As the song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." And the weirdest. Friends and neighbors, married couples and lovers, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren gather together and celebrate Christmas . . . Hanukkah . . . the Winter Solstice . . . Humbug Day. And for every familiar carol sung and every turkey dinner eaten and every red stocking hung, there are curses hurled, trees turned upside-down, and lumps of coal regifted. And that's just the beginning. In "The Upside-Down Christmas Tree, " anyone looking to laugh their way through the stress of the holidays will discover what truly strange goings-on go on behind closed doors in homes and towns around the world during the twelve days of Christmas, including: * Weird holiday food and drink traditions and toasts* Unusual decorations and celebrations* Shopping idiosyncrasies, presents from hell, and bizarre gift exchanges* Wild and wacky variations on the Santa Claus theme* Dysfunctional family antics associated with the holidays* What people will do to avoid going home for the holidays* Family and cultural traditions from around the globe