It has been such a fun year of writing for Recollections! About this time one year ago I did a lovely series on the delightful documentary A Very British Romance featuring one of my favorite historians, the fabulous Lucy Worsley. One of the things that I learned whilst watching the documentary is that at the [...]
We love Mrs. Claus at Recollections! Over the past year we have had the chance to learn a lot about her history and about the wonderful women who get to play her important role each year. It’s been quite an extensive study and in the end, I’ve become determined to continue to legacy with my [...]
In thinking about what topics to cover this holiday season I thought that researching a popular song or two may be fun, and The 12 Days of Christmas was the first that came to mind. A song with maids-a-milking, pear trees, pipers piping, and swans must have an interesting background, right? I have been delighted [...]
Despite being the story of a man down on his luck who is contemplating suicide, It’s a Wonderful Life is considered a feel-good Christmas film for all ages. While I think it has more adult themes than we give it credit for (the black and white tends to cast a quaint impression on a lot [...]
The Victorians knew how to celebrate Christmas! During the reign of Queen Victoria, the holiday grew more popular with each passing year, becoming a national holiday in America in 1870. A good majority of the traditions we enjoy today were either started or popularized during the late 1800s and early 1900s, though in some ways [...]
The holidays are here, and boy, don’t we all need it? It’s been a year of struggles for all of us, and I can tell how much people are looking forward to being with their families and to enjoying some comforts as we wait for the fresh start of the new year. And some of [...]
Do you count down the days to Christmas with an Advent calendar? What kind? The Advent calendar is a holiday tradition with historic roots that seems to be increasing in popularity each year. There are now the beloved Trader Joe’s version, versions with tiny bottles of booze, luxury versions, numerous food Advent calendars, versions with [...]
Part Two How are your Thanksgiving dinner plans coming along? Are you planning to do things differently this year? I am looking forward to a cozy solo holiday weekend of gluten-free pumpkin pie, books, and some nice red wine. I will also be having a virtual cook-off of sorts with a couple of friends in [...]
I have been with the Recollections team for just under a year and have had a lot of “favorite” blog posts. This one, however, might take the cake. Today, I had the privilege of speaking with customer and actor Nancy Jean Gray about her experience working as Mrs. Claus and had a ball. I am [...]