The Shenandoah Evening Herald ran a moving editorial on Christmas Eve 1945 about the meaning of the holiday after World War II.
“Christmas 1945” – The first Christmas after a long national struggle
“Holiday Greetings” – A December 1944 advertisement for Stegmaier Brewery wished customers a “Victorious New Year”
A patriotic, holiday-themed beer advertisement from the Wilkes-Barre-based Stegmaier Brewing Company appeared in December 1944.
Letters from War – Celebrating Independence Day 1945 in occupied Germany
Sergeant Irvin Schwartz describes the Fourth of July festivities in the ruined city of Nuremberg in July 1945.
Letters from War – Holiday greetings from the front lines in Nazi Germany, November 1944
Desperate to share Christmas cheer and hopes for a happy New Year, Pfc. Irvin Schwartz wished holiday greetings to friends and family through the newspaper.
Four Christmases – Holiday excerpts from Henry Keiser’s Civil War diary
Four diary entries from the Civil War document the evolution of holiday experiences of a soldier from Pennsylvania's Coal Region.
Golden-tinged memories of Christmas Eve recalled in the dark days of the Civil War – 1861
A writer in Luzerne County penned a beautiful, yet sad, remembrance of Christmas Eves past and the memories they inspired amid a terrible time in the country's history.
A bit of Thanksgiving perspective from the pandemic of 1918
An editorial from a newspaper in Pottsville during the 1918 pandemic reminds us to be thankful for life amid a time of death.
Thanksgiving Day in Schuylkill County – 1864
A detailed description of how Schuylkill County celebrated Thanksgiving as the Civil War reached its climax.
Letters from War – A powerful Memorial Day letter on the eve of D-Day, 1944
In this remarkable letter, Pfc. Irvin Schwartz reflects on the meaning of Memorial Day on the eve of D-Day and his first experience in combat.
“Anarchy and violence” – A St. Patrick’s Day riot in Carbondale – 1845
Peaceful St. Patrick's Day celebrations turned violent in Carbondale in March 1845.
Wynning History 