Christmas

Enjoying the Christmas Lights? Thank Jewish Refugees from the Ottoman Empire

by Devin E. Naar

The story of Christmas lighting in America follows the paths of Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Turkey, who coped with nativist prejudice, linguistic difference, and labor exploitation to find community and work—including in light bulb factories. 

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. 

The Complicated History of Germany's Christmas Markets

It's unclear when medieval Germany's winter markets became affixed to nostalgic ideas of Christmas. But they've been adopted by ruling classes to offer prescriptive visions of class hierarchy, religion, and even Nazism. 

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. 

I'm Taking an Eco-Holiday From It All (and So Are My Kids)

by Frida Berrigan

Is there still value in stepping back from the wasteful cycle of individual consumerism when major corporations and the US military are putting astronomical levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? 

Learning Lessons from "It's a Wonderful Life"

by Christopher Wilson

"With a panel of experts including the Smithsonian’s Lintelman, historian Jason Higgins, film critic Nell Minow, Leo Landis, curator of the State Historical Society of Iowa (the home state of actor Donna Reed who played Mary Bailey), and Reed’s daughter, Mary Owen, we explored American history as presented in a holiday favorite."

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.”

He Bombed the Nazis, Outwitted the Soviets and Modernized Christmas

Si Spiegel's survival as a bomber pilot was a tough act to follow, but pioneering the artificial Christmas tree may have topped his martial exploits. 

Reflect on Solomon Northup's "A Slave's Christmas"

by Alan J. Singer

Solomon Northup's famed description of being kidnapped from freedom in New York to slavery in Louisiana includes a description of Christmas revelry that shows how the enslaved preserved community and humanity, and a contrast to the yearly reality of fear and labor. 

The Real Story of George Washington’s Boozy Eggnog Recipe — and Martha’s Christmas Cake

Mount Vernon historian Mary Thompson says the legend of George Washington's super-potent recipe for eggnog is bunk, but the estate does preserve a hand-written holiday cake recipe from Martha Washington.

Christmas Dies Hard

The urban bourgeoisie of the 19th century pushed Christmas away from a drunken celebration of leisure and toward a holiday merging piety and consumerism. 

The Forgotten Story of Christmas 1918

by Mary Elisabeth Cox

We remember the 1914 Christmas Truce as a moment of humanity amid war. Four years later, a darker tale unfolded.

An Abolitionist and the Christmas Tree

by John Buehrens

Christmas, in 1835 Boston, was not yet widely celebrated. New England’s Puritan heritage considered it “popish.”

The Real Santa Who Fed the Hungry

by William Lambers

St. Nicholas was passionate about helping the poor and hungry. 

How 25 Christmas Traditions Got Their Start

Learn why we decorate trees, swap cookies and hide pickles and elves, among other traditions.

Merry Christmas, you’re being impeached

Trump isn’t the first president to face an impeachment vote just before the holidays. It happened two decades ago to Bill Clinton.