by B.L. Unkel | Dec 25, 2021 | Holidays
The first recorded mention of “Christmas” is in 1038. The word came from “Cristes Maesse,” meaning “mass of Christ.” The Bible doesn’t tell us Christ’s birthdate, but a Pope back in the mid-fourth century designated December 25 as the day to celebrate His birth....
by B.L. Unkel | Dec 18, 2021 | Baking
Fairy floss. A magical name for a delightful, wispy spun-sugar delicacy. As early as the fifteenth century, chefs in Italy made spun-sugar desserts. But being a very labor-intensive process, the sweet wasn’t cheap and so could only be enjoyed by the rich. It wasn’t...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 24, 2021 | Holidays
Did you know 10-12% of Americans think their ancestors arrived in 1620 on the Mayflower? Count me in that group . . . sort of. I grew up hearing about how my family arrived on the “first ship.” As a child, I thought that meant the Mayflower. It wasn’t until I was a...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 11, 2021 | Holidays
In Honolulu, Hawaii, December 7, 1941, began as a perfect day for an early flying lesson. The flight instructor, a civilian born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1919, had the student practicing landings. They were circling back for another descent when a fast-moving...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 31, 2021 | Holidays
Are you superstitious? At least 25% of Americans are. They avoid black cats, breaking mirrors, and walking under ladders. Even if you’re not superstitious, you do things that originated from superstitions. For example, today we consider it polite to say “bless you”...
