St. Nicholas – Christian saints
Nicholas hands the purses through the window to the poor girls (Chartres Cathedral, about 1200 AD) St. Nicholas is a Christian saint who is one source for the idea of Santa Claus. According [...]
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08, 2017
Puritans – American religion
A Puritan family about 1563 About 1563 AD, some people in England decided that they wanted to follow a way of life that they thought would be more according to what the Christian God wanted. [...]
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08, 2017
American religion – history of religion
Rock Art from Utah, about 1700 AD In 1500 AD, there were many different religious faiths across North America. Each group of people worshipped their own gods. All of these faiths did [...]
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08, 2017
History of Halloween – American holidays
History of Halloween: Pumpkins growing When did Halloween get started? Halloween is a pretty new holiday - American children didn't start trick-or-treating on Halloween until about eighty years ago. Halloween [...]
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08, 2017
Christmas Trees – American holidays
A tree in Germany (late 1700s, by Joseph Keller) - History of Christmas trees Evergreens and the winter holidays Because Christmas is related to old celebrations of the winter solstice, evergreen trees have always [...]
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08, 2017
Christmas – American holiday
Big Horn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming (1300 AD) Native American origins of Christmas Even before 1500 AD, people in North America celebrated a winter religious festival when the days stopped getting shorter [...]
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08, 2017
‘Twas the Night before Christmas – American poetry
Clement Moore A Visit from St. Nicholas (1823) 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were [...]
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08, 2017
Francis of Assisi – Medieval Europe
Francis of Assisi gives his father back his clothes (Giotto, in Assisi) Who was Francis of Assisi? By 1200 AD, the Catholic Church was very powerful. Bishops and popes were often rich men. They cared more about [...]
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08, 2017
Christmas in medieval Europe
Nativity mosaic (St. Maria in Trastevere, Rome ca. 1300 AD) showing the birth of Jesus on Christmas When did people start to celebrate Christmas? Beginning about 300 AD, people began to [...]
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06, 2017
Where do oranges and lemons come from?
Oranges and lemons come from earlier fruits; this is a type of citron called Buddha's Hand Wild ancestors of oranges and lemons The first wild ancestors of oranges and lemons [...]
