Happy New Year, everyone!
May all your wishes come true this year! Bonne Année! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Feliz Ano Novo! Glückliches neues Jahr! Felice Anno Nuovo! С Новым Годом! Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! Καλή πρωτοχρονιά! Blwyddyn […]
It’s Boxing Day!
December 26 = Day after Christmas = Boxing Day. “What exactly is Boxing Day?” I’m often asked, whenever I invoke my “Floating Holiday” privilege at work. “It’s the holiday the […]
A Jamaican Chrismus
There was a song that went like this: We don’t have no snow, We don’t have no sleigh, But fun we do have At Christmas J-A. So run and come […]
Happy Christmas, everyone!
For all the people of different nationalities that I’ve ever met, today I’d just like to say: Joyeux Noël! ¡Feliz Navidad! Feliz Natal! Frohe Weihnachten! Buon Natale! С Рождеством Христовым! Vrolijk Kerstfeest! Καλά Χριστούγεννα! Glædelig jul! Nadolig Llawen! Nollaig Shona!
A Festivus for the Rest of Us
Happy Festivus, everyone! As far as made-up recently created holidays go, this one has really taken off. A holiday celebrated on December 23, it gives people the option to avoid the consumerism of all other December holidays. Festivus was made famous in 1997 by Seinfeld writer, Dan O’Keefe, and depicted in […]
December Solstice
No other annual event has influenced the lives of so many people as the December solstice. For centuries, the December solstice has been at the forefront of the lives of […]
Sinterklaas in the Netherlands
Dutch children celebrate St. Nicholas’ Day, December 6, as the day when they receive presents from Sinterklaas or St. Nicholas. Parties are often held the night of December 5, Sinterklaasavond, when both […]
Gruß vom Krampus!
It is I, the Terrorizer, Saint Nick’s doppelganger, Krampus! I know most of you have forgotten me, or just plain don’t know, but I have been terrifying little European children […]
Origins & Traditions ☃ Christmas Trees
Real or artificial? Fir or birch? Spruce or pine? Inside or outside? It’s hard to imagine a Christmas without the ever-present tree. Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree lighting is an annual symbol of the holidays in New York City. Surely this is the sign that the season is in full swing? […]
Origins & Traditions ☃ Yule Logs
Yule was the name of the ancient winter festivals held by the indigenous Germanic people of Northern Europe. In fact on the modern calendar, yuletide lasts for the period between late November and early January. The word “Yule” has several suggested origins, including Old Norse mid-winter festival “jól” and the […]
Origins & Traditions ☃ Mistletoe and Holly
These symbols have been adorning our Christmas celebrations for centuries…why? ❄ Mistletoe Each Christmas, we hang mistletoe over doorways in an attempt to steal that kiss we’ve been dying to get all year. It’s the stuff of lyrics. But why would anyone kiss under some shrubbery? Mistletoe is a parasitic plant […]
Origins & Traditions ☃ Santa Claus
Who was Santa Claus? Father Christmas ~ Saint Nick ~ Kris Kringle ~ SinterKlaas…He is known by so many different names, bringing gifts to good children all over the world on the night before Christmas. Our modern depiction of Santa – the fat, jolly, white-bearded man in his red suit […]
Late~Night Ruminations 