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)

Illustration: a sailor tries to kiss a young woman under a sprig of mistletoe. Credit: William Small.

Anecdotes of Christmas Kisses Past

By Melissa Berry on December 22, 2022

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes about kisses – some delightful, some unlawful – from Christmases past... (Read More)

Photo: a burning Yule log. Credit: Joe Malzone; Wikimedia Commons.

Christmas Superstitions, Part 3

By Jessica Edwards on December 21, 2022

In this article, Jessica Edwards describes some more superstitions our ancestors had about Christmas, focusing on the Yule log... (Read More)

Photo: Edward Rowe Snow, the "Flying Santa," dressed for duty in his plane with one of the packages he is delivering. Courtesy of Dorothy Snow Bicknell, daughter of Edward Rowe Snow.

Edward Snow: The ‘Flying Santa’ for Lighthouse Keepers

By Melissa Berry on December 20, 2022

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry tells a heartwarming story of a generous man who embodied the Christmas spirit of giving... (Read More)

Photo: carrying the Boar's Head at the Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival, University Christian Church, Fort Worth, Texas. Courtesy of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Corpus Christi, Texas.

Ye Olde Christmas Party, Part 2

By Melissa Berry on December 16, 2022

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her story about a 1908 Christmas party in Boston that echoed the merriment of Old England... (Read More)

Category: Holidays