Homemade Ginger Beer
Before the holidays, I was reading a non-fiction book entitled Life on Muskrat Creek which tells the story of a family homesteading in Wyoming during the early 1900s. One chapter describes a Christmas celebration...
Tagged: Christmas
Christmas Ornaments
The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree during the Christmas season is believed to have started in Germany during the 1500s. Our early Hagenbuch ancestors certainly knew and practiced this custom before coming to...
The School Christmas Program
In 2014, I wrote about my memories of Christmas at our family church, Oak Grove, when I was a young boy. Though not quite as vivid, I also have some memories of when I...
Holiday Baking, A Family Tradition
Every year, as we approach Christmas and New Years, many families prepare for the time-honored tradition of holiday baking. Looking back, I can fondly remember platters stacked with pressed cookies, powdered snowballs, and sugar...
Christmas Babies
People born on holidays often see it as a double edged sword. Some of the holiday-born believe that the festivities take away from their birthday celebration. Others believe the holiday enhances their own personal...
Carrying on Traditions
In the movie Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye is faced with changing times and sings about tradition—the importance of the Papa being the head of the household. His wife, Golde, sings of the Mama...
Making Jumbles, a Deitsch Cookie Recipe
Cooking together has always been an important activity for Pennsylvania Deitsch families like the Hagenbuchs. This is especially apparent during the Christmas holiday, when candies, cookies, and sweet treats are prepared in order to...
Old Time Christmas in a Country Home
This story was shared in the December, 1983 issue of the “Beech Grove.” It first appeared in the “Lancaster County Guardian” in January, 1871 and was included with other folk culture stories by Alfred...
The Christmas Putz
Several days ago, my wife Linda and I attended a special showing of nativities at a church near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Over 500 nativity scenes or creches were displayed. Many were traditional and made of...
Montour County Christmas Memories
Rewriting the article on early Christmases last week brought to mind one of the wishes that all genealogists have: that our ancestors would have kept better records, especially of their every day life experiences....
