Inspired by her mother's attempts to create joyful traditions in tough times, and by Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Bernadette Nason has been forever striving to find the perfect Christmas, even though childhood memories haunt her. When she reads that her hometown of Winchester is vying for the coveted title of "Most Christmassy Town in Britain," she's gobsmacked. Most Christmassy town? Snort! Not on your nelly! And, suddenly, the ghosts of Christmases past are back, and Nason is reflecting on the consequences of deep-rooted family rituals.

Blending humor and humanity, nostalgia and glee, with a bit of slapstick thrown in for good measure, Nason embarks on a compelling voyage-from 1960s Britain to strife-torn Libya, indulgent Dubai to present-day "everything's bigger in" Texas-in search of an elusive Christmas she's not sure exists. In this stirring memoir, rich with offbeat adventures, she examines her pessimism, restores a cheerful attitude to the Holidays, and discovers there's more to 25th December than holly, mistletoe, and sherry.