How Mrs Claus Saved Christmas (as told to Jeff Guinn)

Image taken from James Kennedy Public Library website.

I must admit, I have found it very difficult for myself to get into the Christmas Spirit this year. Because we weren't going to celebrate Christmas the way we used to every year, it just didn't feel like Christmas to me. Thankfully I found this book on sale at a book store in the city, and it did help me forget my worries and remind myself what the season is really about.

"How Mrs Claus Saved Christmas" is a book that details exactly what the title suggests. The author takes us back to England in the early 1600's, where the Puritan movement was gaining influence in Parliament. Nicholas (Santa Claus) reportedly travels to the New World, with the hope of establishing Christmas under the colonists that have arrived there. Mrs Claus chooses to stay in England and tries to help sort out the problems that threaten to destroy England's most beloved holiday - Christmas. Because the Puritans believe Christmas to be a disrespectful and irreverent way of celebrating the birth of Christ, it is their intention for Christmas to be banned. In 1647, when the Puritan Parliament decides to pass a law that punishes anybody who dares to celebrate Christmas, it is the final straw for the townspeople, who band together to form what will be known throughout history as the Canterbury March.

Although this book is a work of fiction, it is rich in historical detail. Children and adults alike can learn a lot about the Canterbury March, the events that took place leading up to it, and how Christmas was celebrated in 1600's England. It is a reminder of a period in history where people had to fight to enjoy what we enjoy today. It is very cleverly written, and it helped me appreciate the holiday season a lot more.

Jeff Guinn is also author of "The Autobiography of Santa Claus" and "The Great Santa Search". Together, these books entitled "The Christmas Chronicles", and I believe what I had read was book number 3 of the series. I hope to be able to track down the other two books and read them as well, as the back cover to "How Mrs Claus Saved Christmas" contains exerpts of outstanding reviews of the other two books.

I recommend this book to anybody who feels like they're a bit of "Scrooge" around Christmastime.