May I recomend Terry Pratchett's Discworld book 'Hogfather'

You most certainly may. A good friend gave me that book as a Christmas Pressie a few years back, and I enjoyed it mightily.

I also recommend Tim Burton's film The Nightmare Before Christmas, for that old-time spooky feeling for the holiday.

And one more note in reply to Georgiansilver's comment, above (or below, if you're reading this thread in descending order ;-)):

Ms. Siefker points out that when the Christian, persona-of-the-Turkish-Bishop-Saint-Nicholas traveled from house to house, he always had a devil figure in tow, with blackened face, and a chain about his neck. The Saint represented goodness and forgiveness, and the devil (sometimes called Black Pete, or Knecht Ruprecht) repesented the punishments of Hell.

But sometimes, Knecht Ruprecht traveled alone, and when he did so, he embodied both punishment and forgiveness. Eventually, he took on Saint Nicholas's name, as well as his forgiving side.