Ringing in the New Year: Quick History of the Times Square Ball Drop

It is attended by nearly 1 million people ever year, and it is estimated that nearly 1 billion people watch it via television world-wide. The now iconic dropping of the Times Square Ball is the single most famous New Years Eve celebration in the world. So, when did this tradition beginning? Why IS there a Ball that is dropped in the first place?

The tradition of a celebration at Times Square dates back December 31, 1903. That year, the New York Times had opened it's new headquarters at the triangularly shaped One Times Square building at what was at the time known as Longacre Square (which was renamed as Times Square in April, 1904). To celebrate the opening of their new headquarters, the Times held a big New Years Eve party in the Square, culminating in a huge fireworks display at midnight. This first party was attended by more than 200,000 people. The owner of the Times wanted to create an even bigger spectacle, and so the idea was hatched in 1907 for a large time ball to be dropped from the flag pole atop One Times Square. 

A quick aside. What is a "time ball," exactly? Well, it was used as a way to help ships sailing along the coasts to verify their marine chronometers. It would be hoisted every day at the same time from a tower and then dropped (usually at 1p.m. in the British Isles, and at 12 p.m in the United States). 

So this first Times Square Time Ball was hoisted to the top of One Time Square on December 31, 1907, and dropped one second after midnight, the followed by the fireworks as in previous celebrations. This first Time Ball was built of iron and wood, weighed close to 700 pounds and five feet in diameter, and was lit with 100 incandescent light bulbs. This same ball would be used every year until 1920. That year, a new ball was created, with the same diameter but only weighing 400 pounds. This ball was scrapped in 1955, replaced with a new ball built of aluminum, weighing only 150 pounds. This ball would remain in service until 1999, when it was scrapped and replaced with a new time ball in honor of the Millennium. This Millennium Ball was 6 feet in diameter, created by the Waterford Crystal company, and weighed nearly 1,000 pounds. In 2006, new LED lights were installed in the Ball. However, this was the last year that the Millennium Ball was used. The following year, to celebrate the centennial of the ball drop tradition, a fifth ball was created, essentially a replica of the previous ball, but with a new computerized lighting system. This Fifth Ball was only used in 2007, replaced in 2008 with a Ball that was essentially the same overall design but on a much larger scale, being 12 feet in diameter. This new ball required the installation of a new and larger flag pole atop One Times Square. Starting with this new, Sixth Ball, the Time Square Ball is on display year-round. 

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season, and I want to wish all my readers a Happy New Year! May 2013 be better than 2012. 

O Tannenbaum! Quick History of the Christmas Tree

One of my favorite things this time of year is decorating the family Christmas Tree. I drive my family crazy because I like to have the tree up within a week of Thanksgiving, and like to leave it up at least until a few days after New Years Day.
You see them everywhere. In shopping malls, churches, schools. There are Christmas Tree's on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building and the White House. They have become one of the easiest to recognize symbols of the Christmas holiday. So where did the custom come from, since it's obviously not from the biblical story of Christ's birth?

The exact origin of the "modern" Christmas tree is disputed, but generally placed during the late 1400s or early 1500s in parts of Germany, usually around the Renaissance and the Reformation. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree in winter is believed to actually predate these more modern beginnings, and in fact predate the Christianization of Europe. Pagan European tribes were known to have practices of tree worship, and the decoration of evergreens in the winter was quite common. The evergreen was revered for it's symbolism of eternal life. When the tribes converted to Christianity, this practice made the conversion with them, with the tree's seeming "eternal" qualities becoming linked to eternal life through salvation in Christ.

So that's a bit about the early origin. But how did the Christmas Tree go from small regional tradition to a global phenomenon? Short answer: thank Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert. Albert was from Germany, and when he married his wife and moved to Britain, he brought his traditions with him. In particular, he was fond of his childhood memories of the family Christmas Tree (in German, Weihnachtsbaum), and wanted to give his own children the same experiences. So the Christmas Tree became a common sight at the royal palace during the Christmas season, and, not surprisingly, was soon copied by other members of the British aristocracy, and eventually other members 
of the upper and middle classes.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert around their Christmas Tree, 1848

And how did that tradition make it to America, you ask? Well, in part by German immigrants coming to the United States and bringing with them their Christmas traditions. However, it didn't stop there. A popular drawing of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert with their children around the Christmas tree appeared in a London magazine in 1848, and was then copied two years later in an American publication in 1850, however it was altered to remove the crown from Victoria's head, making it seem like a typical American image. These influences helped spread the popularity of the Christmas tree tradition here in the United States.  

Silent Night: Part 2

Part 2: From Mutiny to Revolution and Peace

(click here for Part 1)

Anti-War Riots Rock London!

LONDON, DECEMBER 31- In response to the attack on British Truce Fighters by loyalist troops, thousands upon thousands of angry Londoners took to the streets of the British capital today to protest the actions of the government. In most quarters of the city, the police simply stayed out of the way, concentrating their presence around Buckingham Palace and around the Houses of Parliament, which seemed to be the target of the marches. The crowds were calling for, among other things, the resignation of Prime Minister Asquith, for his part in the orders to fire on the Truce Fighters who refused to surrender on December 29th. Since that act, things have been unraveling on the Front, and it is now estimated that close to 180,000 British soldiers have taken up the so-called “Truce Banner,” a white flag that often has a Christmas tree in the center, and are refusing to reengage the enemy army. All told, between German and French and British troops, it is estimated somewhere between four and five hundred thousand men now are refusing to fight on the Western Front. This unprecedented event has left leaders in London and Paris stunned, unable to find a proper course of action. 

-”Anti-War Riots Rock London!” The New York Times, January 1, 1915. 

The New Years Peace Riots of 1915 are often considered the tipping point in the Christmas Truce Movement. Over the course of New Years Eve 1914 and New Years Day 1915, the cities of London, Paris, and Berlin were all paralyzed with angry mobs demanding an end to the war. In addition, there were organized protests in New York and Washington D.C., calling on the American government to try and help the peace process. Some of the strength and legitimacy for these riots can be attributed by the outspokenness of Pope Benedict XV, who cried out against the attacks the British made on their own troops on the 29th of December, and announced on the 30th that he would be more than willing to host a peace conference in Rome. 

The situation in Paris was especially volatile. The French government had managed to keep news of the Truce out of the press for days, but the story finally broke on December 31st, and the people were outraged that the government had kept them in the dark, and support for the Truce exploded across the city. The police refused to combat the riots in most parts of the city. Jean Juares and the French Socialists were the most vocal about their anger towards the government and their support of the Truce.  On New Years day, after they learned of the Truce, Juares and the French Socialists call for a nationwide general strike to show solidarity with the soldiers of the “Christmas Revolution.” Within days, much of France is paralyzed, especially in Paris. 

-Franklin, Dr. David. Peace on Earth: Christmas 1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975.

TRUCE FIGHTERS ORGANIZE

PARIS, JAN 1 - The official word circulating the French capital is that the officers taking part in the Christmas Truce have organized into what is supposedly being called the “Army of the Christmas Republic.” Several riders entered the city and were escorted by the so-called “Red Guard of Freedom” (or GRL), a socialist paramilitary group that seems to have replaced the police in the French capital every since word of the Truce broke here on New Years Eve, and were taken to the French government to supposedly present terms from the leaders of this “Christmas Army.” From what we have been able to gather and confirm, it appears that the army officers from the French, British, and German armies met at Rheims over December 30 and 31 and have established preliminary organization to their forces that now number over 200,000. In addition, the leaders meeting at Rheims also have apparently established what they call the “Christmas Republic,” which is being led by 3 men, one from each nation, who style themselves as “Consuls of the Republic.”

Not much else is know about this so-called Christmas Army, and we are just now beginning to piece together their intentions. From sources inside the French government, it is believed that the Three Consuls have demanded that France, Germany, and Great Britain immediately declare a ceasefire, and then agree to meet to work out a formal peace agreement.We are not sure if that is all they are calling for, or what they plan to do if their demands are not met. 

- “Truce Fighters Organize,” The Times (London), January 2, 1915. 

“Under no circumstances will the government of France meet with these traitors, nor will we give into their demands. By order of the Government, all French soldiers participating in this mutiny are to surrender by noon on January 3, 1915. At 1:00 in the afternoon all French forces are to engage all mutinying troops as if they were the enemy.”

-Order Issued by President Raymond Poincare and the French Government, January 2, 1915. Musee de la Revolution, Paris, PRF. 

The January 2nd Order, as it is commonly known, spurred the Christmas Army into action. They knew that the British, despite earlier failures, were considering trying a more forceful action against the mutinying forces, as were the Germans. With the French giving a new ultimatum first, the Truce Fighters had to act, and quickly. The Consuls of the so-called Christmas Republic met and decided that an army of up to 90,000 men should be dispatched towards Paris to force the issue of a cease fire with the French. at the same time, action was needed against the Germans. The French member of the Consulate, Charles Dumont, would lead an army of 80,000 mostly French troops (augmented by British soldiers) to march on Paris. Then the rest of the Christmas Army, under the leadership of Consul Henry Martin of Great Britain and Consul Friedrich Bauer of Germany would march into Germany, initially with the aim of occupying Frankfurt am Main. 

The Paris Army marched out from Rheims at approximately 11:00 a.m. on January 3, 1915, first encountering loyal French troops just before noon. They mostly dispersed, being outnumbered, and some actually joined the ranks of the Christmas Army. The First and only real battle of the Christmas Truce Movement would occur on January 4, 1915 near the town of Barcy.

-Franklin, Dr. David. Peace on Earth: Christmas 1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975.

FRENCH BATTLE CHRISTMAS ARMY!

PARIS, JAN 4 - The French Army has put up a major defensive line at the town of Barcy, East of Paris, in an attempt to stop the advancing Christmas Army troops that are marching on the French capital. It is believed that this branch of the Christmas Army, being led by Frenchman Charles Dumont, has some 80,000 French and British troops that intend to force the French government to agree to a cease fire. This move has sent shockwaves through Paris, where the French Socialists, led by agitator Jean Jaures, has taken total control over parts of the city and are calling for the resignation of President Poincare and the entire government, and for the nation to embrace a ceasefire with Germany at once. So far, it appears that the French Army have stalled the advance of what they refer to simply as “the mutineers,” but have sustained heavy losses. In addition, there are reports that many men are running over and joining the forces of the Christmas Army. If the Truce Fighters break through and make it to Paris, which isn’t an impossibility by any stretch of the imagination, it is possible that the civilian rioters could overthrow the government, sending France to even more chaos. 

-”French Battle Christmas Army!” The New York Times, January 5, 1914. 

PRESIDENT WILSON: WAR IN EUROPE MUST END

WASHINGTON, JAN 5 - After days of speculation in the capital, President Wilson has spoken out about the impromptu truce that has thrown the continent of Europe into disarray. Since Americans have learned of the “Christmas Truce,” there have been dozens of rallies across the country calling for support of the Truce Fighters and their cause. Ministers of every creed have said that it was a sign from God to end the fighting. This was of course bolstered by the Pope’s own declaration of support for the Truce on December 28. On New Years Eve, there was a massive rally in New York City calling for American support of the Truce. Many of those demonstrators were waving around the so-called “Christmas Flag,” a white banner with a green Christmas Tree in the center, a variation of what the Truce Fighters are now using. And in response to French action, there was another large march in the nation’s capital yesterday rallying for peace. 

In light of all of this, President Wilson came before members of the press and announced that, “This war has already seen nearly one million lives lost, and for what? For national pride? for a few hundred acres of land? I do not think the gains outweigh the cost in this war. And America can no longer remain silent. I call on the belligerent nations of Europe to put down the sword of war, and come to the peace table to negotiate and end hostilities. This war in Europe must end. As President of the United States, I offer these warring states our services as mediators to help end this conflict. In addition, I am now asking the members of Congress to act quickly to make American aide to the Christmas Fighters in any way possible. Along with all of this, I have directed Secretary of State Bryan to travel to Europe to meet with the leaders of this “Christmas Republic,” and to meet with European leaders to help speed up the peace process.”

-”President Wilson: War in Europe Must End.” The Washington Post, January 6, 1915. 

With America lending its support to the Christmas Army on January 5, and the planned economic sanctions that the leaders of Congress were preparing, the days of the War of 1914 were numbered. What became the death blow to any serious plans of continuing the war happened on January 7, 1915. That morning, the Christmas Army, fresh from victory over the French at Barcy, arrived in Paris. The pre-revolutionary mood that had gripped the city since the first of January exploded into outright Revolt. the Red Guard seized control of the government quarter and kept the government under guard as the Truce Fighters, led by Consul Dumont, was escorted into the city, greeted mostly as heros. In many places, Parisians waved the Christmas Banner and cheered the soldiers as the occupied key areas of the city. At noon, Consul Dumont and his staff met with President Poincare and head of the Socialists, Jean Juares. About an hour and a half later, church bells rang out across the city, as it was announced that Poincare and his ministers had signed official orders declaring a cease fire for the French Army. The following morning, Juares announced that President Poincare had dissolved the government, and then went on to declare the birth of the People’s Socialist Republic of France. Juares and his fellow socialists leaders who would, in the coming days, work to pacify Paris and try to stabilize the country in the face of radical nationalist opposition groups led by men like George Clemenceau, in addition to confirming their commitment to the Christmas Peace and the terms agreed to by President Poincare. 

-Franklin, Dr. David. Peace on Earth: Christmas 1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975.

PEACE! KAISER DECLARES CEASE-FIRE!

BERLIN, JAN 9, 1915 - In light of the turn of events in France, which saw rebel fighters belonging to the Truce Army arrive in Paris and destabilize the government in that country and lead to a socialist revolution, the Kaiser has agreed to declare a general cease-fire on both the Western Front and the Eastern Front, effective at 10:00 a.m. on January 10th. Foreign Minister Gottlieb von Jagow has been in contact with London, and the British government has agreed to issue an official cease-fire at the same time, bringing the current war to a possibly permanent close. However, even though the war is ending, all is not stable or peaceful. Socialist agitation in the capital and in numerous other cities continues, and is believed to be why the Kaiser agreed to a cease-fire, to avoid a repeat of what occurred in France. In addition, there are over 150,000 German soldiers currently aligned with with the Christmas Truce Army, technically committing treason and desertion.  A good portion of that Army is also on the march within Imperial territory, believed to have been originally bound for Frankfurt, although now it appears to have shifted course to the south, possibly to Strasbourg, capital of Elsass-Lothringen, the territory that France has refused to recognize belongs to the German Empire since the Franco-Prussian War. There is some speculation that the Christmas Army and it’s so-called Republic wish to occupy this territory and call for it to be independent, neither part of Germany nor France. 

- “Peace! Kaiser Declares Cease-Fire!” Frankfurter Zeitung, January 10, 1915. 

(Click Here for Part 3)

Silent Night: Part 1

Part 1: From Holiday Truce to Mutiny

(Click here for Prologue)

WAR IN EUROPE HALTED BY CHRISTMAS, TRUCE LINGERING

LONDON, DEC 26- Although the British Government has yet to say anything officially, there are confirmed reports that the fighting on the Western Front of the current European War has stopped. There are not a lot of details as of yet, but it appears that an informal truce broke out in the trenches in western France on Christmas Day, and it now appears that some soldiers, not only from Britain but France and Germany as well, have refused to reengage in the fighting. There has not been any official statement about this latest war development, and it would appear that the government is attempting to keep word from leaking out. Not a single paper here in the British capital has reported any news of the truce. That fact that fighting halted in light of the Christmas holiday in and of itself seems to be a miracle. That soldiers are now possibly wanting peace to continue is hardly fathomable. There is something that warms the heart, however, at the idea that the “Spirit of Christmas” seems to have the power to stop the fighting, even if only for a moment. Maybe it is a sign of things to come.

EDITORS NOTE: this article was written originally with the intent to be run on the day after Christmas, but agents of the British government attempted to stop it from being sent by wire until our correspondents there complained to the American Embassy in London. 

-”War in Europe Halted By Christmas, Truce Lingering,” The New York Times, December 27, 1914.

When Prime Minister Asquith and his government met on December 27, 1914, they were not in a good mood. They’d hoped that over night the mutinying soldiers would come to their senses and return to their posts, and had given instructions to the BEF commanders to allow them to do so. Instead, the number of those refusing to take up arms had doubled to nearly 50,000, and it was rumored that the officers among that number were conspiring with their enemy counterparts that were also refusing to fight. Conspiring to do what, they didn’t yet know. But the idea frightened them. What frightened them worse was that they didn’t know what to do about it. They couldn’t very well just let the troops refuse to fight. But with that number, they could fight back. And what would the loyal troops do if ordered to fire on their comrades? Ultimately, Asquith decided he and his government could decide nothing without the King. In a meeting with King George V later that evening, a decision was made. If the mutineers did not return to their posts by sunrise on December 29, loyal troops would go in and arrest them, and be authorized to use lethal force if necessary. The decision would come back to haunt the men within days. 

-Franklin, Dr. David. Peace on Earth: Christmas 1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975. 

"On this day when we remember the slaughter of innocent young children whose only crime was to be present in Bethlehem when Herod's soldiers came, we remember with sadness that many innocent people both in uniform and out of it have been killed in this terrible war. Just as Herod's murder of these young innocents served no useful purpose other then to assauge the political desires of an evil king to remain in power, so this war has served no purpose other then to further the political and economic goals of a few people. It is time for peace. It is time for Christians who truly understand what it is to be peacemakers to speak. "Blessed are the peacemakers for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." This was spoken by the One whose Nativity we just celebrated and on whose day this glorious movement of peace began. We call upon all the faithful throughout the world to offer their prayers and support to these brave men who are now seeking to be peacemakers and we call on the whole Church to stand with them in this hour."

-From Pope Benedict XV’s message on the Feast of Holy Innocents, December 28, 1914. Vatican Archives, Vatican City. 

WAR HALTED BY COMMON SOLDIERS! GOV’T REMAINS SILENT

LONDON, DEC 28 - We have now confirmed that upwards of 50,000 troops, possibly more, of His Majesty’s Armed Forces have refused to resume fighting on the Western Front in France after an impromptu truce broke out on the 25th in observance of the Christmas holiday. Reports state that soldiers from the British, German, and French armies hoisted white flags and met one another between the two opposing trench lines to trade food, burry the dead, hold Christmas services, and even to play football. It appears that the following day, many of the troops refused to go back to their posts, and that this number has been increasing in the few days since the truce started, and it appears that soldiers in the French and German armies are also refusing to return to their posts. As of yet, the government has made no official statement about the developing situation in France, and it would appear that there was a concerted effort on behalf of the Asquith government to prevent word of this “Christmas Truce” from making it to press. An unnamed official at the War Office stated that it was the hope of the government that the Truce would just go away on it’s own before it was reported in the press. 

-”War Halted By Common Soldiers! Gov’t Remains Silent,” The Times (London), December 29, 1914.

FIGHT HALTS ON FRONT IN THE WEST

BERLIN, DEC 28- The Imperial government has confirmed that a Truce broke out on Christmas Day on the Western Front in France between the armed forces of the Reich and that of Great Britain and France. This truce was not sanctioned by the General Staff or the Kaiser. Instead it seems to have been started spontaneously by the foot-soldiers. There has been some rumor of socialists being involved, but this has yet to be substantiated. What is most disturbing is that there have been unconfirmed rumors circulating in some circles that this “Christmas Truce” has not ended yet, that there are some soldiers refusing to reengage the enemy now that Christmas has passed. We do not at this time know just how many are involved or if this is also occurring on the enemy side of the trenches, and all requests for more information from officials at the Palace have been ignored. 

-”Fight Halts on Front in the West,” Frankfurter Zeitung, December 29, 1914. 

When dawn broke on December 29, the number of British troops alone now refusing to fight numbers over 80,000. Field Marshal French ordered troops loyal to the army to head to mutinying areas and begin to arrest those refusing to return to their posts. When they arrived, the men they were supposed to arrest greeted them with guns raised, saying that they were not going to return to the fighting. Some called out for the loyal troops to join the “Christmas Army,” as the men had started to call themselves. After several tense moments, one of the loyal officers ordered his men to open fire. A few did, and some of the mutineers were injured, but what happened next was the worst fears of those sitting in London. The loyal troops turned on the officer who’d ordered them to fire. And some of the other officers joined their men. What was supposed to have been an arrest soon backfired. When word began to spread through the ranks that the higher-ups had ordered troops to fire on their fellow troops, things began to unravel. By the end of the 29th, mutinying troops numbered over 100,000, and  this number nearly doubles by the end of the next day, and by then the officers in the mutinying forces from all three armies were organizing what would become the official Christmas Army and later the Christmas Republic. And public response to the shootings would be just as violent. 

-Franklin, Dr. David. Peace on Earth: Christmas 1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975.

December 29- We’ve gone and blown it. We should never have ordered the troops to fire on the mutineers. From the reports that keep flooding in from the War Office, things are now unravelling pretty quickly. The loyal troops don’t like the idea that they might be ordered to shoot on the mutineers. This is the last thing we needed. And now there are confirmed reports that the mutinying officers are meeting with their counterparts from France and Germany to organize this little rebellion. And the public is likely to learn of this soon and I fear what their reaction will be. In the morning we intend to rescind the authorization to use lethal force, but I think it may be too late. 

-From the personal papers of Herbert Henry Asquith, former Prime Minister of Great Britain (1908-1915). British National Archives, London.

POPE’S CALL TO ACTION STIRRING UNREST

NEW YORK, DEC 29 - In many Catholic neighborhoods in this city, the word’s of Pope Benedict XV’s message yesterday on the Feast of the Innocents, which commemorates the babies killed at King Harrod’s command in the biblical Christmas story, has caused quite a stir. There have been discussions to form a march in Manhattan to call attention to the Christmas Truce and Mutinies that have occurred on the Western Front in France, and to call for American support for the mutineers. And this idea isn’t just popular among Catholics. Minister’s everywhere have been heartened by the news that the Christmas holiday has caused the soldiers on the front lines to try and bring about peace. And it isn’t just the public at large that are starting to speak out. Some members of Congress have spoken out in favor of sending aid to the mutineers, and still others saying that the United States should offer to broker a peace deal between the warring states in Europe. 

-”Pope’s Call to Action Stirring Unrest,” The New York Times, December 30, 1914. 

SHAME! TROOPS ORDERED TO FIRE ON “TRUCE FIGHTERS”!

LONDON, DEC 30 - It has been confirmed that troops that remained loyal to the Crown were ordered to fire upon those troops who’ve refused to return to their posts. The government apparently set a deadline for sunrise on the 29th for all troops to return without facing punishment. Shortly before noon on that day, loyal troops were sent out to arrest the Truce Fighters, which at the time was estimated to number around 75,000 of His Majesty’s troops. The Truce Fighters refused to surrender, and an unknown officer acted on orders coming ultimately from, shockingly, King George V, ordered the loyal troops to open fire. Most did not, but instead turned against their commander. As word of this travesty has spread through the troops in France, more and more have joined the Truce Fighters, and it is now estimated that over 150,000 British troops now count themselves among the Fighters. Things seem to be on the edge of unravelling. If the government does not act quickly to quell the crisis, there may be a vote of no confidence in Parliament. 

-”Shame! Troops Ordered to Fire on “Truce Fighters!,” The Times (London), December 31, 1914. 

(Click Here for Part 2)

Santa Claus: The Real Deal and the Legend

With the Christmas season now upon us, I'm hoping to have several "Did You Know?" posts relating to what is definitely my favorite holiday. After seeing the following Christmas decoration in a local hobby store and then posting a picture of it on Facebook and the subsequent debate, I knew that my first Christmas post just had to discuss the fact and legend around Santa Claus

There were a lot of comments about this picture, some complaining of the commercialization of Christmas, others about how confusing such a mix of what is often described as the religious and secular faces of the holiday together could confuse children, and the annoyance by some that such a fictional character could become such a focal part of the Christmas holiday. All this discussion got me thinking. Just where do we get the legend of Santa Claus? And how did the legend evolve into the modern day jolly incarnation we all are familiar with?

The primary real-life source for the man of legend is one Saint Nicholas of Myra. Nicholas was born in 270 AD in what was then called Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). He was a Greek Christian, and by all accounts very devout from an early age. His parents died during an epidemic when he was young, and so he was raised by his uncle, who was a Bishop. Young Nicholas would be raised in the church, and eventually become a priest, and later a Bishop. An interesting side note for those of you who know your Church history, Nicholas was one of the Bishops who signed the Nicene Creed at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.

St. Nicholas was known as a generous man and a gift giver. The most famous story attributed to him was when he secretly gave money to a pious but poor Christian man who had three daughters. The man could not afford dowry's for his daughters and feared that if they could not be married off they may have to resort to prostitution to support themselves. St. Nicholas is said to have secretly tossed bags of gold into the man's house, one for each daughter, so he could marry them off. In some versions, he places the gold in stockings that have been hung out to dry, while in others, he tosses them down the chimney of the poor man's home.

The other early source for the legend that is Santa Claus comes from ancient pagan traditions held by the tribal peoples of Germany and Scandinavia, where legends of a gift-giver existed in local lore that would show up around the pagan holiday of Yule, which is around the same time that Christians now celebrate Christmas. The tradition holds that the gift-giver (usually identified as the Norse god Odin) would be flying through the air on a magical horse, and that children would leave their boots by the fireplace filled with treats for the gift-giver's horse to eat, and the gift-giver would replace the food with gifts for the children.

As is likely true for many pagan traditions, the idea of the gift-giver became Christianized when the tribes in Germany and Scandinavia themselves converted to Christianity. St. Nicholas's feast day is December 6, and in medieval Europe, the lore around "Sinterklaas" (which is commonly used in the Netherlands by the Dutch), began to take root, having characteristics from the historical St. Nicholas and the pre-Christian legends. The children in this region would celebrate St. Nicholas' Day on December 6, believing that the Saint would arrive and give out gifts to the boys and girls that had been good during the year. After the reformation, protestant Christians replaced the idea of Sinterklaas with the Christ Child, and moved the celebration to Christmas Eve.

In Colonial America, the ideas of the Dutch Sinterklaas would merge with the English "Father Christmas" to create the basis for our modern concept of "Santa Claus." Much of our modern traditions around this man of myth go back to the 1823 publication of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (known today as "T'was the Night Before Christmas"). In this poem that many of you are probably familiar with, we get the traditions of Santa Claus flying through the air on a magic sleigh pulled by reindeer, coming down the chimney, described as being "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf" with a belly that jiggled when he laughed. The names of the original eight reindeer come from this poem as well. The first "modern" image of Santa Claus comes in 1863, published in Harper's Weekly Magazine by famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast (who is remembered for having popularized the figure Uncle Sam, as well as using the donkey to symbolize the Democratic Party in the US). 

I hope you've enjoyed reading about this well-known Christmas tradition, and I look forward to providing some more interesting information about other holiday traditions throughout December. 

Celebrating our Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers! I hope that you get a chance to spend time with family and friends and celebrate all that you are thankful for this year. For this holiday's special "did you know?" historical fact, instead of looking at the "First Thanksgiving" with the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, the familiar story we've learned since childhood, I wanted to take a look at some other fun Thanksgiving Day facts.

When did Thanksgiving Day become a national holiday? During Colonial Times? Right after the American Revolution? The Civil War? In a way, all those answers would be correct in the right light. During the colonial era, most New England colonies celebrated a Day of Thanksgiving in the fall that would be declared yearly by the colonial governor. This would usually be a mix of a religious holiday to give thanks to God, and also a harvest festival to celebrate that years bounty of crops. The first nation wide Thanksgiving was declared by President George Washington, who declared that November 26, 1789 would be "a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God."

Despite this early precedent of proclaiming a national day of thanksgiving, in most years following Washington, days of thanksgiving were declared on a state-by-state basis throughout the Fall. This would change under President Lincoln, and due in large part to the efforts of a woman who is unknown to most: Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale is best known, of all things, for writing the well known nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb," which was published in 1830. Hale grew up in New England and was a big supporter of the traditional thanksgiving day celebrations in the New England area. She wrote 5 U.S. Presidents calling on them to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, starting with President Zachary Taylor in 1846. All her pleas fell on deaf ears until President Lincoln, who in 1863 signed into law legislation that made the last Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated in all states. Now, since this was during the U.S. Civil War, this tradition would not reach the states of the Confederacy until after 1865. When Lincoln signed this legislation, Thanksgiving Day became the third official national holiday in the United States after Independence Day and Washington's Birthday. 

Happy Armistice Day!

On the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month of the year 1918, the so-called "War to End All Wars" came to a close. Four years of bloody conflict, which claimed the lives of nearly 17 million people across multiple fronts, both soldiers and civilians, finally came to a close.

The following year in 1919, both the United Kingdom and the United States, along with many other Allied nations, declared a special day of remembrance of those who had died in one of the worst conflicts in human history. Like many holidays, Armistice Day (now known as "Remembrance Day" in the United Kingdom and nations of the former British Empire -- Canada, Australia, South Africa, and more; and "Veterans Day" in the United States), has evolved a lot over the last 93 years since it was first marked.

In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other Commonwealth Nations, Remembrance Day is the day that is now used to honor and remember all of their nation's war dead. One thing that has become associated with Remembrance Day commemorations is the use of poppies, which comes from a reference to a poem about the fighting in Flanders (a region in Belgium) where many fields had been covered in poppies.

In the United States, Armistice Day became Veterans Day in the 1950s after the Korean War, when it was decided to change the holiday from remembering those who'd fallen in World War I, to remembering all U.S. veterans, both living and those who'd fallen in conflict or passed on after they served. The U.S. holiday that is actually more analogous to Remembrance Day, when the U.S. remembers those who've fallen in defense of their country.

Take time today to remember the veterans who've served your country and fought and died to protect the freedoms you enjoy and too often take for granted.

Happy Armistice/Remembrance/Veterans Day!

Remember remember the 5th of November...

Remember, remember,
The Fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot;
For I see no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
 

Happy Guy Fawkes Day! So most of my readers (that I know of, at any rate) are in America, and probably have NO idea what I'm talking about. If they recognize it at all it's only due to the 2005 movie V for Vendetta. So, what are you supposed to remember on the 5th of November? Let's hop in our time machine and travel back to 1605 in England.

On the throne is King James I. He is Protestant, and the nation as a whole is still simmering over the Protestant and Catholic split. A group of disgruntled Catholics, lead by Robert Catesby, begin to plot a way to overthrow the King and the protestant members of Parliament and take James young daughter Elizabeth and make her the new Catholic monarch of Britain. A pretty tall order to fill, is it not? And how do they plan on doing it? Simple: blow up the King and Parliament. BOOM.

The plotters purchase a building near Parliament, tunnel under the building, and place 36 barrels of gunpowder underneath the structure. Their plan was simple. On November 5, 1605, King James I would address the State Opening of Parliament, and they would lite the fuse and blow the King and Parliament sky high. Unfortunately for the plotters, the government is tipped off about the plot, and during a search on November 4, the gunpowder is found and the plot ultimately foiled. The plotters mostly flee, and eventually are all either killed or captured. In January 1606, those still alive are tried and convicted of treason, and are sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.

So why is it known as Guy Fawkes Day, and not, Robert Catesby Day? Because, on November 4, it was Guy Fawkes, a member of the conspiracy, who was found with the barrels of gunpowder. He became the face of the conspiracy to the public.

Wait, people in Britain celebrate this guy who tried to kill the King and the members of Parliament? Well, not exactly. Starting in 1606, the government called on the people of England to remember the plot and celebrate not the attempt, but the failure of the attempt and that the King and government were saved from assassination. Today it's known alternatively as "Firework Night" or "Bonfire Night," and people in Britain light bonfires or shoot off fireworks to mark the evening. Also around this time are the "Guy Fawkes masks," which were featured prominently in V for Vendetta (the mask that the character V uses). These masks were once used to decorate effigies of Guy Fawkes that were burned on bonfires on November 5 (these effigies were known as "guys," and the term in the 19th century became used to describe oddly dressed men - because the effigies were often dressed in old or discarded clothing - and then in the 20th and 21st century the word evolved to just mean any male).

Okay, so that's my short summary of Guy Fawkes day for your random "did you know" history question. Hope you found it interesting.
To my UK readers: if I got something wrong here, LET ME KNOW! Set the record straight for me and my American readers.