That Just Happened!

Green, Jonathan. What is Myrrh Anway?  Icon Books Ltd. (2008).

Just like the perfect Christmas stocking, What is Myrrh Anyway?contains all manner of delightful surprises and delicious morsels of information.  Jonathan Green demystifies the origins of Christmas and uncovers the truth behind such familiar festive traditions as carol-singing and cards.

Find out what mince pies should really taste like, explore how turkey can to be our favourite festive meal, and discover just why Santa Claus comes down your chimney every year.  This Christmas cracker of a book has the answers to these and many other fascinating questions you never thought-or were too embarrassed-to ask.

Back Cover

Let me save you some time.  Christ was not born on the 25th of December and most of these rituals were based on pagan beliefs in order to make Christianity more palatable.  Each chapter answers a different question and the answers all start with something about a Norse god, or pagan ritual.  Then in the mid-nineteenth century the familiar figure/recipe/carol/etc. will emerge. If there was a specific question you wanted answered, I would definitely go to this book. Like if you wanted the original recipe for Roast Swan *hint: keep the giblets* or plum pudding.  The “Did You Know” facts are interspersed often in the text which makes it difficult to follow the main point of the chapter.

Overall, I was disappointed by this novel. I expected it to be an easier read (and more interesting, frankly). I did learn that I don’t care how Christmas came to be, I just love it how it is.  Traditions, characters and the birth of Jesus.  So what if it is really his very merry unbirthday?

Final verdict is: Skip it.  There are better books (and cookbooks) out there.

I read this toward my 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge.  See my list of books here.