History of Times Square
Every New Year’s Eve, at least a million people crowd into Times Square in New York City to watch the New Year’s ball drop. This is a tradition dating back to 1907/1908 and is watched by millions of people around … Continued
Every New Year’s Eve, at least a million people crowd into Times Square in New York City to watch the New Year’s ball drop. This is a tradition dating back to 1907/1908 and is watched by millions of people around … Continued
We sing “Here we come a-wassailing“, but what does it mean? The term was used as a simple greeting and toast. The term has evolved over the centuries. The word ‘wassail’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means … Continued
Today we use nativity scenes as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. But, how did they begin? A nativity scene depicts the birth of Jesus as told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Saint Francis of Assisi … Continued
Eggnogg is a popular Christmas drink. But, how did it originate? By the late 13th Century, monks were known to drink a posset of eggs and figs. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, posset was “a drink made of hot … Continued
We know that Jesus was not born on December 25th, so why do we celebrate his birthday on this date? The exact birthday of Jesus is unknown. Scholars believe that he may have been born sometime in either spring or … Continued
Making gingerbread, whether it is cookies or houses, has become a popular Christmas past time for many families. According to Rhonda Massingham Hart’s Making Gingerbread Houses, the first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC. An Armenian … Continued
Christmas crackers are part of the Christmas celebrations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the commonwealth countries. “Crackers were originally called ‘cosaques’ and were thought to be named after the ‘Cossack’ soldiers who had a reputation for riding on their … Continued
The Yule Log is a traditional dessert served at Christmas time. The dessert is a sponge cake made to resemble an actual miniature Yule log. The Yule Log is also known as bûche de Noël. “The name bûche de Noël originally … Continued
“The first known ‘personalized’ Christmas Card was sent in 1891 by Annie Oakley, the famous sharpshooter and star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. She was in Glasgow, Scotland at Christmas 1891 and sent cards back to her friends and … Continued
Another favorite Christmas past-time is decorating Christmas cookies. As early as 1597, Germans began hanging decorated communion wafers on their trees. The Church of England used a practice called mumming, which used food cut outs to help them depict stories … Continued