New Year’s Traditions From Around the World

Many New Year’s traditions that we take for granted actually date from ancient times. This year, ring out the old and ring in the new with a New Year tradition—or two! From singing “Auld Lang Syne” to eating black-eyed peas for good luck to eating 12 grape at midnight, discover different ways to celebrate the

Weather on the First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving travel always makes weather a big concern, so I thought it might be fun to write about weather on the very first Thanksgiving for the Plymouth Pilgrims. Ironically, we know more about the weather than the date itself! We believe that first Thanksgiving feast held by the pilgrims of Plymouth colony in 1621 was

Why Do We Kiss Under the Mistletoe?

The Meaning and Folklore Behind Mistletoe Why do we kiss under the mistletoe? Of all the plants used in Christmas decor, not many have as long and as interesting a history as mistletoe. Discover the meaning of mistletoe and fascinating folklore behind it. First of All, What Is Mistletoe? With evergreen leaves, yellow flowers, and

If You See a Spider on Halloween, You May Want to Think Twice About Killing It

Human beings need to participate in some really funky mental gymnastics to feel special. Take holidays. for instance. You don’t see a family of beavers huddling around a fire in the wintertime exchanging gifts while they sip warm beverages and munch on ginger snaps. It’s probably because they’re too busy building dams with their tails

ANCIENT CELTIC CALENDAR: WHAT ARE THE QUARTER DAYS AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

Michaelmas is one of the Quarter Days of the ancient Celtic Calendar—as is Christmas! This calendar was based on the seasons with the Quarter Days near the solstices and equinoxes and the Cross-Quarter Days as the seasonal midpoints. Learn more—and find out why we celebrate Groundhog Day, Halloween, June weddings, and fall elections the way

THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2021: HOLIDAYS, FUN FACTS, FOLKLORE

What happens in the month of September? It’s a little for everyone: the last days of summer and the first days of fall. See September holidays, advice, recipes, fun facts, and trivia below. September, in Old England, was called Haervest-monath (Harvest Month). This is the time to gather up the rest of the harvest and

EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT JANUARY – HOLIDAYS, FUN FACTS, FOLKLORE

What’s happening in January 2021? Start the new year reading about this month’s holidays, some fun traditions, stargazing events, cozy recipes, and more! THE MONTH OF JANUARY January was named for the Roman god Janus, known as the protector of gates and doorways who symbolize beginnings and endings. Janus is depicted with two faces, one

A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS – Britain’s Scary Tradition

One of my favorite Christmas songs is Andy Williams’ bombastic rendition of “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. But as much as I love it, part of it never made sense to me. In the bridge section, it says: “There’ll be parties for hostingMarshmallows for toastingAnd caroling out in the snow.” Okay, that bit’s

December is a world of holidays

Few months present as many multicultural celebrations as December. From Christmas to Omisoka, the last month of the year is a “world of holidays.” One of the most widely known December holidays, Christmas traditions vary around the world. While Americans celebrate with Christmas trees, visits from Santa Claus, and dreams of snowy landscapes, the holiday