While Christmas has transformed itself over the centuries, from a time for the nobility to display their wealth to their dependents, to a time for adults to enjoy what little extra they could gather, to a festival … Read the article
In the midst of World War II, department stores across America were anticipating the biggest commercial Christmas rush in United States history. Fur coats, silk dinner pajamas, and ostrich capes became all the rage. But what … Read the article
Christmas Day, 1914. German and British troops have been fighting tirelessly for 5 months in one of the bloodiest wars in human history. Suddenly, an unfamiliar sound breaks the tension. A German song, followed by another. … Read the article
In 1921, Frances Lester Warner described a Christmas Eve scene in Boston with “red and white crystal” in shop windows, “lights gleaming on the slippery cross-streets, throngs of last-minute shoppers” and “bright posters still cheerfully advising us … Read the article
Every year as the days grow shorter, amidst the holly, cookies, and carols there is another timeless holiday tradition—sending and receiving Christmas cards to and from those you love. 100 Christmas Wishes is a collection of vintage … Read the article
Instead of deriving from folklore, or quaint colonial customs, or religion, the American emergence of Santa Claus was rooted in late-eighteenth-century politics, in the formation of clubs and societies based around ethnic or cultural groups, which came … Read the article
We’re all so used to holiday stamps that many people don’t realize they are a reasonably modern introduction. The first one dated from 1962—when people talked of Christmas, not ‘Holiday Season’.
History is in large part the story of consequences—both intended and unintended—as is the case for two of this season’s most celebrated holidays, Hanukkah and Christmas.
It is well known that when Alexander the Great conquered … Read the article