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Caroling Stockings go back hundreds of years, but that’s nothing compared to the millennia- old tradition of caroling. The earliest roots of singing seasonal songs actually predates Christmas itself. During the winter solstice celebration, pagan cultures belted out winter classics while dancing away the longest night of the year. As Christianity grew in popularity, these songs were replaced by the first Christmas-themed hymns. While songs created in honor of the nativity began to appear around the fourth and fifth centuries, Christmas carols didn’t take on their familiar shape until 800 years later, when St. Francis of Assisi began including upbeat hymns into Christmas services. It didn’t take long for composers from countless countries to begin crafting their own specific carols. As with all change, not everyone appreciated these joyful songs replacing
to secure once-a-year deals, but sometimes the savings are just too good to pass up. Why, you might ask yourself, have retailers made this the norm? Well, unlike the other traditions on this list, we can pinpoint the start of Black Friday shopping at a particular time and place: Philadelphia in the 1950s. The term was coined by police officers to describe the influx of suburban shoppers who flocked to the city, causing havoc and forcing them to work long hours. It took only a few years for Black Friday to become an unofficial city holiday. It wasn’t until the ’80s that Black Friday became an integral part of the holiday season in all 50 states. Intrepid retailers figured out a way to turn the negative connotation into a day of sales. During this time, many people believed the holiday was named after retailers going from “red” (loss) to “black” (profit). Now, when you hear that story, you’ll be able to dispel the myth.
more somber hymns. Many churches banned them, which may account for why caroling became a door-to-door activity. Another theory suggests that the traveling nature of carolers owes its lineage to feudal societies in which peasants would literally sing for their supper. These days, many groups keep the philanthropic spirit of caroling alive by asking for donations to various charitable groups. So if you hear some folks stopping by your neighborhood to offer a rendition of “Silent Night” or “The 12 Days of Christmas,” consider spreading a little cheer to them. Black Friday While certainly not as beloved or long- standing a tradition as stockings or carols, there’s no denying that Black Friday is here to stay. You may hate having to stand outside around 4 a.m. (or, as is more common every year, dipping out on Thanksgiving in the early evening) in order
inT. Colin andThomas M. Campbell’s nutrition study“The China Study,” not for short-termperformance gains. Since then, his typical daily diet has included a smoothie for breakfast made with bananas, blueberries, coconut, essential oils, brown rice protein, and lacinato kale. For lunch, he eats a simple green salad. For dinner, he digs into a Vietnamese vermicelli bowl with tofu, cucumbers, pickled daikon and carrot, andThai basil. Scott occasionally struggles with his mid-run snacks, but he’s found a handful of foods to enjoy on the go, like vegetarian sushi. He is always on the lookout for new foods and flavors to“keep food frombecoming a chore.”Scott even helped Clif Bar develop Clif Organic Energy Food, a line of mid-run snacks for runners that includes interesting, exotic flavors. As it turns out, all that healthy eating has worked. Scott won theWestern States 100 Mile Endurance Run seven years in a row, the Spartathlon thrice, and the Badwater Ultramarathon— the world’s toughest foot race— twice. On top of that, he logged the fastest time ever on the AppalachianTrail, finishing it in 46 days, 8 hours, and 7 minutes. That’s about 50 miles a day for a month and a half straight. He did all that without ingesting any of the animal-based food products —eggs, chicken, fish, etc. —most world-class athletes eat daily. And he genuinely enjoyed it. “I love food,”he says,“andmost people find that the transition (to plant- based eating) can be done quite easily.” How Scott Jurek Raced Into the History Books Eating Only Plants ALL-TIME ATHLETE, AND AVEGAN
During the Summer Olympics in Rio, McDonald’s opened a pop-up restaurant that offered athletes unlimited fast food. These competitors had trained for years, and yet, there was a line out the door every single night. The rush for free McDonald’s meals highlighted a trend. Many athletes are less concerned about where their calories come from andmore concerned with howmany they consume. In the past, Michael Phelps’ famous 12,000-calorie diet has included chocolate chip pancakes, energy drinks, and pizza. Does he really need that much sugar and sodium to fuel his body? One world-class athlete proves you don’t. Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, considered one of the greatest runners of all time, accomplishedmore than any runner before himwhile fueling his body with nothing but plants. Scott, born in 1973, became a vegetarian at the age of 24 and a vegan at 26. Before that, he was a self-described“meat and potatoes”guy. “I grew up hating vegetables,”he says.“When I was in college, I started readingmore about different diets… It became clear tome I needed to change.” Scott went offmeat for the long-termbenefits, which include the prevention of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, as described
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