Holiday History

I need a part-time job. Quick. When I see the ad for a historical re-enactor, I know it’s perfect. I don’t know it will transform my life. During the interview, the head of the group warns me this is more than I expect. It’s different from the theater productions I’m used to. But I promise to commit to the role — to fully immerse myself in the character. I don’t realize this means I’ll wind up in petticoats and dresses. And then there’s him. The instant we meet, I become stuck. Stuck in that spot and stuck to him. I’m wearing a dress. I should be embarrassed. The heat ...

History is turned inside out when off-world travelers challenge Tyson Reyes and Madi Grace to a real-life game of Temporal Dilemma. Three rounds from the opponents and Hitler takes Europe, Pearl Harbor never happens, a fascist cloud hangs over the postwar United States, and CHRONOS itself is erased from existence. Now Tyson, Madi, and a team of seasoned players must make their moves - in 1930s New York. Jazz and the blues waft from Village clubs. The World’s Fair draws assassins. Madison Square Garden hosts Nazis. And the Manhattan Project never gets off the ground.

In recent years many claims have been made and questions asked about the origins of our Easter traditions. Was the holiday based on Pagan traditions? Was Easter created by the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Nicaea? Where did Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny come from? How did Lent get started? Should Christians celebrate Easter, or should we be celebrating Passover? In this book we try to go back to the origins of these traditions and examine the historical evidence available to us to see where all of these traditions got started. Starting with the Bible as our guide, we work our ...

Is there a festive season of the year that is complete without one of your favorite hymns? Not only do hymns connect you to great memories, but they also reveal the faith of those who lived throughout history. As Robert Morgan explored the stories behind some of the best-loved hymns, he found fascinating accounts of tribulations, triumphs, struggles, and hope—ordinary people who connected with God in amazing ways, sharing their experiences through song.

On Christmas Day 1914, amid the bloodily stalemated trenches of Flanders just five months into World War I, a memorable event dubbed the Christmas Truce occurred. In place of the rattle of gunfire and the crash of bursting artillery shells, familiar German and English Christmas carols floated through the frosty air. Officers and men on both sides emerged from their trenches to mingle, exchange Yuletide greetings, give one another small gifts and mementos, and discuss the fighting as language allowed.

A wonderfully funny adventure and educational story for children. Layla Skye is a ten year old girl with a talent. Through her books and her online research she discovers things. And she has discovered the secret where abouts of the mythical "last treasure of the Hyksos" - and it is Crete. She persuades her mother and family to go to Crete on holiday. She is excited - but less so when she meets with Professor Zoakos who has been searching for the treasure for years within the ancient ruins of Knossos. Zoakos is keen to find out what Layla Skye knows and is not about to let his arrest record...

History repeats itself for Phoebe Kozak. When Phoebe learns she’s having a baby, she convinces her grandparents it’s best for her to leave their small town and move to another, where no one knows her. While wandering around Winter Springs’ tree farm, she spots her ex-boyfriend. In order to hide from him, she does the only thing she can think of and finds herself in a pickle. Grady Linden offered to dress up as Santa this year at his family’s Christmas tree farm. As he wanders around, greeting children and adults alike, one woman captures his attention, in more ways than one. He must...

Originally performed at the Kennedy Center for the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and later as a tribute to Walter Dean Myers, this stirring and inspirational poem is New York Times best-selling author and National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds' rallying cry to the dreamers of the world.

Even by the standards of the 1970s, even compared to Jar-Jar Binks, the legendary 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special is a peerlessly cringeworthy pop-culture artifact.

Christmas is a wonderful Christian holiday that has been enjoyed by many for hundreds of years. Or is it a collection of repackaged pagan practices setup by the Roman Catholic church in order to replace paganism? I guess it would depend on who you ask, but ultimately it cannot be both. Today there seems to be a battle between two camps concerning the origins of Christmas. Memes, videos, and blogs are filled with opinions, but what is the truth behind the matter? What evidence is there to support the views that are being shared? In this book we will be looking at the Biblical account of the ...

The Christmas Tree Girls was inspired by a true story from 1912 Chicago. Captain Schuenemann and the Christmas Tree Ship is legend in Chicago. His wife Barbara, and their three daughters, Elsie and the twins Hazel and Pearl became known as The Christmas Tree Girls. First introduced in this author's last book, 'Flowers For the Season'; now go on a new adventure with Elsie, Hazel and Pearl. Will there be a Christmas miracle? Perfect for the holidays or any time of the year.

In the first biography of Billie Holiday in more than two decades, Paul Alexander—author of heralded lives of Sylvia Plath and J. D. Salinger—gives us an unconventional portrait of arguably America’s most eminent jazz singer. He shrewdly focuses on the last year of her life—with relevant flashbacks to provide context—to evoke and examine the persistent magnificence of Holiday’s artistry when it was supposed to have declined, in the wake of her drug abuse, relationships with violent men, and run-ins with the law.

In 1815 the Battle of Waterloo brought to an end the Napoleonic Wars and the European continent opened up once again to British tourists. The nineteenth century was to be an age driven by steam technology, mass-industrialisation and movement, and, in the footsteps of the Grand Tourists a hundred years earlier, the British middle-classes flocked to Europe to see the sights. In Tourists, the voices of these travellers – puzzled, shocked, delighted and amazed – are brought vividly to life.

Every November, the United States celebrates Thanksgiving Day. But what actually happened at the first Thanksgiving? And when did it happen? Discover the facts and find out the fiction surrounding one of America’s favorite holidays.

Not so very long ago, Yuletide was as much a chilling season of ghosts and witches as it was a festival of goodwill. In The Old Magic of Christmas, you'll rub elbows with veiled spirits, learn the true perils of elves, and discover a bestiary of enchanted creatures. Rife with the more frightful characters from folklore and the season's most petulant ghosts, this book takes you on a spooky sleigh ride from the silvered firs of a winter forest to the mirrored halls of the Snow Queen.

Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday’s Traditions reveals the surprising, quirky, mysterious, and sometimes horrifying stories behind the most wonderful time of the year.

For millennia, Stoicism has been the ancient philosophy that attracts those who seek greatness, from athletes to politicians and everyone in between. And no wonder: its embrace of self-mastery, virtue and indifference to that which we cannot control has much to offer those grappling with today's chaotic world. But who were the Stoics? In this book, Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman offer a fresh approach to understanding Stoicism through the lives of the people who practised it.

In this fourth installment of the Chrissy the Shih Tzu Cozy Mysteries, Autumn Clarke and Ray Reed are planning the winter wedding of the year, and the first major social event at Autumn's newly renovated Peabody Mansion Bed & Breakfast. Autumn's dreams are about to come true: a spectacular, romantic ceremony with the handsome love of her life.

In 1978, Kim "Howard" Johnson ran away to join the circus - Monty Python's Flying Circus, that is. The Pythons converged on Tunisia to film their timeless classic Life of Brian, and Howard found himself in the thick of it, doubling for nearly all the Pythons, playing more roles in the film than John Cleese, and managing to ruin only one shot. He became the unit journalist, substitute still photographer, Roman soldier, peasant, near-stalker, and, ultimately, friend and confidant of the comedy legends.

What Shall We Do Today? Father's Day Magic - A Time-Travel Adventure for Young Readers Perfect for Father's Day Reading & Year-Round Learning! Join three best friends on a magical journey through time to discover the heartwarming origins of Father's Day! When curious 7-year-old Imani, enthusiastic Tommy, and knowledge-loving Maya find mysterious glowing tools, they're transported back to 1908 West Virginia to meet Grace Golden Clayton—the woman who organized the very first Father's Day service. Through magical adventures spanning from 1908 to 1910, these young heroes help create a holiday...