Anne Harvey recreates the magic and spirit of childhood Christmases through a collection of pieces of poetry, prose and illustration covering the past two centuries, reminding us of the excitement and anticipation felt by children at Christmas time. Their expectations and experiences at Christmas: the food and the presents, the preparation, the enigma of Father Christmas, the knobbly stocking, the magical tree, the sense of wonder as well as those moments of fear and disappointment, are all captured. Extracts from writers and artists including Quentin Blake, Alison Uttley, A A Milne, and Tolkien vividly remember the excitement of hanging the stockings, making Christmas puddings, singing carols, and decorating the tree.