Holiday Traditions

It is one year after the triplets changed their lives and relocated to Asheville, each starting off in a new direction. Once again, the holidays bring challenges and change, happiness and heartbreak, and the power of unbreakable family bonds. Join these strong, funny, and loving women as the holiday spirit lifts them as high as the Blue Ridge Mountains as they celebrate old traditions and create a few new ones along the way.

The holly-jolly holidays aren’t for everyone, least of all when you look back on that one Christmas when there were two definitely haunted dolls waiting for you and your sister under the tree. You have to assume that’s where it all started. And so it was for Jenny Lawson. Now, she lives in the land of eternal Halloween, as evidenced by her interior decor and general state of darkness. (Although, if you ask her, her taxidermy zoo is less dark, more delightful. But not everyone has taste, so what are you going to do?)

Maddox Delaney wasn’t all that famous; she was well-known by association. Surrounded by her famous, coupled-off friends, Maddox had thought she had her chance at love. So, while a New Year’s Eve Party hosted by some of her closest friends isn’t really her idea of fun, it might just be what she needs. She’s definitely not planning on kissing anyone at midnight. That is, until she meets Avery. As the party unfolds, Maddox and Avery not only keep running into each other; they are finding excuses to. What happens when the clock strikes midnight? One party. One chance.

Ever wonder why everyone wants to immigrate to America? Rediscovering America answers that question, and it’s like no other history you have ever encountered. More than an account of people, dates, and events, this story is about the hidden hand of a purposeful historical development where the main actors are colorful characters, participating in an American drama of little-known but remarkable events where overcoming incredible odds of failure is more unbelievable and engaging than fiction.

Once fall hits and the chilly weather settles in, the holiday season has begun! And nothing embodies holiday spirit more than the continuing of family traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. May it be sharing stories at the dinner table, laughs on the porch, or just time spent alone - everyone has their own ritual. Join Dana Cowin, author and former editor-in-chief of Food & Wine, as she chats with some of today’s most popular chefs and food personalities.

Holiday traditions are so deeply entrenched in our culture, but represent a deception so complete that they have become one of Satan’s greatest victories. You've grown up celebrating various holidays, yet you don't know where they originate. They come from the celebration of pagan gods. You owe it to yourself to learn the truth. Find out how the observance of these holidays may be robbing you of spiritual fulfillment.

The Pilgrims' celebration of the first Thanksgiving is a keystone of America's national and spiritual identity. But is what we've been taught about them or their harvest feast what actually happened? And if not, what difference does it make? Through the captivating story of the birth of this quintessentially American holiday, veteran historian Tracy McKenzie helps us to better understand the tale of America's origins—and for Christians, to grasp the significance of this story and those like it.

Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday’s Traditions reveals the surprising, quirky, mysterious, and sometimes horrifying stories behind the most wonderful time of the year.

For the first time since their children were born, empty nesters Judith and Stan Winters spent Thanksgiving alone, without the kids and grandkids. It’s looking like Christmas will be the same. Judith can hardly bear the thought and struggles even to decorate the house. But soon some wonderful and totally unexpected events turn things completely around, starting with that box of "ugly ornaments" (as Stan calls them). Could they be the key to rescuing their Christmas this year? A "beautifully written story" for the holiday season, or any time of the year.

It’s time to celebrate Christmas. There’s so much to do! Make cookies and decorate the Christmas tree. Have dinner with your family. Exchange presents. This important Christian holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Daniel West has a problem... The woman he’s secretly been in love with since middle school has no interest in romance or marriage. Michelle Dennis has only ever seen their relationship as best friends, and has told Daniel repeatedly that she doesn’t want to get married or have children. Not being able to turn her heart toward his is yet another failure in his life, and he finally gives up on having any chance with her so thoroughly, that he allows his friend and co-worker to pursue her. Michelle carries a secret, too, the only one she’s never told Daniel. Her adamant insistence that ...

"Deck the Halls: The Ultimate Guide to Christmas" Get ready to make this holiday season your most magical yet with Deck the Halls: The Ultimate Guide to Christmas! This all-in-one festive companion takes you on a journey through the history and heart of Christmas, exploring the origins of cherished traditions and the fascinating ways it’s celebrated around the globe. Discover delicious recipes for holiday sweet treats and drinks and find inspiration for thoughtful gift-giving with creative ideas that will delight everyone on your list. Learn how to transform your home into a winter ...

Anyone who laments the excesses of Christmas might consider the Puritans of colonial Massachusetts: they simply outlawed the holiday. The Puritans had their reasons, since Christmas was once an occasion for drunkenness and riot, when poor "wassailers" extorted food and drink from the well-to-do. In this intriguing and innovative work of social history, Stephen Nissenbaum rediscovers Christmas's carnival origins and shows how it was transformed, during the nineteenth century, into a festival of domesticity and consumerism.

Not so very long ago, Yuletide was as much a chilling season of ghosts and witches as it was a festival of goodwill. In The Old Magic of Christmas, you'll rub elbows with veiled spirits, learn the true perils of elves, and discover a bestiary of enchanted creatures. Rife with the more frightful characters from folklore and the season's most petulant ghosts, this book takes you on a spooky sleigh ride from the silvered firs of a winter forest to the mirrored halls of the Snow Queen.

This FBI agent’s new mission? Busting Santa Claus. Joan Jenkins just took down one of the FBI’s most-wanted fugitives. But an injury forces her to go home and recover. That’s where she comes face-to-face with her childhood nemesis. Nick Goodman, III, is trying to inherit the family business. But he needs one more thing before the Christmas deadline. His Mrs. Claus. He might have just found the perfect candidate. Too bad she’s trying to bust him for fraud. This might call for a little holiday magic to turn these enemies into lovers. Spying on Santa is a sweet-ish holiday romantic ...

Classic, charming, and magical… take on a whole new meaning this Christmas! Cade Pruitt had only two things he loved – his car and the holidays. After repeated failed relationships, he had given up dating until a ‘sled’ rolled right through a stop sign, careening into his 1932 Ford Coupe – and his world. Holly Beary was done with dating ‘guys’ and wanted a real man in her life. Someone who would fight for her, woo her, and sweep her right off her feet. Where were all the knights in shining armor and why on earth was the man in the ‘rust-bucket’ now losing his cool in the ...

The night she came back to Winter Haven, I should’ve killed her. But instead, I made her my prisoner. Vera was mine before she betrayed me. Now she claims our child is alive—the child she said was stillborn. I’m torn between the man I must be and the monster I’ve become. I want to make her suffer. I want to tear her apart. But in the cold, the heat between us won’t die. Every kiss drags me deeper, every glance sets me on fire. The line between revenge and desire blurs with every minute we’re together. She’s hiding something, and I’ll use her body to get the truth. I’ll ...

The History of Santa Claus is a book that you will want to listen to again and again before passing it on to your children so that they’ll know the true identity of Saint Nicholas and what he has really been up to for so many centuries. You and your family will learn how Santa Claus has been influenced by dozens of diverse cultural influences in as many countries while nevertheless being embraced as the kindly figure named Saint Nick.

Five wishes...one special place...and a miracle to make it happen each Christmas. The Summers family always chose somewhere special to spend their Christmas holiday instead of at home. Every year their holiday vacation destination was different and carefully determined their Christmas wishes. Hannah and her children loved their Christmas holiday tradition even though it was never easy for everyone to be completely satisfied and this year was no different...or was it? Daniel Summers quickly offered to handle the arrangements for their upcoming Christmas holiday vacation. He knew his mother ...

Groundhog Day puts weather prediction in the paws of a rodent! To celebrate this holiday, some people watch Punxsutawney Phil in person, on TV, or online. Others make springtime crafts or have groundhog parties. Listeners will discover how a shared special day can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.