Who here has carved a rutabaga for Halloween? Raise your hands! The history of Halloween, known historically as All Hallow’s Eve or All Hallo’e’en, has a spiritual history rooted in immigration and religion. More modern traditions, like Trick or Treating and pumpkin carving, were brought to North America by Scottish, Irish, and English immigrants who…
Apple Fest 2022 is upon us! Here are 22 uses for the apples still sitting in the bags from the last time you went apple-picking. Simmer with cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, and water to make a stovetop air freshener. Bob for apples! Play “Medieval Basketball” with apples instead of rocks! Carve faces into apples! Play bocce…
When we think of “historical fashion,” we might think of the following: bonnets, hoop skirts, corsets, floor-length-fur-lined robes, white face makeup, bejeweled tiaras (just me? I’m getting ahead of myself) and more, thanks to popularized historical dramas like Bridgerton. If you haven’t watched the show, (and full disclosure, I have seen one point five episodes…
The rooster has crowed, the sun is peeking mellowly over the fields, and it is most definitely time to wake up. C’mon, get your shoes on. Actually, you’re about five minutes behind schedule and you still need to feed the barn animals, sweep the kitchen, boil water for washing, cook breakfast for your siblings, fix…
The experience of working with the Historic Village at Allaire has been invaluable to me. Not only was I able to expand my skills as an aspiring historian, I had the privilege of meeting so many incredible visitors and staff. I began my internship term by learning the basics of how our library is organized,…
Can you smell the hearth smoke in the air? Notice the scents of seasoned cast iron rising from the fire with aromas of sage, thyme, and rosemary; fresh-chopped garlic and cracked black pepper. Garden vegetables roasted in the fire, served on a bed of wild grains; hand-made with love and served on the worn dishware…
Congratulations! It’s 1836, and it’s your birthday: you have survived another year of typhoid, yellow fever, smallpox, scarlet fever, and cholera epidemics. You’ve endured the political and social turmoil of the Battle of the Alamo, a frightening financial panic, and a tumultuous Presidential election, and now you want to kick back and relax for a…
When I think of summer vacation, a clear memory is invoked. To me, summer is sitting on the worn, dipped steps of my back porch as the tepid evening heat settles into the earth. Fireflies offer a sporadic performance, working diligently to bring light to the dark corners of the early evening. Indigo-flooded shadows under…