The History of Christmas

Christmas, as we know it, is a relatively modern holiday. How do we know this? The following documentary from the History Chanel does a good job of explaining. The only flaw is that it completely misses one of the most important factors in Christmas's spell over our culture—the rise of the holiday song through sheet music and parlor pianos in the late 1800s, the advent of recordings with the popularity of the phonograph and radio in the 1920s, and the influence of sound musicals in the 1930s and '40s. Music aside, the documentary offers an illuminating overview...

Part 1...

 

Part 2...

 

Part 3...

 

Part 4...

 

And here's Part 5...