Nothing warms the heart like Christmastime. All of us have precious memories of yuletide cheer, from the excitement of anticipation to the frenzy of preparations to the heartfelt family moments.
Buoyed by the "contagious joy" of Christmas among his congregations in Buffalo and Boston, Fr. Francis X. Weiser compiled a treasure trove of Christmas lore to enrich holiday celebrations for generations to come. Fr. Weiser, who was born in Austria and emigrated to the United States, had long been fascinated by American Christmas culture, which he saw as a consolidation of all the most beloved traditions from the nation's diverse immigrant communities.
He relied on interviews with parishioners, once-lost documents, and well-known material culture to get to the root of such cherished customs as Nativity plays, gift giving, and Christmas caroling.
In addition to exploring the cultural origins of beloved Christmas traditions, Fr. Weiser
