The unpredictable origins and etymologies of our cracking Christmas customs For something that happens every year of our lives, we really don't know much about Christmas. We don't know that the date we celebrate was chosen by a madman, or that Christmas, etymologically speaking, means "Go away, Christ". Nor do we know that Christmas was first celebrated in 243 AD on March 28th - and only moved to 25th December in 354 AD. We're oblivious to the fact that the advent calendar was actually invented by a Munich housewife to stop her children pestering her for a Christmas countdown. And we would never have guessed that the invention of crackers was merely a way of popularising sweet wrappers. Luckily, like a gift from Santa himself, Mark Forsyth is here to unwrap this fundamentally funny gallimaufry of traditions and oddities, making it all finally make sense - in his wonderfully entertaining wordy way.

A Christmas Cornucopia is a delicious feast of Christmas stories - and food -from well-known and emerging Australian authors. With delectable illustrations byDavid Allan and Fiona McDonald, this is a book sure to make your tummy grumble.Featuring Wendy Blaxland, Sally Odgers, Sophie Masson, Jenny Blackford, AnnaBell, Phoebe McArthur, Debbie Tidball, Amani Gunawardana, Sharon Boyce,Victoria Nugent, Danielle Viera, and Laura Hockley.

Lucy has one great wish – she wants to find the vampire of her dreams. So it’s obvious she would put this heartfelt desire right at the top of her Christmas wish list... again. It’s annoying Santa hasn’t been very helpful up till now and apart from Lucy no one seems to know of the existence of vampires. But she saw him with her own eyes – when she was a child and he saved her from drowning. After Lucy’s first boyfriend turns out to be a complete loser, it seems like there can only be one real man for her – her guardian angel. But how on earth is she supposed to find him? On top of that, her best friend Pia keeps trying to interest her in normal men. And then there’s Adam, an incredibly sweet guy she can’t get out of her head since he almost kissed her. Really, life could be a lot simpler, and Christmas is right around the corner... Interview with the Author How would you describe Lucy’s Wish? Lucy’s Wish is a humorous love story which captures the hopeful atmosphere and romance of Christmastime. Anything is possible...isn’t it? And how do we envision the world in which Lucy lives? A bit like our world. So it isn’t ruled by vampires, but they exist in secret: vampires, werewolves, ghosts and a few other types of creatures. So in the midst of the magic of Christmas, there is also another ‘magic’. A touch a fantasy in our midst. Is it part of a series or a standalone novel? Both. Lucy’s Wish is complete in its own right, but I have two more winter romances planned for the coming winters, in which the reader will again encounter Lucy’s friends and the affairs of their hearts. They will all be characterized by wishes, dreams and hopes. What made you write Lucy’s Wish? My readers. I made a survey and a whole lot of people took part. In the responses, a Christmas vampire romance was frequently requested. Va

"In this novel, a doctor is faced with an ethical dilemma when her friend's child lands in the emergency room"--

Discover the fascinating (and sometimes downright odd!) ways that people and nations celebrate the holiday season and share this festive compendium's unique traditions together with family and friends. Do you know that in Guatemala there's a "Burn the Devil" tradition to kick off the Christmas season, where revelers gather to set fire to devil-piñatas? In Sweden, a popular figure in Christmas traditions is the Yule Goat, a rowdy, menacing character who demands gifts. And in Japan, a big bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken has become the classic Christmas Day feast. These and many other global Christmas traditions are featured here in this delightful book. From decorations and activities to feasts and special treats, there's a wide range of both lovely and unusual traditions from around the globe.

This perfect gift for readers, writers, and literature majors alike unearths the quirks of the English language. For example, do you know why a mortgage is literally a “death pledge”? Why guns have girls’ names? Why “salt” is related to “soldier”? Discover the answers to all of these etymological questions and more in this fascinating book for fans of of Eats, Shoots & Leaves. The Etymologicon is a completely unauthorized guide to the strange underpinnings of the English language. It explains how you get from “gruntled” to “disgruntled”; why you are absolutely right to believe that your meager salary barely covers “money for salt”; how the biggest chain of coffee shops in the world connects to whaling in Nantucket; and what, precisely, the Rolling Stones have to do with gardening. This witty book will awake the linguist in you and illuminate the hidden meanings behind common words and phrases, tracing their evolution through all of their surprising paths throughout history.

‘It’s a tough gig to write a book that is both academic and accessible. And yet Stuart and Amy have pulled this off. It is a brilliant boon to the English teaching community.’ - Mary Myatt Ready to Teach: A Christmas Carol brings together the deep subject knowledge, resources and classroom strategies needed to teach Dickens’s most famous Christmas story, as well as the pedagogical theory behind why these ideas work, helping teachers to deliver a knowledge-rich curriculum with impact. With fresh approaches building on the success of Ready to Teach: Macbeth, each chapter contains lesson-by-lesson essays and commentaries that enhance subject knowledge on key areas of the text alongside fully resourced lessons reflecting current and dynamic best practice. The book also offers an introduction to the key pedagogical concepts which underpin the lessons and why they are proven to help students develop powerful knowledge and key skills. Whether you are new to teaching or looking for different ways into the text, Ready to Teach: A Christmas Carol is the ideal companion to the study of this 19th century classic. With a foreword by Mary Myatt.