History’s Story

Articles on Holiday History

Word of the Week – Thanksgiving
So...how have I never actually done thanksgiving as a Word of the Week??? I've looked into the history of the holiday, but not actually the word. An oversight we shall rectify. 😉 The word thanksgiving as "the act of giving thanks" dates to 1530, with what I hope is...
Word of the Week – Eucharist
We are still in the "Thanksgiving" theme over here. And any Catholics among us (or Greek/Latin scholars, or church historians or theologians) will take one look at this Word of the Week and say, "Well, duh, of course you are." Simply--eucharist literally means...
Word of the Week – Wishbone
Ever wonder what the deal is with the tradition of pulling apart the turkey's wishbone? As we enter Thanksgiving month here in the US, I thought it would be fun to look into some of our history for this holiday that you might not already know. First, the word...
Holiday History – Spruce
Our favorite Christmas tree is a blue spruce. The needles are super poky, yes, but the branches are sturdy enough to hold pretty much any ornament...and I have some heavy ones! Because of my love for the spruce family, I perked up when I saw spruce on a list of...

Over the years, Roseanna has done a lot of research into holiday traditions–Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, New Years, Passover, and more.

Advent – The Savior Will Come

Advent – The Savior Will Come

Though Christ has already been born in that stable, in this season, we dwell on yearning for Him, longing for Him like the world did leading up to that miracle.

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Remember When . . .Christmas Was in the Air?

Remember When . . .Christmas Was in the Air?

Since I did a bit of a round-up in this week's Word of the Week post, I thought I'd continue that trend today. 😀 Here you'll find a list of all my past Christmas-themed posts throughout the years (or all the ones my search turned up, anyway, LOL). Have you missed one?...

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Remember When . . . the Date of Christmas Was Chosen?

Remember When . . . the Date of Christmas Was Chosen?

I don't know how many times I've heard over the years that Constantine is the one who decided Christmas would be celebrated on December 25, because it was already a pagan holiday, and this would make it easier on his people to convert to Christianity. I pretty much...

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Remember When . . . Christmas Traditions

Remember When . . . Christmas Traditions

I've blogged many times over the years about different Christmas traditions throughout history, and how we apply it to our lives. Last year, I reflected on the real spirit of Christmas. And also on who St. Nicholas really was. As I was writing Love Finds You in...

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Remember When . . . Easter Traditions Began?

Remember When . . . Easter Traditions Began?

So, this past winter I looked up the start of some of our most long-lasting Christmas traditions--namely, Santa Claus. And what I learned made me determined to revive the roots of the tradition, not abandon them altogether as I'd been tempted to do. The Easter Bunny,...

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Thoughtful About . . . Santa Claus and Giving

Thoughtful About . . . Santa Claus and Giving

I admit it. Readily. I have occasionally had issue with the Santa question. I have friends who never introduced the concept, and part of me always wished I had put my foot down on it too. Because I never really introduced it. I just let it creep in. Whenever my kids...

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Remember When . . . You Hid the Pickle?

Remember When . . . You Hid the Pickle?

I thought I'd share a short little Christmas tradition today. =) Every year, my mother-in-law takes my kids shopping for a Christmas ornament. And for the first couple years of this tradition, she would always get them one of the glass pickles you've no doubt seen....

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Remember When . . . The Prayer Was of Thanks?

Remember When . . . The Prayer Was of Thanks?

The First Thanksgiving by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, 1912 It's my day on Colonial Quills, and in this busy week of pie-baking and turkey-thawing and dressing-making, I thought I would give everyone, both here and there, a quick, beautiful prayer from our forefathers to...

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