Jacksonville, Florida
Thanksgiving’s turkeys have been gobbled, elves are on shelves, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Although December 25 is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ (whose birthday might actually be in the spring), to many children, Christmas means one thing: a Read More …
Move over twinkling fir trees and wreaths, eggnog, stockings and the office secret Santa — there’s a new kid in town. Over the last decade the ugly Christmas sweater has firmly embedded itself in yuletide culture. You know the one. It’s a wooly pullover, usually Read More …
If you’ve been, you know: One of the most spectacular holiday installations in the southeastern United States shines in Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore, George Vanderbilt’s 8,000-acre estate, puts on a show for Christmas like no other. Lizzie Whitcher, Biltmore House’s Floral Manager and the architect Read More …
History of the Poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 2–13 ft. The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 2.8–6.3 inches in length. The colored bracts—which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or Read More …
The holiday season is full of traditions, some shared and some unique. For many, Christmas requires a tree, greeting cards, parties, food and the sharing of gifts and fellowship. The history of how Americans celebrate the holidays is as diverse and fascinating as the population. Read More …
The annual Beaches holiday festival features elaborately decorated lifeguard chairs, plus a nightly light show, local music and dance groups, appearances by Navy Band Southeast and the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville and Gator Bowl pep rallies. New this year: Ten of the chairs will be Read More …
For generations, the MacDowells had sold cut-your-own Christmas firs. But was it time to exit now? Or was there a little magic left? After a final pull of the twine, Clifton MacDowell tugged at the tree to make sure it was set, tapped the rooftop and Read More …
One of the most beloved holiday stories of our time is The Nutcracker — the musical scores, stunning ballet performances, and memorable set decorations are the epitome of holiday tradition glam at its finest, whether the performance is in a school auditorium or at a regal, highbrow Read More …
The Christmas pickle is an American tradition that was once believed to have originated in Germany, which seems plausible given that so many other holiday customs have found their way to the United States that way. In actuality, the Christmas pickle was most likely the result of Read More …
As with many Christmas-adjacent things, gingerbread houses originated in Germany during the 16th century. Gingerbread itself had of course been around for much longer: Rhonda Massingham Hart, the author of Making Gingerbread Houses, noted that the first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in Read More …
Children have been sending letters to Santa for longer than the United States Postal Service has existed to deliver them, though today, they’re far more likely to get a response. In early America, children’s holiday wish lists were often written out and left by the Read More …
Eartha M. M. White hosted a children’s Christmas party at the Clara White Mission in Jacksonville on this date in 1963. This was one of many events and organizations that Miss White either supported or began throughout her long lifetime of humanitarian aid (she died Read More …
This week, check out our Christmas colors on the Acosta Bridge! The lights are on nightly from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. courtesy of JTA.
The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years. Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born. The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the yule log, the giving of gifts, carnivals(parades) with floats, carolers who sing while Read More …
“He had a broad face and a round little belly, That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly, He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself” Clement Moore, “A Read More …
There is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas. Are you willing… to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, Read More …
A Visit from Saint Nicholas (‘Twas the night before Christmas) by Clement Clark Moore photo credit: via flickr ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with Read More …
Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or Read More …