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

The Roots of Memorial Day

By Jane Cook on May 23, 2022

In this article, Jane Hampton Cook describes the origins of Memorial Day as a way to honor deceased veterans of the Civil War... (Read More)

Photo: chocolate bunny. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega.

The History of the Chocolate Easter Bunny

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on April 14, 2022

In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about a subject near and dear to a lot of hearts around Easter time: the chocolate bunny... (Read More)

Easter Fun from Yesteryear: American Legion & Other Egg Hunts, Part II

By Melissa Berry on April 12, 2022

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry concludes her story about some of the fun Easter egg hunts children had nearly a century ago... (Read More)

Photo: Pennsylvania children wait for the start of a 1935 Easter egg hunt. Credit: "American Legion Monthly," Volume 20, No. 4, April 1936, page 29.

Easter Fun from Yesteryear: American Legion & Other Egg Hunts

By Melissa Berry on April 11, 2022

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes about some of the fun Easter egg hunts children had nearly a century ago... (Read More)

Photo: April Fool’s Day joke: an 1857 ticket to “Washing the Lions” at the Tower of London in London. No such event ever took place. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

The History of April Fool’s Day: The Best Pranks in Newspapers

By Guest Author on April 1, 2022

In this guest blog post, Marc McDermott shares some of the most memorable April Fool’s Day pranks from historical newspapers... (Read More)

Painting: “Happy Christmas” by Johansen Viggo, 1891

Stories from Christmas Past to Bring Good Cheer This Season, Part II

By Melissa Berry on December 16, 2021

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry presents more heartwarming stories from Christmas past... (Read More)

Stories from Christmas Past to Bring Good Cheer This Season

By Melissa Berry on December 14, 2021

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry searches old newspapers to find heartwarming stories from Christmas past... (Read More)

Illustration: "Thanksgiving at Plymouth," by Jennie A. Brownscombe, 1925. Credit: National Museum of Women in the Arts; Wikimedia Commons.

Thanksgiving Mayflower Story

By Melissa Berry on November 22, 2021

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes about the origins of the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving in America... (Read More)

Photo: American soldiers at the front during WWI, c. 1918. Credit: Flickr: The Commons.

3 Things to Do on Veterans Day

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on November 11, 2021

In this article – in honor of Veterans Day – Gena Philibert-Ortega gives tips for researching and telling the story of your veteran ancestor... (Read More)

Category: Holidays