Historical
History of the Christmas Tree
December 8 is National Christmas Tree Day. It is generally believed that the first Christmas tree was of German origin dating from the time of St. Boniface, an English missionary to Germany in the 8th century. He replaced the sacrifices to the Norse god Odin’s sacred oak — some say it was Thor's Thunder Oak — with a fir tree adorned in tribute to the Christ Child.
By Bill Petro4 years ago in FYI
First Decorated Christmas Tree
The first Christmas Tree was prepared for the holidays in Northern Europe. What we also found out was that the children in Europe believed there was a Santa Clause in Lapland in Finland while the children in North America looked forward to a visit from the Santa Clause who lived in the North Pole. Time ventured on and things changed and now the children in both Europe and North America dream of a jolly fat man dressed in red with a white beard laughing loudly ho, ho, ho.
By Rasma Raisters4 years ago in FYI
The World War Two Ship that Could Destroy my Home. Top Story - December 2021.
Twenty-one miles from my house, just off the coast, lies a shipwreck. Not unusual, you might think, as I live near the beach, but what is uncommon about this wreck is it could destroy the area I live in, in a matter of moments. This is because the SS Richard Montgomery, Monty for short, contains 1400 tonnes of explosives.
By Sam H Arnold4 years ago in FYI
STREET FOOD IN VICTORIAN LONDON
Chewy and a bony, the customers would suck the meat and fat off the bones! When Queen Victoria took the throne in 1837, family life in England was transformed through her 63-year reign, and so did the food. Victorian food was sometimes bizarre, depending on a person’s status and income. During Victorian times, London’s population boomed at an unprecedented rate. In 1801, the population was around 860,000 people. By 1871, it was over three million. The new Londoners were mainly industrial workers, and they needed to be fed.
By Paul Asling4 years ago in FYI
Christmas wreaths: The origin and various traditions
Growing up as a child of the 1960s I came to realize that wreaths hanging from doors were as much a staple of the December 25th holiday as a Christmas tree. No one ever explained why this tradition was being upheld and I never asked. As an adult living in the Internet age, I am fascinated by the origins of many of the holiday traditions that my family and others held so dear without ever saying why.
By Cheryl E Preston4 years ago in FYI
History of the 12 Days of Christmas
The 12 Days of Christmas are the dozen days in the liturgical (ecclesiastical) calendar of the Western Church between the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child (Christmas Day, December 25) and the coming of the Wise Men, or Magi, to visit at his house in Bethlehem (Epiphany, January 6).
By Bill Petro4 years ago in FYI
LONDON'S CANNIBAL CLUB
In 1863, a group of Victorian men gathered in a London club. They were there to create the Cannibal Club, a so-called anthropological society that, its members hoped, would explore far-off cultures in order to discover what made humans tick, even cannibals.
By Paul Asling4 years ago in FYI
