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The History of Christmas Carols
Christmas carols are a much-loved part of the Christmas season and while many have a long history, others are surprisingly recent. From medieval dancing songs to the 19th-century revival, the words and music of carols have evolved over time...
Article
Christmas Through the Ages
The Christmas holiday has gathered around it customs and traditions for over two millennia, some of which even pre-date the Christian festival itself. From gift-giving to the sumptuous spread of a Christmas dinner table, this article traces...
Article
Victorian Christmas Cards
Printed Christmas cards became popular in the Victorian period (1837-1901) thanks to a combination of cheaper printing techniques and even cheaper post, with the arrival of the Penny Black postage stamp. Coming in all shapes, sizes, and materials...
Article
A Medieval Christmas
Christmas was one of the highlights of the medieval calendar, not only for the rich but also for the peasantry. For the longest holiday of the year, typically the full twelve days of Christmas, people stopped work, homes were decorated and...
Video
The History of Christmas Through the Ages
Did you know that holiday festivities on and around December 25th date back over 2,000 years ago? This video is all about the history of Christmas, and how it has grown and developed as a holiday from its earliest history in the Roman Empire...
Article
History & Mining Culture of the Ore Mountains
The Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic is a region rich in history and culture connected to the mining industry. For centuries the cities on both sides of the mountain range had sustained themselves...
Video
The Norse Origins of Christmas Traditions
Scandinavia has a rich cultural heritage and Norse Mythology, which was once simply their religious belief system, has continually fascinated and influenced others for centuries. The Norse beliefs and traditions also influenced many of the...
Image
Vulcan Surprising Venus and Mars in Bed
Vulcan surprising Venus and Mars in bed before an assembly of the gods, oil on canvas by Johann Heiss, 1679.
Definition
Walpurgis Night
Walpurgis Night (30 April, annually) is a modern-day European and Scandinavian festival derived from the merging of the ancient pagan celebration of Beltane with the commemoration of the canonization of the Christian Saint Walpurga (l. c...
Image
Scrooge & the Ghost of Christmas Present
A mid-19th century illustration by John Leech of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843).