Prior to electric and gas heating, if one traveled in cold weather a foot warmer of some kind in your unheated carriage, sleigh, or train compartment was a common, desirable solution. Known as foot warmers, or foot stoves by the Dutch, the simplest were punched tin in a wooden frame...
An entire period is titled for him, so who was he exactly? The Prince of Wales ruled as Regent in his father’s stead for a mere nine years, and was King for only ten years. Why has so much history revolved around his short reign? GEORGE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK was born at...
I almost didn’t write this blog. Truth is, I am unfamiliar with the Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas. Or rather, I have heard the song a few times but could not quote a single line. That isn’t to say I do not appreciate that it is a favored hymn to...
In North America, the species of deer we primarily associate with driving Santa Claus’s sleigh are called caribou. The genus name is Rangifer tarandus, within which are several subspecies. As with many species in the vast animal kingdom, the names attributed to subspecies vary depending upon dozens of factors, only...
The classic and beloved hymn titled Oh Come, All Ye Faithful in English has a mysterious origination and very deep roots in Catholic tradition. What is known for sure is the song was written in Latin and the title is taken from the first line of the text. Adeste, fideles,laeti...
The gorgeous, vivid red and green plant known as the POINSETTIA has become a major adjunct to the other Christmas season decorations. In 2020, poinsettia sales topped an estimated $250 million. WOW! This proves the poinsettias importance in Christmas history and traditions, but how did it come to be? POINSETTIAS...
It is universally agreed that having a decorated tree inside the house as a focal point of the Christmas season became a standard in the western world thanks to Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria. Indeed, the Prince — who hailed from Schloss Rosenau near Coburg in Germany — encouraged...
Are you ready for a shocking fact? This beloved carol was not written for the Christmas season or to celebrate the birth of Christ or even to be a song! Quite a surprise, isn’t it? Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was one of the most prolific and celebrated creators of hymns. In...
Almost every year I share information on Washington Irving and the wonderful chapters about Christmas including in his famous 1819 The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. The most recent blog on the topic is from the Christmas season in 2019 and can be read via the link below. Enjoy...
Almost every year I share information on Washington Irving and the wonderful chapters about Christmas including in his famous 1819 The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. The most recent blog on the topic is from the Christmas season in 2019 and can be read via the link below. Enjoy...
Of course I can’t allow this Christmas season to pass without researching a few more holiday-themed words. The previous entry into Vocabulary Rocks! for Christmas words was in 2019 and the link is: Vocabulary Rocks! Christmas Edition with etymology for the words advent, crèche, tinsel, frankincense and myrrh, tidings, and...
I’ve never been a fan of fruitcake, however, that is due to the nuts rather than any of the usual reasons people hate this classic holiday treat. I am not technically allergic to nuts, but as far as I am concerned, I might as well be since the teeniest sliver...
The Holly and The Ivy is a traditional English Christmas song with a rich and mysterious history. The established version (see lyrics below) with the lyrics and melody was first published by English folk song collector Cecil Sharp (1859-1924) in 1909. Sharp, in turn, collected the song from from a...
Thanksgiving is past and IMO that means the Christmas season is HERE!!! I can guarantee that over this past weekend we got our tree up and I at least started decorating the house. I simply LOVE, LOVE, LOVE CHRISTMAS! Hands down my favorite holiday season, which is why I shall...
Because I’ve written so many blogs about this fabulous and unique American holiday, I am not going crazy re-posting them separately. Instead, here are links to those past blogs, which cover everything from trivia, games to entertain during the holiday, recipes, and of course the history of Thanksgiving Day itself....
