Christmas
When Santa Claus Was Deplored in Wartime
Although “peace on earth” may never have seemed more elusive than during the Civil War, America’s bloodiest years actually produced our popular image of Santa Claus. Clement Clarke Moore had injected Santa into the American psyche with his 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” ...read more
Dreaming of a White (House) Christmas: 16 Photos
Celebrating Christmas in the White House has been a tradition since 1800. President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams were the first to throw a Christmas party in the president’s official residence, but it was not as we know it today. These were intimate gatherings with ...read more
Christmas History Facts and Trivia
Long before there was a Grinch who stole Christmas, there was Krampus, the devilish half-man, half-goat that helps out jolly St. Nicholas by stuffing naughty Austrian children in sacks and dragging them to hell. Yes, the true history of Christmas is as colorful ...read more
The 11 Most Controversial Stamps in U.S. History
For an inanimate object weighing just a tiny fraction of an ounce, the postage stamp can sometimes stir up a whole lot of trouble. Throughout U.S. history, stamps have often caused controversy, usually for reasons the post office never anticipated. Here are 11 of the most famous ...read more
The Wrong Number That Launched the Santa Tracker
When the dreaded red phone rang inside the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) operations center on the last day of November in 1955, the mood at the nerve center of America’s nuclear defense grew nervous. At a time when the Cold War raged and Soviet fighter jets routinely ...read more
The Nazis’ War on Christmas
During the Christmas season in Germany, you’ll hear plenty of Silent Night and O Tannenbaum—two Christmas carols that originated there. But during the Third Reich, you were more likely to hear a hymn called Exalted Night instead of one about a silent night. The popular hymn, ...read more
The War of Words behind ‘Happy Holidays’
In recent years, the debate over whether to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” has become as reliable a post-Thanksgiving tradition as the Black Friday shopping craze. Like many issues these days, the great holiday greeting debate tends to separate along political lines as ...read more
The History of Must-Have Holiday Toys
In a turbulent world, you can count on one thing to stay the same: Kids will always put toys at the very top of their holiday lists. Global toy sales topped $88.8 billion in 2016, and the array of choices is larger than ever, with classics like puzzles, games and dolls holding ...read more
Saturnalia
Saturnalia, held in mid-December, is an ancient Roman pagan festival honoring the agricultural god Saturn. Saturnalia celebrations are the source of many of the traditions we now associate with Christmas. Watch Ancient History documentaries on HISTORY Vault What Is Saturnalia? ...read more
The War on Christmas
The War on Christmas begins around the same time each year, when stores start peddling plastic Christmas trees and giant Santa Claus inflatables. Depending on which media talking head is speaking, the war is either a subversive effort by left-wing liberals to erase all traces of ...read more
Archaeologists Might Have Found the Tomb of Santa Claus
Who’s ready for an early Christmas gift? The tomb of jolly ole Saint Nic may have recently been discovered by a group of archaeologists in Turkey. The crypt of St. Nicholas, popularly known as Santa Claus, was found in the famed saint’s namesake church in the Demre district of ...read more
Why is the day after Christmas called Boxing Day?
December 26 is not only a day for Santa Claus to catch his breath but a public holiday known as Boxing Day in the United Kingdom and other British Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. In spite of its peculiar name, Boxing Day has nothing to do with ...read more
When Massachusetts Banned Christmas
The pious Puritans who sailed from England in 1630 to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony brought with them something that might seem surprising for a group of devout Christians—contempt for Christmas. In a reversal of modern practices, the Puritans kept their shops and schools ...read more
Don’t Forget Santa’s Cookies and Milk: The History of a Popular Christmas Tradition
Today in the United States, leaving out a plate of cookies (Oreos and classic chocolate chip are popular choices) and a glass of milk for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve is a well-established tradition among children. But it hasn’t always been that way. According to one theory, the ...read more
10 Christmas Toys Through the Decades
1. 1910s — Teddy Bear The story behind this timeless toy goes back to 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a tied-up, defenseless black bear during a hunting trip in Mississippi. After Brooklyn shopkeeper Morris Mictom saw a political cartoon about the ...read more
Remembering the Apollo 8 Christmas Eve Broadcast
On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, blasted off from present-day Cape Canaveral in Florida. The plan called for the three astronauts onboard to come within about 70 miles of the moon, circle it several times and return safely home, all while ...read more
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Balsam wreaths and visions of sugarplums had barely faded in the first weeks of 1939, but thoughts inside the Chicago headquarters of retail giant Montgomery Ward had already turned to the next Christmas 11 months away. The retailer had traditionally purchased and distributed ...read more
The Father of Electric Christmas Tree Lights
As Christmas approached in the waning days of 1882, Edward Hibberd Johnson joined his fellow New Yorkers in decking the halls. Then as now, Yuletide traditions ran deep, and the 36-year-old once again undertook the annual ritual of decorating the parlor of his Manhattan home with ...read more
World War I’s Christmas Truce
Charles Brewer never expected to be spending Christmas Eve nearly knee-deep in the mud of northern France. Stationed on the front lines, the 19-year-old British lieutenant with the Bedfordshire Regiment of the 2nd Battalion shivered in a trench with his fellow soldiers. After ...read more
The History of Christmas Pudding
In America, Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood. It’s the flaming center of the climactic meal of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” and pops up in carols themselves: “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” has two ...read more
Why Do We Kiss Under the Mistletoe?
Kissing under sprigs of mistletoe is a well-known holiday tradition, but this little plant’s history as a symbolic herb dates back thousands of years. The Greeks were known to use it as a cure for everything from menstrual cramps to spleen disorders, and the Roman naturalist ...read more
Oyster Stew on Christmas Eve: An American Tradition
Early Americans were absolutely oyster crazy. When the first English settlers arrived at Plymouth Rock, oysters were a reliable and tasty source of nutrition. Native Americans had already been harvesting them for at least 3,000 years. As the young colony’s population grew and ...read more
Mincemeat: It’s What’s for (Christmas) Dinner
Like fruit cakes, mincemeat pie is a holiday culinary tradition that inspires more skepticism than excitement among most Americans today. This dish, traditionally made with meat (usually beef or venison), suet (beef fat shredded from the animal’s loins), cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ...read more
The Medieval History of the Christmas Cookie
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when cooks around the country take to their kitchens to bake cookies galore. Whether you prefer gingerbread men, crisp springerle or crunchy biscotti, chances are you’ll enjoy some fresh baked Christmas cookies this holiday season. Like ...read more