InThePastLane Edward T. O’Donnell We’ve all heard the expression before as a means of acknowledging skeptical surprise. Sometimes it’s the full version—“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”—and other times it’s … [Read more...]
Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus
A Historian’s Defense of “Happy Holidays”
[NB: a version of this op-ed ran in the NY Daily News and Worcester Telegram in 2011] Here we go again. If it's December then it’s officially the beginning of that annual ritual established a few years ago — the month-long explosion of outrage on talk radio and cable TV over an alleged “War … [Read more...]
White Christmas Was A War Song?
“White Christmas,” the song that first topped the charts in early December 1942, was a war song? It’s true—not in its lyrics of days that are “merry and bright,” of course, but in terms of the context that launched it to an exalted status in the annals of pop music history. In fact, the connection … [Read more...]
A Quick History Refresher before You See “Lincoln”
InThePastLane November 21, 2012 Edward T. O'Donnell Here's a historian's guide to getting the most out of "Lincoln." Stephen Spielberg’s latest film, "Lincoln," has been hailed by reviewers as a masterpiece (this historian agrees). Daniel Day-Lewis’s … [Read more...]
The Great Cranberry Scare of 1959
InThePastLane by Edward T. O’Donnell What's Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce and cranberry bread? In 1959, millions of Americans found out. The problem was not with the cranberry supply, for growers had reported an excellent harvest that … [Read more...]
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