Today we will be visiting Ital & Switzerland!
First stop: Italy
Essence of a Family |
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...Like branches of a tree, may grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one. (Author: Unknown)
Sadly, we have come to the end of journey as we visit the last two cities for Christmas. Today we will be visiting Ital & Switzerland! First stop: Italy Our last stop: Switzerland Source: Rick Steve's European Christmas
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Oh I'm so glad you decided to travel with us again this week! Last week, we journeyed to Bath, London, France, and Norway! Over the next two days we will finish our trip by visiting four more lovely places! Today: Germany and Austria! And... We're OFF!! Next stop: Austria Source: Rick Steve's European Christmas
This week's 5 facts about Christmas, brought to by Jeff Nickles over at My Super-Charged Life Thanks Jeff! Here are five little known facts about Christmas:
1. Xmas Does Not Take Christ Out of Christmas. Some people believe that it is almost sacrilegious to abbreviate Christmas in this way. Not True! Xmas has been used since at least the 16th Century. X is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Xristos. Therefore, Xmas became a common and accepted abbreviation. The idea that using Xmas is an attempt to secularize and remove the religious tradition from Christmas is just a misunderstanding. 2. Caroling Used to Be More Like Trick-or-Treating. Going door-to-door to sing Christmas Carols was originally known as wassailing. This practice was common in England. Carolers would go to the homes of wealthy neighbors on Christmas Eve expecting free food and drink in exchange for songs. Sometimes these groups were made up of rowdy young men that would curse and vandalize the home if their demands for “good cheer”, the wassail beverage, was not met. 3. The USPS Hasn’t Always Embraced Christmas Cards“I don’t know what we’ll do if this keeps on,” wrote the Washington D.C. postmaster in 1822. He was overwhelmed by the number of Christmas Cards being sent. He’d recently added 16 additional postal carriers to handle the load. He went on to lobby for a law to limit the number of Christmas Cards a person could send due to the burden it placed on the post office. I have a feeling the Postal Service displays a little more Christmas Spirit nowadays. 4. Our American Forefathers didn't Celebrate Christmas. Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870. Originally, Christmas was thrown out of America with the Redcoats. Celebrating Christmas was actually banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681 because it was looked down upon as an English custom and a part of what the Puritans were trying to escape. It wasn’t until the 1800s that Americans reinvented Christmas as a family-centered day of peace instead of a raucous carnival. Of course, our forefathers believed in the birth of Jesus. They just didn't agree with how the English celebrated it. 5. Jingle Bells Was Originally Written for Thanksgiving. James Lord Pierpont composed Jingle Bells at a Massachusetts tavern in 1850. Pierpont wanted a song to play on Thanksgiving for his Sunday school class. He was inspired by the famous sleigh races going on in his town at the time. Children and adults loved the tune so much that it was adapted for Christmas and the rest is history. - See more at: http://mysuperchargedlife.com/blog/5-fun-christmas-facts-you-probably-dont-know/#sthash.wYP8jkEv.dpuf Next to Baby Jesus & Santa, the candy cane is probably one of the most recognizable elements of the Christmas season. It is fascinating to see how they are made. My family and I had the pleasure of visiting theSpangler Candy Company (which is mentioned in the video below). If you ever get the chance to visit, it is well worth it! And now... THE CANDY CANE! Source:History.com
We are making the rounds and having a blast! Learning can be so much fun! Yesterday we traveled to Bath and London! Today we are off to Norway and France! Off to France! Be sure to join us next week as we travel to four more places to see how they celebrate Christmas!! We take of at 5:30 AM EST on Monday, the 22nd! Source: Rick Steve's European Christmas
Yesterday, we began our journey by stopping in to learn a little about the American Christmas. Today we are traveling to Bath, & London How exciting! Our Next Stops: Bath and the Countryside! Next on our flight around the world: London Source: Rick Steve's European Christmas
Over a period of five days, we will be visiting Christmas in several locations, during a mini video series. I hope you enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. Educational doesn't even begin to describe this mini series! *************************************************** If there are things, customs, ideas, family traditions, or anything else you would like to add to this mini series, please comment. I would love to hear from you! Source: History
Did you know... it wasn't until after the 1800's that Christ's birth was celebrated by Christians, before than it was a pagan celebration Did you know... early celebrations were about "ignoring laws, drinking, and terrorizing people" in town Did you know... most "Christians loathed the day and saw it as sinful & evil" Did you know... it's believed the 25th was decided upon in order "to counter the evil festivals that occurred around the winter solstice" Did you know... Pope Julius I, in 320, didn't like seeing the birth of Christ celebrated on so many different days and so declared the 25th as the official birth date of Christ. Source: Collins, A. 2003. Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas
A Special Thanks to Mike Tompkins! This is Fab!!
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