Book Review: Santa Claus Worldwide ~ Nighttime Reading Center

April 15, 2023

Book Review: Santa Claus Worldwide

Book Title: Santa Claus Worldwide: A History of St. Nicholas and Other Holiday Gift-Bringers
Author: Tom A. Jerman
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Publisher Date: 2020-05-11 (248, Pages, Paperback)
Genres: Christmas, Santa Claus, Holiday, Nonfiction, Gift Bringers

This is a comprehensive history of the world's midwinter gift-givers, showcasing the extreme diversity in their depictions as well as the many traits and functions these characters share.

It tracks the evolution of these figures from the tribal priests who presided over winter solstice celebrations thousands of years before the birth of Christ, to Christian notables like St. Martin and St. Nicholas, to a variety of secular figures who emerged throughout Europe following the Protestant Reformation. Finally, it explains how the popularity of a poem about a "miniature sleigh" and "eight tiny reindeer" helped consolidate the diverse European gift-givers into an enduring tradition in which American children awake early on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought.

Although the names, appearance, attire and gift-giving practices of the world's winter solstice gift-givers differ greatly, they are all recognizable as Santa, the personification of the Christmas and Midwinter festivals. Despite efforts to eliminate him by groups as diverse as the Puritans of seventeenth century New England, the Communist Party of the twentieth century Soviet Union and the government of Nazi Germany, Santa has survived and prospered, becoming one of the best known and most beloved figures in the world.

Disclaimer: I received a free Copy from the author for an honest review and Book Tour

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Are you into learning about Santa Claus or how he came about? I have found a book that is called “Santa Claus Worldwide” by Tom A. Jerman; it a decent and excellent book. I learned quite a bit about Christmas and some of the many holidays. The history is not bad.

This book is primarily nonfiction and stands set on the history of Santa Claus. How it the name Santa Claus come about? The many different characters that Santa Claus exists and become. You will be surprised at how many other names are associated, and these lovely children call him.

You will learn a bit about the origin of Christmas and Santa Claus. I learned a lot about how the Christmas tradition came about and how it changed over the years. What we know about our Christmas traditions today differs from when they first came about and how our practices have evolved.

This book is okay for me. It was not rated low because of how it was written. It was slow and tedious for my taste. Suppose you are a fan of nonfiction books and would enjoy learning about the history of St. Nicholas and Other Holiday Gift Bringers. In that case, This book may be just for you. I enjoy learning about St. Nicholas and the many other holiday gift-bringers. I just thought it was not for me. But not where I did not understand what it was about. This book was okay, and I enjoyed learning new history.