Christmas
History of Christmas Eve and the Battle of the Bulge: 81 Years Ago
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF CHRISTMAS EVE AND THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE: 81 YEARS AGO Podcast version n Christmas Eve, 1944, my father, Staff Sergeant John Petro, entered the frontline at Strasbourg with the 42nd “Rainbow” Infantry Division in 20-degree weather. He was part of three regiments – hurried from training in the U.S. – to…
Read MoreHistory of the Santa Tracker: How a Typo began Christmas tracking at NORAD
Reading Time: 3 minutesHistory of the NORAD Santa Tracker: How a typo began Christmas tracking at NORAD
Read More5 Christmas Myths, Not Found in the Nativity Story
Reading Time: 6 minutes5 CHRISTMAS MYTHS: NOT FOUND IN THE NATIVITY STORY Podcast version am often asked to explain the history behind a holiday: is it based on history, tradition, or legend? The best historical sources on the birth of Jesus are found in two Gospel accounts in the New Testament: St. Matthew and St. Luke. …
Read MoreHistory of Christmas Magi: Who were the Wise Men?
Reading Time: 3 minutesHistory of the Magi: The Wise Men. Who were they, where were they from, why did they come?
Read MoreHistory of A Christmas Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas
Reading Time: 6 minutesHISTORY OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL Podcast version harles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol was published in London on December 19, 1843. The first edition sold out by Christmas Eve. No other book or story by Dickens or anyone else (except the Bible) has been more enjoyed, referred to, criticized, or more frequently adapted to other…
Read MoreHistory of The Nutcracker: the Ballet That’s a Christmas Tradition
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF THE NUTCRACKER: THE BALLET THAT’S A CHRISTMAS TRADITION n December 18, 1892, The Nutcracker premiered at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, a week before Christmas. How did a ballet that doesn’t mention the Nativity become a Christmas favorite?
Read MoreHistory of Caesar Augustus: What Did He Have To Do With Christmas?
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF CHRISTMAS: CAESAR AUGUSTUS Podcast version he Nativity story in the Gospel of St. Matthew was written by a Jew from the tribe of Levi. It features the Jewish King Herod and the Wise Men from the East. St. Luke was likely not Jewish but a gentile, who was introduced to us in…
Read MoreHistory of Christmas: King Herod – Why was he called Great?
Reading Time: 4 minutesHistory of King Herod: Why was he called Great?
Read MoreIs Die Hard Really A Christmas Movie?
Reading Time: 4 minutesIS DIE HARD REALLY A CHRISTMAS MOVIE? cholars and historians have debated for centuries this question: “Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?” Or at least they have during the last three and a half decades since the movie was released. This is why readers have turned to me, your friendly neighborhood historian, to…
Read MoreHistory of the Christmas Star: Natural or supernatural?
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS STAR: NATURAL OR SUPERNATURAL? he Star of Bethlehem has long intrigued scholars, sparking debates and diverse interpretations of the phenomenon. While some skeptics dismiss it as a myth or a literary tool designed to emphasize the significance of the Nativity, others view it as a miraculous event beyond natural explanation, placed…
Read MoreHistory of the Poinsettia: Why is it the Christmas Flower?
Reading Time: 2 minutesHistory of the Poinsettia: the history of the “Christmas flower” from its origin in Mexico to its popularity in the US. #HistoryOfTheHolidays
Read MoreHistory of White Christmas: the most popular Christmas song ever
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF WHITE CHRISTMAS: THE MOST POPULAR CHRISTMAS SONG Podcast version ing Crosby‘s White Christmas is the best-selling Christmas song ever. It has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Other estimates indicate over 100 million records have been sold, with at least 50 million of those being singles. It’s a Guinness World Record!…
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