What are the things that make Christmas Christmas in Canada?” Derek McCormack answers this question in his first non-fiction title, Christmas Days. Set out like the Advent calendars McCormack remembers from his childhood, the book’s 24 chapters provide a history of the Canadianness of artificial snow, Santa Claus and all his paraphernalia, Christmas trees, holly and mistletoe, Christmas Seals, and the development of wrapping paper, cards, corsages, and the many other traditions we all remember from our childhoods.

McCormack provides an abundance of fascinating background and trivia surrounding the development of our holiday traditions. He also provides a history of the individuals, manufacturers, and retailers whose products delighted generations of Canadians. While they all profited from the commercial juggernaut that Christmas became, many of them have long since vanished from the landscape.

McCormack’s brisk, clipped prose style complements the sting of his sardonic sense of humour. He writes of kids who “climbed holly trees, which topped out at thirty feet. The children chopped branches that had berries. The branches fell. Sometimes the kids did, too.” Seth’s many illustrations, bold yet whimsical, take their inspiration from McCormack’s prose.

Christmas Days also reminds the reader how toxic Christmas really is – and not just because of the relatives. Many of the goods produced to decorate holidays past and present contain harmful chemicals or are highly flammable, such as Christmas trees, artificial snow, and Santa’s suit. Mistletoe is poisonous, and some people are allergic to Christmas trees.

Part of Christmas Days’ appeal lies in its evocation of sentimental childhood memories. Who does not remember posing for a photograph on Santa’s knee in a department store or mall? What we forget, and what McCormack reminds us, is that those fond memories only encourage the commercialization of Christmas, making it at once one of the best and least loved holidays of the year.