Monthly Archives: December 2018
HISTORY TIDBIT: NEW YEAR BABIES
Nowadays, in some parts of the world, babies who are the first to be born into a community on January 1st get to be on TV, and have their pictures in the paper, and get a lot of neat baby stuff, courtesy of local merchants. Along with freebies for their parents. Siblings, if any, appear […]
TRIVIA TRAIL: CHRISTMAS TURKEY
Question: Did England’s King Henry VIII eat turkey? Answer: Yes. Or, at least, probably, as I doubt old Hal was one to forego the luxuries of life, and turkeys were brought to England from the New World during his reign. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/12/19/bones-remains-englands-first-turkey-dinner/
DISCUSSION TOPIC: PRESENT OPENING TRADITIONS
A seasonal topic for discussion could be the present-opening debate. Many who celebrate Christmas open them Christmas Day, with perhaps one present being allowed on Christmas Eve, Scandinavian kids open all of theirs on Christmas Eve. Additionally, Dutch children get their presents on St. Nicholas Eve (December 5th) and other European kids the next day, […]
CHRISTMAS LEGEND: TABBY CATS’ ‘M’s
The legendary Christmas ‘M’ on the forehead of tabby cats can be seen in the above photo of our grey tabby, Sprite, who was with us for seventeen years. We got her at the local flea market the day that someone there had a box of kittens to give away. The youngest of the next […]
HISTORY SHARE: HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS
Our family did not follow this tradition because my father worked in the local flour mill and, greedy little children that we were, we put flour sacks at the end of our beds. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-legend-of-the-christmas-stocking-160854441/
HISTORY SHARE: HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS CAROLS
My mother grew up in a small village in Surrey, and, when still quite small, once went carolling with her friend, Cynthia. They didn’t go far though. Just into the study of Cynthia’s father, Major Charles Micklem, who gave them half a crown each for their efforts. (Big money back in the 1920s.) https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/carols_history.shtml
HISTORIC MOVIE IDEAS FOR DECEMBER
December’s history based or bygone era TV and/or movie suggestions: Babes In Toyland (1934) Bachelor Mother (1939) A Christmas Story (1983) (Mid-20th Century) Come To The Stable (1949) The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) (Victorian Era) Mickey’s Christmas Carol (Disney Animated, 1983) (Victorian Era) The Star (Animated, 2017) (Nativity Story) The Twelve Days Of Christmas […]
ADDITIONAL BLATANT SELF-PROMOTION
When looking for historical novels for ages ten and up (or even yourself), consider my Time Rose series available through Amazon, and bricks & mortar stores like Chapters/Indigo and Barnes & Noble. Or, time travelling into the future, my Side Trip duology, ages twelve and up.
Time Travelling With Kids 