Despite most of modern communication taking place via texts, messaging via apps, and, for some old-fashioned traditionalists, e-mail, mailing physical Christmas cards remains a popular and beloved custom that continues to stand the test of time. Where and when did this tradition originate?
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A staple of Christmas, gingerbread houses can be as simple as two rectangles leaning on each other, to mansions recreating some of the world's most famous palaces. Gingerbread houses are a tradition for a reason. But why do we make houses out of gingerbread, instead of just eating it as a cookie?
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Where and when did the tale originate? Santa Claus, leaving lumps of coal instead of Christmas presents for naughty children? According to Mental Floss, the tradition predates Santa and is found in tales of several individuals.
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The winter solstice is, for many, a good excuse to celebrate. Though the individual celebration can vary, they often include feasts, art, and processions.
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it makes sense why a teenage, Jewish Mary who visited her cousin and husband-to-be Joseph for a few months, and then became pregnant, would have been in quite a lot of trouble. In fact, Jewish law was quite brutal and strict in this regard.
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While many of the traditions observed now did get their start during the Victorian era, celebrations on both sides of the pond were, well, a bit weird at first.
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In many parts of Europe, Christmas celebrations include figures that are downright diabolical. Monsters, witches, and demons provide a chilling counterpoint to Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty. You better watch out because the most terrifying Christmas characters ever are coming to town.
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Being born into a rich family is not always good times and good fortune. As the saying goes, money can't buy happiness.
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In 1917, El Paso officials enacted a policy of disinfection and fumigation for Mexicans. This is the disturbing history of gas baths on the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Christmas traditions in America follow many of the same customs of well over a century ago. But what about celebrating the yuletide season in the old Wild West?
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Aristotle's views on ethics, logic, and metaphysics have played a central role in Western thought, even today. It's easy to assume that Aristotle was pretty much right regarding just about everything. But that's a mistake. One critical weak point in Aristotle's philosophy: his perspective on women.
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Calling Lowell Thomas a "vulgar man," Lawrence claimed he didn't like the fame and would later say that he'd been tricked into being filmed and photographed.
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At this stage of the science of dentistry, however, dentures were not so much artificial tooth replacements as they were real human teeth, set in ivory and placed in someone else's mouth, according to the BBC. Wealthy people even placed advertisements in papers for human teeth.
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During WWII, Allied soldiers caught by the Nazis became prisoners of war (POWs) and were placed into prison camps. Christmas brought secret tools for escape.
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Polyandry, when a woman takes two or more husbands, has been found in many cultures throughout history. In the 18th and 19th century, for instance, women in China ruled the roost and sometimes took more than one husband. Who knew the 1800s could be so progressive?
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While some of the most famous mobsters were never brought to legal justice, the Mafia has its own brand of justice.
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Not as well-known, but possibly even more cruelly petty than any of these emperors -- if you can believe it -- was Marcus Aurelius Severus (not Snape) Antoninus Augustus, also called "Caracalla," after a type of cloak that he apparently designed.
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There are a whole bevy of holiday-themed ghouls, including an eye-catching subset of Christmas witches. These female figures run the gamut, from friendly grandmas to ogresses to wild, pre-Christian goddesses, many with roots in pagan practices. Here are the tales of several Christmas witches.
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The farm provided clothing for the family as well -- with a little improvising. Bulk purchases of flour and feed were delivered to farms in large cloth sacks, and savvy mothers soon realized they could stretch the family budget by repurposing the fabric into garments for their families.
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The 2010 Haiti earthquake left over a million people without homes, hundreds of thousands of people died, and several hundreds of thousands were injured.
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The Clotilda was America's last slave ship, setting sail in 1860. The ship picked up 110 Africans and made its way to Alabama, where all were sold into slavery. After emancipation, the survivors went on to form Africatown, which is still populated today. Here are the stories of some survivors.
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If consuls were horses, they would naturally be far more adept at these tasks. At least, maybe this is what Caligula believed, because, as History states, he made his favorite horse, Incitatus, a consul, and "gave the steed a marble stall, an ivory manger, a jeweled collar and even a house."
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Charles Curtis, Herbert Hoover's VP from 1929-1932, was the first person of color to be Vice President of the US but is hardly remembered today.
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Inga Arvad was reportedly not only friendly with a dictator, who called her a "perfect Nordic beauty," but she also could have been working for him.
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At the 1936 Olympics, Haiti competed under its civil flag, a horizontal blue stripe on top of an equal-width red stripe. In contrast, Haiti's national flag includes a coat of arms in the center, per CRW Flags, but the civil flag was more commonly used for non-governmental affairs like the Olympics.
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It's no surprise that most American presidents have shared the White House with a dog, cat, or other animal friend.The presidency's unique challenges have made pets nearly a requirement for the job. Read on to learn more about the history of the animals that have made the White House a home.
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Most stewardesses began working around age 18-20. Seems young? You're right. Airlines preferred unmarried, childless stewardesses. The average age of tenured stewardesses was 32-35. The no-marriage rule was relaxed in 1957, though some airlines still required employees to be single and not pregnant.
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