a reward.

I was charmed by the writing, especially the loving descriptions of cooking and chores.  There’s a bit of low key humor, too.  Their jennet is notorious for biting any unwary human who gets too close—Alice thinks it’s a good thing the jennet was not at the stable or baby Jesus would have been at risk, and the heifers don’t care for being rounded up.  Unpleasant things can happen around unhappy heifers. 

There’s no particular plot to this book, just a warm and wonderfully detailed account of Christmas celebrations of times past. I will admit that there were some things I wish had been explained a bit better (Women’s Christmas, for example, which is mentioned in passing as another name for Little Christmas which is January 6) but overall I just went with the flow.   It’s the perfect book to relax with during a hectic season.

Twelve Days of Tudor Christmas

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I have to admit I love the Lucy Worsley documentaries about British Royals.  I think the first one I saw was on Henry VIII’s six wives, but I have since seen several others, courtesy of PBS and sometimes BPL (Bristol Public Library, of course) and enjoyed each one.  I like Worsley’s enthusiasm for her topics, and as a historian herself, I feel I can give more credence to her statements.  At the very least, she will have evidence to back them up, as opposed to someone who is just reading the statements supplied by the script.  She is also the Chief Curator for the Royal Palaces, including the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, so she has some hands-on experience.

This year I re-watched (and re-re-watched) her presentation of “Twelve Days of Tudor Christmas.”  Yes, these are the fabled Twelve Days of Christmas, starting on December 25 and continuing to January 6. In this presentation, she demonstrates how Henry VIII would have celebrated.  I was vaguely familiar with some of the customs, such as the Lord of Misrule or mumming, but there was a lot that was new.

Then as now, food was an important part of the celebration and we get to see the sorts of dishes that Henry would have enjoyed.  Worsley gamely (pun somewhat intended) samples boar and beer (without that foreign, unwholesome addition of hops), participates in entertainment, and explains the rules of gift-giving.  (Hint:  probably a good idea to give Henry a really nice present. Anne Boleyn nailed it.)

There’s also some information on how the non-royals observed the holidays, including decorating with greenery and the seasonal interaction between landlord and tenant. These could be very precise— it was a contract, in fact, with a list of what the landlord would give and what the tenant would give in return. 

But the bulk of the program covers Christmas as celebrated at Court, with most of the participants appearing in period appropriate costume.  The show was also filmed on-site at still functional kitchens at Hampton Court and at the palace.  It’s also very much centered on Henry, drawing from his detailed household records to paint a picture of the holiday. 

That’s a lot of ground to cover in less than an hour, so if I have a criticism it is that it should have been longer.  It was also a lot to absorb, so I watched it three times.  I would get distracted by looking at the costumes or gawping at the boar’s head dish and miss some (to me) fascinating tidbit. I will never think of Boar’s Head brand meat in quite the same way again. . . .

If you enjoy Christmas or Tudor lore, this is the show for you!