Did you know that many popular aspects of the traditional Christmas celebration stem in part from the writings of Washington Irving? Irving's 1812 revisions to A History of New York, for instance, include a dream sequence about St. Nicholas flying above treetops in a wagon, a concept that would later evolve into the Santa Clause that is beloved today. In the Christmas stories included in Irving's popular Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, his depictions of the festivities at an old-fashioned Christmas celebration contributed to the revival of the holiday in the United States. Even Charles Dickens, author of the classic A Christmas Carol, was inspired by Irving's portrayals of Christmastime. With charming illustrations by British artist Cecil Aldin, this 1908 collection of Irving's Christmas sketches will make you want to curl up with a glass of steaming cider next to a fire roasting with chestnuts.
By Washington Irving