Rick Steves' European Christmas » (DVD)

Rick Steves is on a mission: to help make European travel accessible and meaningful for Americans. Rick has spent 100 days every year since 1973 exploring Europe. He's researched and written 24 travel guidebooks and hosts the public television series Rick Steves' Europe, now in its seventh season. He also organizes and leads tours of Europe and offers an information-packed website (ricksteves.com). Rick lives in Edmonds, WA, just north of Seattle, with his family.

From England to Norway, Burgundy to Bavaria, and Rome to the top of the Swiss Alps, Rick Steves’ European Christmas gets you a seat at the family feast, up in the loft with the finest choirs, and into the kitchen with grandma and her best-kept holiday secrets. With enchanting photos and more than a dozen recipes, this great gift book captures the spirit of the season perfectly.

After producing a hundred travel shows, Rick Steves and his public television crew finally went to Europe for Christmas. And the cameras were rolling. As only they can, Rick and his gang brought home a vivid and authentic portrait of how Europeans celebrate the holiday. This book is the companion to that PBS special.

The Christmas we know today is a rich and fascinating mix of traditions that came over on the boat — an ancient celebration with pre-Christian roots. From Yule logs to mistletoe, from singing shepherds to the split personalities of Santa, from traditional recipes to the top ten ways to celebrate in Paris, you’ll learn something new — or old — about Christmas.