December 31, 2003

Mummers Parade: String Bands

Since 1902, the “String Band” of the Mummers Parade has been revered by Mummers and townspeople alike.

December 30, 2003

Hogmanay: Biggest Day of the Year

Scottish culture preserves New Year’s Day as the most important family holiday.

December 29, 2003

Hogmanay

According to Scottish legend, visitors to your door on the night of Hogamanay, will determine your luck for the New Year.

December 26, 2003

Kwanzaa – Traditions

This week, millions of people around the world celebrate Kwanzaa, a relatively new holiday with roots in the ancient harvest festivals of Africa.

December 25, 2003

Christmas: History

Believe it or not, there was a time when the singing of Christmas Carols could land you in jail.

December 24, 2003

Christmas: Trees & Mistletoe

Some of our most enduring Christmas traditions may date back to the days before that holiday even existed.

December 23, 2003

Skating Canal: Winter Beauty

The Rideau Canal in Ottawa offers skating enthusiasts miles to glide while enjoying the beauty of winter.

December 22, 2003

Skating Canal: Winter Tradition

A skating canal in Ontario has become a national symbol of winter in Canada.

December 19, 2003

Bears: Birthing

For bears in hibernation, giving birth and nursing newborns is a slumberous activity.

December 18, 2003

Bears: Slowing Down

Bears have unique mechanisms for self-preservation during their months of hibernation.

December 17, 2003

Egg Hatchery: The Ultimate Egg Timer

When it comes to fulfilling orders for a hatchery, you’d better be able to count your chickens before they’re hatched.

December 16, 2003

Egg Hatchery: Mail Order Chickens

The biology of the chicken makes it possible for newly hatched chicks to be sent through the mail.

December 15, 2003

Sea Otter: Fur

A sea otter’s layered fur is waterproof and warm even in frigid conditions.

December 12, 2003

Santa Lucia: Waking Up

Serving sweet bread and wearing a crown of candles, young Swedish girls represent Saint Lucia in an early morning ritual.

December 11, 2003

Santa Lucia: History

The ancient legends of Santa Lucia are still embraced by the Swedish culture, with rituals of light in the darkness of winter.

December 10, 2003

Horseshoe Crabs – Part of The Food Web

Horseshoe crabs are being harvested for bait, threatening their survival as well as the migrating birds which depend upon them for food.

December 9, 2003

Horseshoe Crabs: Free Lunch To Birds

The breeding grounds for horseshoe crabs is a vital stopover for thousands of migrating birds.

December 8, 2003

Horseshoe Crabs: Mass Spawners

They’re older than dinosaurs, and part of the secret to their success is the way they breed.

December 5, 2003

Jonkonnu: Safety Valve

In the early 1800’s, letting off steam at the annual Jonkonnu celebrations may have been a social safety valve.

December 4, 2003

Jonkonnu: Reconstructing

A widely celebrated event during the 1800’s inspired historians and local residents of eastern North Carolina to reconstruct its spectacle.

December 3, 2003

Jonkonnu: Kome

Revelers of the Jonkonnu masquerade sing and dance through neighborhoods, visiting homes where their pageantry might be favored with a gift of money.

December 2, 2003

Jonkonnu: Origins

In North Carolina, the festival of Jonkonnu is celebrated with influences from West Africa, England, and the Caribbean.

December 1, 2003

Yoiks – Carrying On The Tradition

The nomadic Sami herdsmen of Scandinavia have preserved their oral history in a unique form of story-song called a “yoik.”