In this merry episode we take a long look at this epic Christmas of Tinker Toys, Prohibition, Lincoln Logs, Raggedy Ann, and getting a new car for Christmas.
We also discuss a bit about researching Christmas and the value of having newspaper records now available.
This look back at Christmas history also includes a tangent about Christmas of 1870 when Congress declared Christmas a national holiday. While we found little in the news archives that talked about that event we did find plenty of 150-year old Christmas opinion that we want to share.
Also discussed is the 19th century fad of mistletoe. First a poem and later a very popular song known as the Mistletoe Bough is explored. It is a ghost story of Christmas most people do not know about.
And finally we explore the tradition of Thanksgiving Day parades, which began in 1920, but not with Macy’s in New York City. That leads as well to a discussion of stores in 1920 — and their connection to stories in 2020.
This is a fascinating trip down Christmas memory lane.
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