Christmas in America presents us with a fascinating reflection of our changing society by displaying how we have celebrated this holiday from colonial times to the present. While the early Puritans in New England primly denounced any festivities, city dwellers flooded the streets in raucous demonstrations, and Virginians hunted, danced, and feasted. Unwrapping the hidden messages in such time-honored traditions as the Christmas tree, gift-giving, and family dinners, Restad brilliantly reveals how Christmas has evolved into an unescapable presence in contemporary culture.