Holidays

Blog, Holidays

When You Think Of Fall You Think Of Apples! Yum!

When You Think Of Fall You Think Of Apples! Yum! An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (Malus domestica). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found. […]
Blog, Holidays

It Will Shake Your Nerves and Rattle Your Brain: Virginia Haunted Church Hill Tunnel!

It Will Shake Your Nerves and Rattle Your Brain: Virginia Haunted Church Hill Tunnel! All aboard! Visit the haunted C&O Church Hill Tunnel in Richmond. Tunnels and superstition seem to go hand-in-hand. There are many people who feel a sense of foreboding when entering a tunnel. Perhaps it’s the absence of light or the feeling […]
Blog, Holidays

Working in the Coal Mines: Going Down, Down!

Working in the Coal Mines: Going Down, Down! Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states. After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement developed to secure state legislation. New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first […]
Blog, Holidays

Memorial Day: Let Summer Begin!

Memorial Day: Let Summer Begin! Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. A Little History, Please: Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday […]

Blog When You Think Of Fall You Think Of Apples! Yum! When You Think Of Fall You Think Of Apples! Yum! An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (Malus domestica). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found. […]

Blog It Will Shake Your Nerves and Rattle Your Brain: Virginia Haunted Church Hill Tunnel! It Will Shake Your Nerves and Rattle Your Brain: Virginia Haunted Church Hill Tunnel! All aboard! Visit the haunted C&O Church Hill Tunnel in Richmond. Tunnels and superstition seem to go hand-in-hand. There are many people who feel a sense of foreboding when entering a tunnel. Perhaps it’s the absence of light or the feeling […]

Blog Working in the Coal Mines: Going Down, Down! Working in the Coal Mines: Going Down, Down! Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states. After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement developed to secure state legislation. New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first […]

Blog Memorial Day: Let Summer Begin! Memorial Day: Let Summer Begin! Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. A Little History, Please: Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday […]

Blog St. Patrick’s Day: Then and Now St. Patrick’s Day: Then and Now Modern St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, at least in the United States, are likely be to characterized by commercial lucky charms and green beer—all of which has very little to do with the historical figure of the saint. As it turns out, it took centuries for the holiday to accrue […]

Blog Roll Out the Ole Yule Log! You Will Have a Barrel of Fun! Roll Out the Ole Yule Log! You Will Have a Barrel of Fun! Burning the Yule log is one of the oldest Christmas customs. In fact, it predates Christianity in pagan rituals that eventually merged with Christian holiday traditions in the early Middle Ages. Today, few Americans still follow the Old World tradition of placing […]

Blog No Matter a Peacock or Partridge it is still in a Pear Tree. No Matter a Peacock or Partridge it is still in a Pear Tree No matter if you love it or hate it, the “12 Days of Christmas” song is a holiday staple. Sure, you might prefer belting out other beloved Christmas carols like “Feliz Navidad” or Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” […]

Blog Spooky, Creepy, Morbid, Yes Christmas Cards! Spooky, Creepy, Morbid, Yes Christmas Cards! Some of the Earliest Christmas Cards Were Morbid and Creepy. Santa kidnapping children and murderous mice were par for the course in the Victorian-era Christmas card tradition. In the 19th century, before festive Christmas cards became the norm, Victorians put a darkly humorous and twisted spin on their seasonal […]

Blog Plum Pudding: By Any Other Name and Holiday Plum Pudding: By Any Other Name and Holiday Plum Pudding is often associated with Christmas thanks to Charles Dickens, but it is served at Thanksgiving as well and special occasions. Call it what you may it is delicious! Christmas pudding is sweet dried-fruit pudding traditionally served as part of Christmas dinner in Britain and other […]

Blog Thanksgiving: Thomas Jefferson Secret Holiday Thanksgiving: Thomas Jefferson Secret Holiday Thomas Jefferson’s had a very Complicated Relationship with Thanksgiving. The third president declined to participate in the tradition. Since the United States became a nation, people have come together to count their blessings, feast on bountiful foods and give thanks with family and friends. These days, Thanksgiving celebrations usually involve […]

Blog Did Florida Host the First Thanksgiving? What!!! Did Florida Host the First Thanksgiving? What!!!!! More than 50 years before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Spanish colonists in Florida feasted with Native Americans in what some call the first Thanksgiving. Blaring trumpets and thundering artillery serenaded Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés as he waded ashore on September 8, 1565. The Spanish admiral kissed […]

Blog The Mother State of Presidents: Virginia! The Mother State of Presidents: Virginia! Historically, Virginia has been the most common birthplace of U.S. presidents, with eight in total; although seven of these were born in the 1700s, and Woodrow Wilson is the most recent Virginian to have been elected president, in 1912. Depending on how you calculate things, several different states can […]

Blog Heart of My Heart…Valentine’s Day! Heart of My Heart ….. Valentine’s Day I love Valentine’s Day! When I was in Electuary School, we use to make Valentine mail boxes to get cards. It was always a big deal to see who received the most cards. Homemade or store bought it did not matter. Some cards we even used decorated paper bags for out cards […]