Something there is, to paraphrase Robert Frost, that yearns for a particular kind of Christmas — a Christmas of candlelight, a blazing fire, an aroma-rich meal, a whitespired church for services — and snow blanketing the world around.

When Heaven Smiled On Our World reminds us of why that may be so — the heritage that creates a major style for Christmas in Canada is European. Among the earliest settlers to bring that heritage were the habitants, the workers of the land of Quebec. The text has been adapted from Laurentian Heritage by Corinne Rocheleau Rouleau as it appeared in Christmas in Canada collected by Mary Barber and Flora McPherson.

An afterword gives the historical background of the event and encourages readers to explore further on their own.