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Is it surprising that the carol is thousands of years old? The first carols were not related to Christmas, however. Carols, or circle dances of praise and joy, were originally associated with pagan celebrations throughout the four seasons. With the advent of Christianity, winter solstice celebrations took on a more singular religious meaning. One of [...]
Evergreen trees decorated with lights, garland, and ornaments have become a staple in most households that celebrate Christmas, however, these trees haven’t always been a symbol of the upcoming holiday. In fact, just like many aspects of Christmas, they have gained popularity since the Victorian era. Let's take a short look at the history of [...]
Halloween is one of our favorite holidays! Here are some of the Halloween happenings in a few of the larger cities in the USA. We'll add more and are interested in hearing from you about your favorite Halloween happenings. Comment with the name of the event, the date(s), location, and a link and we'll add [...]
Are you attending a Dickens-themed event? Whether you are participating in a Dickens Fair, are part of a Victorian caroling group, or are part of a Dickens production such as A Christmas Carol, it’s important for a lady to know how to dress the part! We’re here to wrap it all up for you in [...]
Happy 35th birthday to us! What seems like a long time ago when you look at the calendar but passes in the blink of an eye? Ah, how the years seem like nothing but fleeting moments when you are investing in your passion! Flash back to the early 1980s… Our founder and designer was a [...]
In our continuing celebration of the holidays, we’re inviting you to participate in our ‘Caption This!’ New Year Greetings 2017 contest. New Year greetings were very popular during the Victorian era and they were downright weird, sometimes! We compiled 10 vintage New Year greetings for you. Have fun and Happy New Year from Recollections! Rules [...]
Looking into the Victorians and how they influenced our modern Christmas celebration was so much fun that stopping at five was just not possible! So, here are five more interesting observations. The first of our observations is that the singing of Christmas carols was revived and popularized during the Victorian era. Old words were paired [...]
What a joy it is to live, work, and play in our little slice of northern Michigan. Presque Isle County is a four-season wonderland. Yes, it gets very cold and snowy during winter, but that makes summer all the more glorious! As we close out the summer of 2016 , we'd like to share a little [...]
Victorian Era Fashion: Exploring the Revival Fans of the romantic style have long awaited the revival of Victorian era dress. As fashion trends are a part of a large never-ending cycle of circulating ideas and inspirations, it’s fitting that the female empowering Victorian style is once again popular. The fashion of the era marks femininity [...]
Updated August 2024. There still may be a bit of summer left on the calendar, but soon the leaves will be changing color and autumn will be in the air. When that happens, all of our thoughts will turn to... Halloween! Here are some interesting tidbits about one of our favorite holidays. Halloween's origins can [...]
It is summertime at Recollections, however, half of the world is experiencing winter even as we bask in the summer sun. But, it doesn't matter whether you live north of the Equator or south of it, it is Christmas in July! History of Christmas in July During the first quarter of the 20th century, before the [...]
Josephine Newcomb, Forward-thinking Philanthropist Josephine Louise Lo Monnier was born on Halloween, 1816, in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father was a wealthy businessman and she was educated mostly in France. However, the family's fortune declined after the death of her mother in 1831. She ended up living in New Orleans where her older sister settled after [...]