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First, is it season’s greetings or seasons greetings? There’s nothing like sitting down to fill out the holiday cards and realizing you’re not quite sure what to do with your apostrophe. Do you wish your friends and family “season’s greetings”? Or, should it be “seasons’ greetings”? Maybe you can just bypass that pesky punctuation altogether? Hey, if you’re sloppy enough, the smudged ink might just …
Traditionally, turkey is served on Thanksgiving. It’s the star of the meal. However, some people are even more enthusiastic about its reliable sidekick—stuffing … or is it called dressing? What is stuffing? Americans are hardly the first people to stuff their roast birds. Evidence suggests in Ancient Rome and throughout the Middle East that people put bread, spices, and all kinds of other goodies into …
November 11th is the 315th day of the year (except on leap years). It’s also Veterans Day, a federal holiday honoring all military veterans. Why is Veterans Day 11/11? The holiday marks the anniversary of the 1918 signing of the Armistice, which took place in a railway carriage, between the Allies and Germany. This event marked the end of fighting on the Western Front in the …
Halloween is actually just the beginning of a string of otherworldly holidays. The tricks, treats, and customs of Halloween, now mostly secular, are based in part on ancient Celtic and Christian festivals. But did you know that the Halloween customs extend past October 31? In fact, the day after Halloween is a celebrated day in many parts of the world. What is All Saints’ Day? November …
Halloween is primarily marked by putting on a disguise and asking for candy, but Halloween draws on two historic celebrations: the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints’ Day. The spooky festival’s name, however, comes from only one. Why is it called Halloween? Samhain is a Celtic word that some scholars think means “summer’s end,” and it marks the beginning of winter …
The death of George Floyd in May 2020 has sparked a cultural reckoning with systemic racism and violence in the US against Black, Brown, and Indigenous people, present and past—including the very story many of us are taught about the “discovery” of America. Statues of Christopher Columbus, whose landing in America is commemorated on October 12 each year, have been in some instances officially taken …
What is Rosh Hashanah? Rosh Hashanah, usually commemorated in September, marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. At sunset, families and friends gather to pray and then eat the traditional honey and apples, which symbolize the hope for a sweet new year. Rosh Hashanah, also spelled Hashana or Ha-shanah, comes from Hebrew and, most simply put, means “beginning of the year.” According to the Hebrew Bible, Rosh …
For many of us, Labor Day means the end of summer vacation, a guilt trip for anyone wearing white, and an excuse for department stores to have sales. But, it’s important to keep in mind the true history behind this holiday: Labor Day is a celebration of laborers, of workers. And, it was introduced at a time when labor meant something far more grueling than …
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Mar 1, 2021