Merry Christmas! Enjoy an amusing poem from Luzerne County celebrating the beloved turkey dinner in December 1830. Read it here.
An amusing Christmas poem celebrating the beloved turkey dinner | 1830
How Shenandoah, Pennsylvania celebrated Christmas after Pearl Harbor | December 1941
Less than three weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Christmas 1941 in Shenandoah, PA balanced solemn church services and charity drives with bustling shops and eager children. Families faced empty seats of those in the service or lost in the war's first actions, yet community spirit shone through. Read the full story.
Video: “A Wet Christmas” in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region | A Prohibition story from 1926
In the winter of 1926, a Hazleton, PA reporter went looking for dry Coal Region towns - and found the opposite. Bootleg liquor flowed freely across Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill counties, especially at Christmas. Prohibition barely touched coal country. This new video brings that story to life. Watch the latest video.
A commentary and cartoon about overeating at Thanksgiving during the Civil War | 1864
Discover a scathing 1864 Harrisburg, PA editor’s plea against Thanksgiving gluttony plus a funny Harper’s Weekly cartoon highlighting a Thanksgiving feast at the front lines. Read the full story.
Celebrating Thanksgiving Day in Lykens, PA | 1871
On November 30, 1871, Lykens quietly marked Thanksgiving: businesses closed; Lutheran and Episcopal services thinly attended while railroads and collieries worked. Read the full story of a 19th century Thanksgiving in a mining town.
Exploring Thanksgiving Celebrations in Civil War Hospitals
Dive into a rarely told piece of Civil War history, where doctors, nurses, and volunteers fought to keep the Thanksgiving spirit alive for wounded soldiers. Discover how these hospital celebrations offered hope and normalcy amid the chaos of conflict. Read the full story.
Fourth of July cannon disaster at Lykens, PA | 1854
In 1854, a festive cannon salute in Lykens, Pennsylvania turned tragic on the Fourth of July. One man was killed, another lost an arm, highlighting the hazards of 19th-century holiday revelry. Read the full story.
Christmas History | Best of Jake Wynn – Public Historian
Discover Christmas history with Jake Wynn – Public Historian. From Civil War-era celebrations to Prohibition and World War II, explore how communities and people across Pennsylvania celebrated Christmas over the last 200 years. Enjoy these top Christmas stories from the archives. Read the stories.
Thanksgiving in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | November 1943
On Thanksgiving Day 1943, as World War II raged on, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania marked the holiday with a quieter tone. Many residents continued to work in essential industries, while others gathered for church services and family reunions. Discover how the Wyoming Valley adapted to the war-time holiday and embraced the hope of victory on the horizon. Read the full story.
Thanksgiving History | Best of Jake Wynn – Public Historian
Discover Thanksgiving history with Jake Wynn – Public Historian. From Civil War-era celebrations to the 1902 Coal Strike and World War I, explore how communities across Pennsylvania celebrated Thanksgiving during times of struggle and hope. Enjoy these top Thanksgiving stories from the archives. Read the stories.