As the Christmas season begins, we are all putting up lights and decorations to make the home feel warm and welcoming. But have you wondered where the traditions come from and why they continue to be important? Dr. Joe Perry, Associate Professor of Modern German and European History at Georgia State University and author of Christmas in Germany: A Cultural History, comes to Charleston to explain the importance of this holiday. Delve into the German Christmas and see why tradition is important in this pre-Christian ritual and why the holiday has been used as a tool in the German's battles amongst themselves. Charleston Library Society, 164 King St. Thursday, 12:30pm. $25, $20 CLS member. (843)723-9912, www.charlestonlibrarysociety.org