holidays

Jews of Color have Made Traditions of "Untraditional" Hanukkah Celebrations

by Samira Mehta

Jews from outside Ashkenazi heritage present celebratory and food practices that show the diversity in Jewish communities and the navigation of tradition in interfaith families. 

The Christmas Tree Predates Christmas Itself

by Troy Bickham

The modern Christmas tree, adorned with lights, has come full-circle with its roots in pagan veneration of evergreen trees at the winter solstice. 

Revisiting the "Knickerbocker" Origin Story of Santa Claus

by Tom A. Jerman

The notion that the American Santa Claus evolved naturally from the European Saint Nicholas conceals an origin story for the character that's both simpler and more complex. 

The Surprising Origins of Christmas "Traditions"

by Olivia B. Waxman

From "Merry Christmas" to "classic" carols, much of what we consider "timeless" in fact has a traceable history. 

How Americans Celebrated the Holidays During World War II

American women in particular found it challenging to uphold holiday traditions when mobilization, war work, rationing, and the lingering Great Depression hung over the season. 

The Origins of the "White Elephant" Party

Quirky custom or exercise in cutthroat depravity? The roots of White Elephant trace back to the 1890s.

When Christmas Started to Creep

by Bill Black

The story of "Christmas Creep" is not a linear encroachment of Yuletide on the rest of the calendar, and hinged on political decisions made during the Great Depression and World War II. 

The Magnificent History of the Much-Maligned Fruitcake

by Jeffrey Miller

A quip attributed to former “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson has it that “There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.”

How America Keeps Adapting the Story of the Pilgrims at Plymouth to Match the Story We Need to Tell

by Peter C. Mancall

The prevailing memory of Plymouth has shifted as Americans have used it as an allegory for their contemporary concerns. Most notably, the harsh religious orthodoxy of Plymouth was converted by the 19th century to stand for religious liberty, a concept the Pilgrims would have found odious. 

Take a Lesson from the Persistence of the Founder of Modern Thanksgiving

by William Lambers

Sarah Josepha Hale pushed Abraham Lincoln to declare a national Thanksgiving holiday as a day to seek healing and unity. Fighting to end hunger is a way to recommit to the spirit of the holiday.

UCLA Historian Carla Pestana Debunks Myths About the Pilgrims and the Plymouth Colony

by James Thornton Harris

Alert Tom Cotton: Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower Compact, and the origins of Thanksgiving are just a few of the things Professor Carla Pestana finds in need of historical revision. 

The Case for a National Liberation Day Holiday on December 6

by Robert Hardaway

The anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which finally eliminated slavery in the entire United States, should be made a national holiday.

Turns out, The Rockettes’ Annual Christmas Spectacular Hasn’t Always Been So Spectacular

by Isabella DelPino

The hidden history of the Radio City Rockettes.

How did November become the Mizrahi Heritage Month? And what’s Mizrahi anyhow?

by Lior Sternfeld and Arie M. Dubnov

The Mizrahi heritage month is not a local, grassroots initiative that emerged in response to experiences of discrimination or marginalization. Instead, it is a transatlantic importation of recent attempts by the Israeli government to commemorate the forced expulsion of Jews from the Arab and Muslim world in the wake of the establishment of Israel.

Why more places are abandoning Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day

by Malinda Maynor Lowery

The growing recognition and celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day actually represents the fruits of a concerted, decadeslong effort to recognize the role of indigenous people in the nation’s history.

What to an American Is the Fourth of July?

by Ibram X. Kendi

Power comes before freedom, not the other way around.

The Fourth of July Has Always Been Political

by David Waldstreicher

The question is which vision of America it’s being used to advance.

Why Democrats are wrong about Trump’s politicization of the Fourth of July

by Shira Lurie

He’s not doing anything that hasn’t been done for centuries.

One of the Earliest Memorial Day Ceremonies Was Held by Freed Slaves

At the close of the Civil War, freed slaves in Charleston honored fallen Union soldiers.

Vermont passes bill abolishing Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day

The state is one signature away from abolishing Columbus Day altogether and permanently recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day.