Reprint of the 1912 ed. published by T. F. Unwin, London under title: Christmas in ritual and tradition, Christian and pagan.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine derived contents note: Preface -- Chapter I -- Introduction -- The Origin and Purpose of Festivals -- Ideas suggested by Christmas -- Pagan and Christian Elements -- The Names of the Festival -- Foundation of the Feast of the Nativity -- It's Relation to the Epiphany -- December 25 and the Natalis Invicti -- The Kalends of January -- Yule and Teutonic Festivals -- The Church and Pagan Survivals -- Two Conflicting Types of Festival -- Their Interaction -- Plan of the Book -- Part I The Christian Feast -- Chapter Ii -- Christmas Poetry (I) -- "Ancient Latin Hymns, their Dogmatic, Theological Character" -- Humanizing Influence of Franciscanism -- Jacopone da Todi's Vernacular Verse -- German Catholic Poetry -- Mediaeval English Carols -- Chapter Iii -- Christmas Poetry (Ii) -- The French Noël -- Latin Hymnody in Eighteenth-century France -- Spanish Christmas Verse -- Traditional Carols of Many Countries -- Christmas Poetry in Protestant Germany -- Post-Reformation Verse in England -- Modern English Carols -- Chapter Iv -- Christmas In Liturgy And Popular Devotion -- Advent and Christmas Offices of the Roman Church -- "The Trhee Masses of Christmas, their Origin and their Celebration in Rome" -- The Midnight Mass in Many Lands -- Protestant Survivals of the Night Services Christmas in the Greek Church -- The Eastern Epiphany and the Blessing of the Waters -- "The Presepio or Crib, its Supposed Institution by St. Francis" -- Early Traces of the Crib -- "The Crib in Germany, Tyrol, &c." -- Cradle-rocking in Mediaeval Germany -- Christmas Minstrels in Italy and Sicily -- The Presepio in Italy -- Ceremonies with the Culla and the Bambino in Rome -- Christmas in Italian London -- The Spanish Christmas -- Possible Survivals of the Crib in England -- Chapter V -- Christmas Drama -- Origins of the Mediaeval Drama -- Dramatic Tendencies in the Liturgy -- Latin Liturgical Plays -- The Drama becomes Laicized -- Characteristics of the Popular Drama -- The Nativity in the English Miracle Cycles -- Christmas Mysteries in France -- Later French Survivals of Christmas Drama -- German Christmas Plays -- Mediaeval Italian Plays and Pageants -- Spanish Nativity Plays -- Modern Survivals in Various Countries -- "The Star Singers, &c." -- Postscript -- Part Ii Pagan Survivals -- Chapter Vi -- Pre-Christian Winter Festivals -- The Church and Superstition -- Nature of Pagan Survivals -- Racial Origins -- Roman Festivals of the Saturnalia and Kalends -- Was there a Teutonic Midwinter Festival? -- "The Teutonic, Celtic, and Slav New Year" -- Customs Attracted to Christmas or January I -- The Winter Cycle of Festivals -- Rationale of Festival Ritual: -- (a) Sacrifice and Sacrament -- (b) The Cult of the Dead -- (c) Omens and Charms for the New Year -- Compromise in the Later Middle Ages -- The Puritans and Christmas -- Decay of Old Traditions -- Chapter Vii -- All Hallow Tide To Martinmas -- "All Saints' and All Souls' Days, their Relation to a New Year Festival" -- All Souls' Eve and Tendance of the Departed -- Soul Cakes in England and on the Continent -- Pagan Parallels of All Souls' -- Hallowe'en Charms and Omens -- Hallowe'en Fires -- Guy Fawkes Day -- "Old Hob," the Schimmelreiter, and other Animal Masks" -- Martinmas and its Slaughter -- Martinmas Drinking -- St. Martin's Fires in Germany -- Winter Visitors in the Low Countries and Germany -- St. Martin as Gift-bringer -- St. Martin's Rod -- Chapter Viii -- St. Clement To St. Thomas -- St. Clement's Da.