Illustration: “Orphans decorating their fathers’ graves in Glenwood Cemetery, Philadelphia, on Decoration Day,” 1876. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

Decoration (Memorial) Day 1913

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on May 25, 2023

In this article – in honor of Memorial Day – Gena Philibert-Ortega searches old newspapers to see how this special day was celebrated in 1913... (Read More)

Photo: blue rose on a gravestone for Memorial Day. Credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html

A Look Back at Past Memorial Days

By Melissa Berry on May 23, 2023

In this article, in honor of Memorial Day, Melissa Berry searches old newspapers to see how our nation celebrated this special day in the past... (Read More)

Photo: flowers to celebrate Mother’s Day. Credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html

A Tribute to Mother’s Day across the Years

By Melissa Berry on May 12, 2023

In this article for Mother’s Day this Sunday, Melissa Davenport Berry searches old newspapers to discover some past celebrations of Mother’s Day... (Read More)

This Day in History: Mother’s Day Became a U.S. Holiday

By Tony Pettinato on May 9, 2023

An article about President Woodrow Wilson signing a proclamation on 9 May 1914, establishing the second Sunday in May as “Mother’s Day” in the U.S... (Read More)

Photo: reenactors in the South Boston Parade, 17 March 2018. Courtesy of South Boston online.

Boston Tradition: The St. Patrick’s/Evacuation Day Parade

By Melissa Berry on March 17, 2023

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry explains why the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston every March 17 has special meaning for the city... (Read More)

Photo: a poster letting people know that no business will be conducted on Washington's Birthday (then celebrated on February 22), c. 1895. Credit: Edward Penfield; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

3 Facts about Presidents’ Day That May Surprise You

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on February 20, 2023

Gena Philibert-Ortega clears up some confusion about today’s federal holiday: is it Washington’s Birthday or Presidents’ Day or President’s Day?.. (Read More)

Photo: candy hearts for Valentine's Day. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega.

For Valentine’s Day: Sweetheart Conversations

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on February 14, 2023

In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about a Valentine’s Day tradition: candy hearts. .. (Read More)

Photo: Mummers Parade on New Year's Day, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2011. Photographer: Carol M. Highsmith. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

New Year’s Day: The Mummers Parade through the Years

By Melissa Berry on December 28, 2022

Melissa Davenport Berry describes how Philadelphia celebrates New Year’s Day – with the fantastic Mummers Parade, the “Mardi Gras of the North.”.. (Read More)

Painting: “The Christmas Tree” by Albert Chevallier Tayler, 1911. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Christmas Superstitions, Part 4

By Jessica Edwards on December 27, 2022

In this article, Jessica Edwards describes some more superstitions our ancestors had about Christmas, many concerning ways to ensure good luck... (Read More)

Category: Holidays