Christmas in Germany

A Cultural History

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Folklore & Mythology, History, Germany, Sociology
Cover of the book Christmas in Germany by Joe Perry, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Joe Perry ISBN: 9780807899410
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: September 27, 2010
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Joe Perry
ISBN: 9780807899410
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: September 27, 2010
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

For poets, priests, and politicians--and especially ordinary Germans--in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the image of the loving nuclear family gathered around the Christmas tree symbolized the unity of the nation at large. German Christmas was supposedly organic, a product of the winter solstice rituals of pagan "Teutonic" tribes, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and the age-old customs that defined German character. Yet, as Joe Perry argues, Germans also used these annual celebrations to contest the deepest values that held the German community together: faith, family, and love, certainly, but also civic responsibility, material prosperity, and national belonging.

This richly illustrated volume explores the invention, evolution, and politicization of Germany's favorite national holiday. According to Perry, Christmas played a crucial role in public politics, as revealed in the militarization of "War Christmas" during World War I and World War II, the Nazification of Christmas by the Third Reich, and the political manipulation of Christmas during the Cold War. Perry offers a close analysis of the impact of consumer culture on popular celebration and the conflicts created as religious, commercial, and political authorities sought to control the holiday's meaning. By unpacking the intimate links between domestic celebration, popular piety, consumer desires, and political ideology, Perry concludes that family festivity was central in the making and remaking of public national identities.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

For poets, priests, and politicians--and especially ordinary Germans--in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the image of the loving nuclear family gathered around the Christmas tree symbolized the unity of the nation at large. German Christmas was supposedly organic, a product of the winter solstice rituals of pagan "Teutonic" tribes, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and the age-old customs that defined German character. Yet, as Joe Perry argues, Germans also used these annual celebrations to contest the deepest values that held the German community together: faith, family, and love, certainly, but also civic responsibility, material prosperity, and national belonging.

This richly illustrated volume explores the invention, evolution, and politicization of Germany's favorite national holiday. According to Perry, Christmas played a crucial role in public politics, as revealed in the militarization of "War Christmas" during World War I and World War II, the Nazification of Christmas by the Third Reich, and the political manipulation of Christmas during the Cold War. Perry offers a close analysis of the impact of consumer culture on popular celebration and the conflicts created as religious, commercial, and political authorities sought to control the holiday's meaning. By unpacking the intimate links between domestic celebration, popular piety, consumer desires, and political ideology, Perry concludes that family festivity was central in the making and remaking of public national identities.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book The Pattern of Hardy's Poetry by Joe Perry
Cover of the book Restructuring Patriarchy by Joe Perry
Cover of the book Freedom's Children by Joe Perry
Cover of the book Prison and Plantation by Joe Perry
Cover of the book The Origin of the Milky Way and Other Living Stories of the Cherokee by Joe Perry
Cover of the book Our Own Backyard by Joe Perry
Cover of the book America's Founding Food by Joe Perry
Cover of the book Creating Consumers by Joe Perry
Cover of the book Lynching and Spectacle by Joe Perry
Cover of the book Chicken by Joe Perry
Cover of the book Black Votes Count by Joe Perry
Cover of the book The Majority Finds Its Past by Joe Perry
Cover of the book Hello Professor by Joe Perry
Cover of the book The Triumph of the Ordinary by Joe Perry
Cover of the book The Freedom of the Streets by Joe Perry
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy