#TodayInHistory – December 25
December 25 – Some important events on this day 1 👉🏼 1st Christmas, according to calendar-maker Dionysus Exiguus 274 👉🏼 Roman Emperor Aurelian dedicates a temple to Sol Invictus on […]
The day they banned Christmas
Happy and excited, millions children (and not only) across the world will tonight have one eye on the clock as the countdown to Christmas Day and their visit from Santa […]
24# The Neapolitan nativity scene: a combination of history, art and tradition
Every year during the Christmas holidays there are two categories of people, those who prefer the nativity scene and those who prefer the Christmas tree. However, in Neapolitan culture this […]
#TodayInHistory – December 24
December 24 – Some important events on this day 563 👉🏼 The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by earthquakes. 1565 […]
23# The curious story of the Swedish Yule goat
In Sweden there is a town that every year celebrates the start of the Christmas season by putting up a giant straw statue of a goat. Then folks wait (and […]
#TodayInHistory – December 23
December 23 – Some important events on this day 962 👉🏼 Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops storm the city of Aleppo, recovering the tattered tunic […]
22# History of the tradition of Christmas Elves
Uncertain, lost in fantasy and popular tales, is the concept of Christmas elves. Most modern folks think of elves as Santa’s helpers, often in the form of little people who […]
#TodayInHistory – December 22
December 22 – Some important events on this day 1596 👉🏼 Ferryboat Meuniers crashes in Paris, 150 die 1666 👉🏼 The French Academy of Sciences, founded by Louis XIV with […]
21# Caganer: the best Christmas souvenir from Spain
The so-called Caganer is a figurine depicted in the act of defecation appearing in nativity scenes in Catalonia and neighbouring areas with Catalan culture such as Andorra, Valencia, despite you […]
#TodayInHistory – December 21
December 21 – Some important events on this day 1163 👉🏼 Hurricane hits villages in Holland/Friesland, causing floods 1582 👉🏼 Flanders adopts Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is Jan 1 1583 1620 […]
20# The true story of Silent Night
It was 1914 when soldiers on both sides of the battlefield somewhere in France were enduring a dark and frozen Christmas Eve night. World War I, or the Great War, […]
#TodayInHistory – December 20
December 20 – Some important events on this day. 1046 👉🏼 Pope Gregory VI abdicates at the Council of Sutri, ending a conflict between himself, Benedict IX and Sylvester III; […]
19# Why we leave oranges in Christmas stockings?
A modern child would probably be disappointed by the goodies found in the Christmas stockings of the past. In the past, stocking stuffers were more like candies, nuts, and fresh […]
#TodayInHistory – December 19
December 19 – Some important events on this day. 1642 👉🏼 4 of explorer and seafarer Abel Tasman’s crew killed at Wharewharangi (Murderers) Bay by Māori; Tasman’s ships depart without […]
Le Mort Homme: a memorial to the soldiers who died in the bloody battles to control Verdun in World War I
In World War I, the battle of Verdun was a really brutal battle that lasted from February 21 to December 18, 1916. Each meters around the French city was fought […]
18# Animals in the story of Christmas
Animals play a prominent role a Christmas, regardless of whether or not religious beliefs are behind it. The story of Rudolph, the red nosed reinder, is probably the most popular […]
#TodayInHistory – December 18
December 18 – Some important events on this day. 218 BC 👉🏼 Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia – Hannibal’s Carthaginian army heavily defeat Roman forces on Italian soil […]
Io, Saturnalia!
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, whatever your holiday, most of the December holiday traditions that we celebrate today can be traced back to the Ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia (with a healthy […]
17# The curious story of Zwarte Piet
Before elves and reindeer, St. Nicholas had a much more eerie assistant, such a Black Peter and, interestingly, the physical opposite of St. Nicholas himself! Tall and gaunt with a […]
#TodayInHistory – December 17
December 17 – Some important events on this day. 546 👉🏼 Gothic War (535-554): The Ostrogoths of King Totila conquer Rome by bribing the Byzantine garrison. 1398 👉🏼 Tamerlane captures […]
16# The legend of Christmas Bells
Bells, especially Church Bells, have traditionally been associated with Christmas for a long time. In some churches it is traditional that the largest bell in the church is rung four […]
#TodayInHistory – December 16
December 16 – Some important events on this day. 755 👉🏼 An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion during Chinese Tang Dynasty 1497 […]
15# Mumming: another unusual Christmas tradition
Just as Wassailing, Mumming is an ancient pagan custom too, and basically an excuse for people to have a party at Christmas. It means literally “making diversion in disguise” and […]
Viareggio: a statue for Ettore, the cat friend of fishermen
Ettore was abandoned in a cardboard box along the pier in Viareggio, Italy. It was 1997, and from that moment on this special cat has no longer had a home […]
#TodayInHistory – December 15
December 15 – Some important events on this day. 533 👉🏼 Byzantine General Belisarius defeats the Vandals, under King Gelimer, at the Battle of Ticameron 1256 👉🏼 Hulagu Khan captures […]
14# Iceland’s Yule Lads: like 13 small amazing Santas
If you arent’t lucky enough to have been born in Iceland, or not have visited the island through a Christmas season, you probably won’t have never heard of the Yule […]
#TodayInHistory – December 14
December 14 – Some important events on this day. 557 👉🏼 Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, is significantly damaged by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake 644 👉🏼 Uthman ibn […]
13# The terrifying tradition of the Mari Lwyd
Wales is often known for having a rich and interesting history, full of iconic folklore and strange traditions. However, one the weirdest part of the regional tradition involves a creepy […]
#TodayInHistory – December 13
December 13 – Some important events on this day. 1294 👉🏼 Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months; Celestine hoped to return to his previous life as […]