This beautiful and thoughtful companion to the season of Advent and Christmas encourages readers to explore the true meaning of the festive season through a combination of reflections, quotations, and classic imagesWith this companion, learn about the objects and activities associated with Christmas—such as making lists, decorations, gifts, Christmas trees, music, food, and family—as well as special days such as Christmas Eve and Epiphany. In each section, the author brings together Christmas traditions, spiritual reflection, and quotations from Scripture and other writings through the ages. The result is an imaginative and stimulating exploration of the riches of this season—illustrated throughout with color reproductions of classic Christmas-themed paintings.