Who Was Jesus’s Grandma?
Canonical scripture never mentions the parents of the Virgin Mary, but the body of St. Anne was vital to Christianity in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
How Muppets Add Meaning to a Mass Media Christmas
The Muppet Christmas Carol works hard to get people to engage with Charles Dickens, but its real success is becoming part of the holiday itself.
Christmastime in 1960s Japan
In the years following World War II, the Japanese people looked to Santa Claus as a symbol of not just kindness and beneficence, but of modernity.
Meet the Christmas Tree Doppelgängers of the Sea
More than one marine species is named for the beloved evergreens.
Wreath-Making in National Parks? In Mexico, Yes
Mexico created its national parks system in the 1930s. Today, hundreds of thousands of people live, and work, within its boundaries.
Merry Christmas from the Wellcome Collection
Enjoy these historical Christmas images from the Wellcome Collection.
Share These Victorian Holiday Cards
It's all birds and flowers and kittens in these greeting cards. May they, as one of the cards says, keep winter from your heart.
Nittel Nacht: The Jewish Christmas Eve
'Twas the night before Christmas, and an undead Jesus walked the earth. No wonder early modern Jews played games and sang songs to scare him off.
The Rise and Fall of Montana’s Christmas-Tree Harvest
Douglas firs weren't great for lumber, but they once made the small town of Eureka the Christmas-tree capital of America.
Santa and Mrs. Claus and the Christmas War of the Sexes
In the late nineteenth century, bachelor Santa got married. Unsurprisingly, Mrs. Claus contributed uncompensated labor to the Claus household.