We put candles in our windows each fall and keep them there through Christmas, New Year’s, and the winter. I love the feeling of warmth and hospitality they send forth each night when we light them. So I especially loved An Early American Christmas by Tomie dePaola.
I confess I’m not generally a big fan of Tomie dePaola books, but I just adore An Early American Christmas. This story about a family who brings the candles in the window tradition to their New England town is a hard to find, but well worth the effort.
An Early American Christmas
A German family moves to a New England town where no one celebrates Christmas. (If you aren’t familiar with church and early American history, this was common long ago in some parts of New England.) This new family celebrates and the book tells the story of all they do to prepare in the fall and up until Christmas.
They make bayberry candles to burn in the window, harvest their food, make mounds of cookies, carve a new figure for the creche, and decorate their home.
And then they put the candles in the windows and begin to sing on Christmas Eve.
What will the town do?
An Early American Christmas is a wonderful book to add to your Christmas reading!
Little Bear’s Trousers {Homeschooling with Cozy Books}
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