Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas by Ace Collins This small book gives the history and background of 26 aspects of our Christmas celebrations, from the meaning of “Advent” to the history and use of “Yule Logs”. The author is thorough, sometimes overly so, in presenting the origins and practices concerning each of the traditions. I found some of the chapters, such as “Handel’s Messiah”, “The Nutcracker Ballet” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas” interesting and educational. Others, such as “Holly”, “Lights”, “Mistletoe” and “Xmas” felt belabored. All in all, this book tells you all you’d want to know about the Christmas traditions you and others around you practice. It will likely deepen the reader’s appreciation of the celebration we call Christmas. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.