Tag Archives: Christmas

In a manger

Saint Francis of Assisi is given credit for creating the first live Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy 800 years ago this Christmas. St. Francis used live people and animals, I think, for the Bethlehem manger scene. This is how St. … Continue reading

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pleasant surprise

Sir Isaac Newton isn’t usually the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about Christmas. From The Daily Phoenix, Columbia, South Carolina, December 25, 1872: Christmas. The learned have long been divided in opinion as to the … Continue reading

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Charleston and Chicago on Christmas

150 years ago a couple editorials, North and South, seemed to share some similarities. From the December 25, 1871 issue of The Charleston Daily News (image 2): Christmas. May we not hope that this day of days, the festival of … Continue reading

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guns and egg-nog

And the firecrackers look like fun, too As Reconstruction was presumably trudging on, a New York City newspaper provided its readers with a couple glimpses of Christmas celebrations from the land down under, down under the Mason-Dixon line. From Harper’s … Continue reading

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Christmas Wonder

Way back in its August 14, 1869 issue, Harper’s Weekly profiled a famous American man of letters: HENRY W. LONGFELLOW. Now that LONGFELLOW — the most popular of American poets — is in England, the question is naturally asked, What … Continue reading

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conservative counterpoise

In an editorial on December 25, 1868 The New-York Times stressed that Christmas was a traditional, family time in a world of great technological change, especially the transportation revolution caused by steam power. The technological innovation led to social change: … Continue reading

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Khaki Christmas

The New York Tribune didn’t think it was dreaming in its December 22, 1918 issue. Although America entered the Great War late, its military prowess did help the French-British alliance eventually subdue the German-led coalition. One of the great promises … Continue reading

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black Christmas

An editorial 150 years ago today seemed at least somewhat nostalgic for the antebellum South. From The New-York Times December 25, 1867: Christmas at the South The contrast between the Christmas of to-day and the Christmas which was known before … Continue reading

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whose (night) cap?

I have always been thankful for the 19th century investigative report, “A Visit from from St. Nicholas.” First published anonymously in the Troy Sentinel on Dec. 23, 1823, the report was later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore and has become … Continue reading

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devilish plot

Or consider Christmas – could Satan in his most malignant mood have devised a worse combination of graft plus buncombe than the system whereby several hundred million people get a billion or so of gifts for which they have no … Continue reading

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