St. Helena is one of the most important figures in the history of the early church. The mother of the emperor Constantine and an early Christian, she was pivotal in influencing her son in legalizing the practice of Christianity in the Roman Empire in the 4th century.  During the 320s, Constantine commissioned his mother Helena to travel to the Holy Land to identify Biblical … [Read more...]

From the earliest days of its founding to the present, America has a great and rich maritime tradition.  This blended with America’s proud religious tradition, and the result was the construction of churches near harbors all along the coasts, dedicated to serving the needs of brave and lonely merchantmen.  In the 18th and 19th centuries, many of America’s ports and harbors … [Read more...]

In 2018, the people of Germany and Jews around the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of the infamous “Kristallnacht”.  On that day in 1938, the Nazi orgy of terror and violence against the Jews began in earnest, and many synagogues across Germany were damaged or destroyed.  While the Holocaust is now well behind us, the march of time and the wanton destruction of … [Read more...]

At the height of the Middle Ages in Europe, virtually all scientific knowledge was rooted in the ancient writings of the Greeks and Romans, subject to the teachings of the Bible. The handful of people who sought to pursue scientific knowledge at this time generally could only do so with the support, and scrutiny, of the Roman Catholic Church.  However, with the emergence of … [Read more...]

The phenomenon of Santa Claus can be traced back to ancient times. Originating with traditions associated with the Greek bishop St. Nicholas and pagan figures of Northern Europe, the idea of ‘Father Christmas’ emerged at some point in the later Middle Ages.  He in turn was processed and repackaged by American marketing firms in the 19th century into the figure we know today as … [Read more...]

Santa Claus is, for all intents and purposes, the definitive tradition of the Christmas season, with the exception of the celebration of the Nativity of course.  This is especially true in the United States, where Santa Claus and everything related has become a holiday institution of unequaled stature.  Borrowed from the European traditions of St. Nicholas and Father Christmas, … [Read more...]

Of the list of preeminent Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover rank as the most important.  However, it is Hanukkah that is arguably the most festive event of the Jewish calendar.  Celebrating the victory of the Maccabean revolt over the Seleucids and the liberation of Jerusalem and the Temple in 165 BC, Hanukkah is the most visible of Jewish holidays, at … [Read more...]

From coast to coast, from Thanksgiving through New Years, America is awash in holiday celebrations. There are parades and pageants, concerts and markets, Christmas light drive-thrus, festivals and even themed sporting events.  There is no way to encompass a “best” list, certainly not a short one.  I have read dozens of such lists, and they’re all completely different from one … [Read more...]

No place in America is more closely associated with the Thanksgiving holiday than Eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. It was here that the Pilgrims arrived in 1620 and where they later celebrated the first Thanksgiving.  Many of the settlements in this region were established directly by the pilgrims or by those Puritan Separatists who followed them to the New World in the next … [Read more...]