The Second Continental Congress formally voted for independence from Britain on July 2, 1776 while meeting in Philadephia. On July 4, 1776 it adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. The declaration was read to communities and celebrations were held. In subsequent years people celebrated the act of independence on July 2, an…
Holiday
Holiday Readings
Do you have questions about the many aspects of the winter holidays? Do you wonder exactly what Santa Claus looks like or how to say "Merry Christmas" in Hawaiian? The online publication JSTOR Daily has the answers! Check out this list of fun and enlightening articles about Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and other winter activities. …
Earth Day 2020
April 22 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! Earth Day 1970 marked the beginning of the environmental movement in the United States: By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first of their kind environmental laws, including…
Getting History Right: Mayflower’s 400th and Your Own Family Story
Thanksgiving Day, 2019 marks the start of the 400th annual celebration of the landing of the Mayflower ship at Plymouth, Massachusetts. The celebration committee is working hard to look beyond the myth of Thanksgiving and colonial experiences to better tell the stories of the women of the Mayflower and the Native American tribes which lived…
Origins of Winter Holiday Celebrations
Mistletoe, presents, candlelight--all of these and more are part of winter holidays. The origins of the traditions carried out this time of year are both ancient and modern. The editors of JSTOR an online resource of academic articles have collected a variety of articles which address aspects of the winter holiday season (as well as…
The History of Santa Claus
The holiday season is full of traditional events and practices, many of which revolve around the figure of Santa Claus. But who is this figure? What is his history? That story goes back to 280 CE in Myra, an area now in modern Turkey, where Saint Nicholas lived and worked as a bishop. After his…
Celebrating Veterans Day
Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, was first set as a U.S. legal holiday to recognize the end of World War I. This "armistice" took place on November 11, 1918. In 1938 legislation was past to formally dedicate November 11 to the "cause of world peace." With the urging of veterans organizations, the U.S.…
Holiday Safety Tips
Some tips from the National Safety Council for over the holidays to keep you safe as you decorate: - Avoid setting your tree up to close to a fireplace, radiator, or other heat source - Plug no more than 3 strings of lights into one extension cord - Be sure the lights your using indoors…
Flying the Flag – the right way!
It’s that time of year, when Old Glory is proudly displayed. The United States Flag is one of the most visible and important symbols of our country and the United States Flag Code spells out proper use of the flag. From a staff, the union (the blue field) should be at the peak, unless the…
