December

It happens once a year. The entire world leaves the past behind to embrace the future.   With united spirits, we all rejoice and share a magical moment at midnight. America is a young member of this global celebration, and while we have borrowed many of our New Year’s Eve traditions, we have our own […]

It is fitting that the youngest child in the family lights the first candle. Born in 1966, amidst the Civil Rights Movement, Kwanzaa is a young holiday.   With each passing year, that flame flickered brightly and grew stronger, it now shines in homes for seven days every December. Beginning the day after Christmas, a […]

Are you heading out this year or staying home for the holidays? How many hugs are you looking forward to? If you are like us, you will count enough warm and wonderful greetings to outweigh weird, annoying and crazy Christmas encounters. Some years, they all come caroling through our front door. On other holidays, we […]

Of all the reasons to celebrate the holidays, freedom of expression tops the list. We do it every year without giving it much thought. We deck the halls, decorate the tree and turn our homes into individualized declarations of our unique take on the season’s joy. The Romans got us off to a rousing start. […]

You’ve made your list and checked it twice. You’re confident about your personal balance between naughty and nice. Decorations go up. Stress levels come down. Warm and fuzzy feelings wrap everyone in holiday cheer. Eggnog Day puts a beautiful bow on top of it all every December 24. Yes, it’s official, but we’re not sure […]

Everyone joins in the singing of carols, the sipping of eggnog and the wrapping of presents. We love hanging mistletoe over doorways and stockings on mantles. Holidays would be unimaginable without these merry rituals. The season would also be unbearable without the Christmas Eve traditions that lurk in the corners of our hearts.   Nightmares, […]

The crisp air takes on a chilly snap as the leaves finally give up their hold on bare branches. Children stomp their feet waiting for the school bus while pets sneeze on their way back inside. The warmest mufflers come down from the top shelf, the heaviest coats tumble out of the closet, and extra […]

We’ve all seen Currier and Ives paintings of carolers standing under street lamps, or strolling through snowy streets carrying lanterns and songbooks. Today’s caroling scenes are less idyllic, but folks still turn out on Go Caroling Day, celebrated annually on December 20, to croon their way through neighborhoods, shopping malls and senior centers. The tradition […]

Christmas is six days away. It’s time to bundle up and cast aside the dread of untangling strings of lights.   Today is December 19, Look for an Evergreen Day.   Because of their aromatic powers, most of us believe that only a live specimen will do. Whether your preference is pine, fir or spruce, […]

Two candles make the difference between a menorah and a hanukkiah. There are 16 ways to spell Hanukkah, but Chanukah is the most popular alternative. It’s older than Christmas by at least 170 years, but it didn’t become widely celebrated until the 1800s. One observance and a few differences blend together for eight very bright […]