Take a look at our December newsletter!
DECEMBER 2020
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From Month-Long Bash to the Celebration We Love Today HOW CHRISTMAS WAS TAMED
‘Tis the season to be jolly! But why is that? Have you ever wondered where your favorite holiday traditions come from? Every year, we chop down evergreen trees to decorate in our houses, we tease couples found standing under the mistletoe, and we emphasize spending the day with our loved ones so much that many places close down completely for Christmas.
So, when did this raucous celebration turn into the calm, peaceful, holy day we know it to be now? That has more to do with convenience than anything. There’s no specified date for Jesus’ birth, although historians believe it was actually in the spring, since the shepherds were famously “tending to their flock by night.” That would be difficult to do in winter in Bethlehem. However, in the fourth century, Christian officials wanted to formally celebrate their savior’s birthday. Up until that time, Easter was predominantly the largest Christian celebration, but in order to convince the pagans that Christmas was worth their time, Pope Julius I chose Dec. 25 as the official date for Christmas. As pagan celebrations continued, they meshed with Christmas to become the holiday we know today. However, there’s a reason why modern Christmas feasts only last a few hours instead of days, and sadly, we don’t all have a month off from work to celebrate. (If only, right?) When the Puritans immigrated to what would become the U.S. in the 1600s, they brought with them the staunch belief that Christmas was to be celebrated in the church and in the church only. Any other celebrations were sinful. As the resistance to Britain grew stronger, so did the colonists’ beliefs that Christmas celebrations had no place in the budding country. In fact, it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in Boston from 1659–1681! (I wonder how Santa managed that?)
To understand why we do all of this, we have to go back in time — really far back!
its traditions carried throughout the colonies. The traditions took on a calmer tone than those overseas, and many of the settlers enjoyed their traditions from home. Almost 100 years after becoming a country, America certified Christmas as a holiday in 1870, and with it, the traditions we know and love took on the melting pot of the very people that made up the union. Christmas trees were adopted from the German act of decorating evergreen trees in harvest foods. Santa Claus is derived from the story of St. Nicholas, a Turkish man who gave all his worldly possessions to the poor and children. Poinsettias came from Mexico, while Christmas wreaths have a British lineage. Today, we enjoy this abundance of traditions all mashed together into one glorious holiday we call Christmas. Whether you celebrate the birth of your savior or just soak up the joy of this season, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. –Brett Parish
Party like it’s 200 A.D. Many attribute Christmas to the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but many of the traditions as we know them today are actually the result of traditions that existed long before Jesus was born. Ancient civilizations in the northern hemisphere celebrated the winter solstice — Dec. 21 — for generations. It marked what they believed to be the halfway point of winter. (Today, the halfway mark is actually Feb. 2, another holiday with ancient roots.) The glory of this solstice meant that lighter days were coming, cold temperatures would soon be disappearing, and the cold, suffering, and scraping by would cease to exist for a few months. To celebrate, many cultures cultivated their own traditions. The Norse burned large logs and feasted until the logs burnt out completely, sometimes going so far as to eat, drink, and party for
12 days! Rome would spend an entire month celebrating and completely reversing their social order. History. com reports that slaves would even swap places with their masters!
However, Christmas flourished elsewhere. Jamestown reportedly loved the holiday, and
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Building a snowman is one of the most picturesque winter activities, which is why snowmen have become a wintertime cultural icon. A snowman appeared on the very first postcards, was the subject of some of the earliest photos, and even starred in silent movies. Frosty may be a happy snowman now, but his ancestors have a much more varied — and sometimes dark — history. NOT JUST A CORN COB PIPE AND BUTTON NOSE THE SURPRISING HISTORY OF THE SNOWMAN
CREATING THE PERFECT SNOWBALL FIGHT With No Snow at All
The Middle Ages Snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages. They were
An old-fashioned snowball fight is the epitome of winter activities. But if snowfall is lacking or it’s just too cold to venture outside and hurl freezing balls of ice at each other, don’t let it dampen your spirits. You can create and orchestrate your own indoor, snow-free, and entirely safe snowball fight. Make Your Snowballs While craft stores sell large white cotton puffs that look like snowballs, they’re too light to get any good velocity behind them. Instead, make your own “snowballs” with just a few materials in four easy steps: 1. You’ll need a pair of scissors, several pairs of cheap white nylon stockings (one pair can make about 10 snowballs), and a bag of polyester fiberfill, like Poly-Fil, or use the stuffing from a few old stuffed animals you no longer want.
constructed with deep thought and great skill because, during a time of limited means of expression, snow was a free art supply that literally fell from the sky. These artistic feats were popular winter attractions for well-to-do couples who wanted to get their fix of temporary art. Snowmen were often created by famous artists, including 19-year-old Michelangelo who, in 1494, was commissioned by the ruler of Florence to sculpt a snowman in his mansion’s courtyard. The Miracle of 1511 In Brussels in 1511, during six weeks of subzero temperatures called the Winter of Death, the city was miraculously adorned with hundreds of snowmen. The spectacle told stories on every street corner — some political and some demonstrating anger with the church, many too risque to speak of. For the people of Brussels, this Miracle of 1511 was a defining moment of artistic freedom. But when spring came and the snow thawed, the Belgians were left with damaging floods. The Schenectady Massacre Not all snowmen have an innocent history. In 1690, former Fort Schenectady in upstate New York was home to a remote Dutch settlement, which was under the constant threat of attack. Soldiers guarded the gates at all times because they were frozen open, but during a blizzard, they left a pair of snowmen to protect the gates while they sought shelter. That’s when 200 French Canadian soldiers and Native Americans approached. Naturally, they were unfazed by the snowmen and ruthlessly invaded the settlement. Building a snowman seems like a simple and charming activity, but after learning about its surprising history, you might find those piles of snow seem a little more complicated and a lot more meaningful than before.
2. Stuff a handful of the filling down into the end of one stocking leg and tie a knot, creating a round “snowball.”
3. Make another knot after the one you just made, leaving a little space between the two knots.
4. Cut between the two knots to snip off a tied-off snowball. Repeat these steps until you have at least a few dozen, but if you’re patient enough to make 100 or more, you’ll have ample supply for a substantial encounter. How to Play There’s really no “right” way to have a snowball fight. It’s often just about who can hit whom the most, but if you want to turn it into a measurable competition, divide your group into two teams and distribute the snowballs evenly between them. Then create boundaries for each team by laying down masking tape across the room. Teams must stay on their side of the line at all times. Set a timer for however long you’d like the fight to go on, and at your signal, teams can start hurling snowballs across the room at one another. When time is up, gather and count the snowballs on each side, and the team with the fewest snowballs is the winner! A crafty indoor snowball fight can be a lot of fun for people of all ages, not just kids. Best of all, the crafting part is something you only have to do once, and then you have a stock of snowballs for every winter to come.
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3 GIFT-GIVING TIPS That Won’t Kill Your Savings
Ah, the holidays. It’s a time of sweet treats, family, and giving back — and sometimes giving a little too much. When it comes to the perfect holiday gift, many people spend too much money. The average American spends nearly $1,000 on gifts during the December holidays alone!
list. If you still feel the need to do something for them, send homemade cookies or a handwritten note instead of purchasing something. This limits how much you actually have to spend! Think beyond store-bought or expensive items. Sure, everyone wants this holiday season’s “it” item, but sometimes the best gifts don’t even come wrapped under the tree. Instead, look to your own talents as a clue to what you should give. If you’re a great crafter, create something unique for the people on your list. If you can offer the gift of time, provide a free night of babysitting for your friends with kids or an experience at the local theater. These gifts have a bonus factor: Recipients love the gift when they open it, and they love it when they get to use it! Set a budget — and stick to it. Setting a holiday budget ensures you only spend what you can afford. It also narrows down your search. If you choose to buy your neighbor something, but they aren’t your top priority, set their budget at a lower level, like $25–$50. If you have a sibling who has had a rough year and you’d like to make their holidays a little brighter, bump their budget up. This narrows the focus of what you’re looking for so you don’t stumble into something you can’t afford. Ultimately, it’s the spirit of giving during the holidays that makes them so rewarding. With a little ingenuity, you can be generous and avoid the stress of excess debt come January.
It’s possible to cut back and make it to January without major debt. Here’s how.
Check your list — twice! The list is going to be your secret weapon to tackling the holidays with your savings still intact. Start by writing down the name of every person you’d like to get a gift for. Now, with the exception of your immediate family members, narrow the names down to your top five — top 10 if you’re really popular. Now, place the names of the people who didn’t make the cut into a second
NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S FRUITCAKE
TAKE A BREAK
Ingredients
inch above each side to form “handles.” 2. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and sour cream. 3. In a second bowl, combine fruit, nuts, and 1/4 cup flour. 4. In a third bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, zest, and sour cream mixture. Then, add remaining flour and salt. Mix, then add fruit mixture. 5. Pour batter into lined pan. Fill up a separate loaf pan halfway with water. Bake both pans in oven for 1 1/2–2 hours or until a skewer leaves the cake clean. 6. Use “handles” to remove cake from pan and cool completely on a rack before serving.
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1 tsp baking soda 1 cup sour cream
3 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit of your choice, chopped 1 cup nuts of your choice, chopped 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 stick butter 1 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9x5- inch loaf pan with greased baking paper. Ensure the piece running the length of the pan stands 1
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INSIDE 1
How Christmas Was Tamed
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Craft a Snow-Free Indoor Snowball Fight The Surprising History of the Snowman 3 Fool-Proof Ways to Pay for the Holidays Without Going Broke Not Your Grandma’s Fruitcake Winter Road Trip Essentials You Didn’t Know You Needed
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A DRIVER’S GUIDE TO SAFE HOLIDAY TRAVELS Winter Road Trip Essentials You Didn’t Know You Needed
On Sept. 24, 2019, more than 2.5 million people passed through TSA checkpoints at airports across America. On the same date this year, those terminals saw just 826,316 travelers — a nearly 70% drop. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Americans have been thinking twice about air travel, and this holiday, millions of would-be flyers will set out on road trips instead. Road tripping is a great way to avoid contact with a lot of people, but it can also be dangerous, especially in winter weather. Fortunately, you can take several steps to keep your family safe. Getting your car checked before you go, for example, can save you a lot of hassle on the road, as can investing in a set of snow tires. It’s also smart to take precautions such as letting a friend or family member know your route, predicted arrival time, and where you plan to stop for gas along the way. Apart from that, one of the best things you can do is pack an emergency kit. AAA sells premade kits through outlets like Amazon, and you can find a basic kit with things like jumper cables, ponchos, rope, batteries, pliers, zip ties, and a first-aid kit at pretty much any Walmart or sporting goods store. You could even save a life by adding a few more essentials to your kit, like a blanket, snacks, and an extra cellphone charger.
At this point, you’re almost a safety black belt. But to take your kit to the next level for winter driving, there are three more little-known items you should stash in your trunk: a shovel, a bag of sand or cat litter, and an extra bottle of windshield wiper fluid. If you get stuck in a snowbank, the shovel will help you dig your way out without risking frostbitten fingers. The sand or cat litter will boost your traction if you sprinkle it around your wheels in an icy spot, and the extra wiper fluid will make all the difference if you run out during a snowstorm.
Once you’re prepared, crank up the Christmas carols and get driving!
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