Delaware’s Festive Beverage Heritage
Delaware’s holiday drink traditions, from medicinal eggnog to festive wassail, reveal a rich history of colonial customs and evolving Christmas celebrations.
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Orthodox Christmas Roots in Delaware part 2 of 2
Above: Mary and her newborn babe / collection Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Wilmington, DE Delaware’s Orthodox community, while small, is diverse, comprising primarily Greek, Ukrainian, and Russian Orthodox denominations. Each of these groups has its own unique history, traditions, and path of cultural adaptation in the state. The bulk of the Greek population in…
A Frigid Fish Fable for Festive Fun
Above: portion of the frontispiece for Max Adeler’s “Out of the Hurly Burly” In the late 19th century, as Mark Twain delighted readers with his incisive takes on American life, another humorist from the Philadelphia area was making his mark with his own distinct brand of cleverness. Enter Charles Heber Clark—better known by his pen…
Christmas Lawn Trees and Lit Landscapes
Above: The earliest outdoor lights, from General Electric, are round (center), but by 1928 they were the familiar swirled or flame shape. Also, the early lamps were painted on the outside (right), but later issues feature a scratchproof inside color (left). Collection OldChristmasTreeLighs.com Long before electric lights adorned homes and lawns during the holiday season,…