December 23, 2024 • 31 mins
Explore the fascinating transformation of Christmas traditions in America, revealing how many of our cherished customs emerged more recently than we might imagine. Examine Christmas celebrations in colonial America, where the holiday bore little resemblance to today's family-centered observance. Through court records and historical accounts, we learn how the Puritans banned Christmas in Massachusetts from 1659 to 1681, troubled by its connections to pre-Christian festivals and its often rowdy, carnival-like atmosphere.
The narrative threads through several compelling historical cases, including a 1679 incident in Salem Village where four young wassailers - including future Salem Witch Trial figures Samuel Braybrook and Joseph Flint - caused significant disruption during their Christmas celebrations. This event illuminates the complex relationships between holiday revelry, social order, and the later witch trials that would shake colonial New England.
Tracing the origins of Christmas customs, hosts Josh and Sarah explore how ancient festivals like Saturnalia and Yule influenced early celebrations, and how Christian leaders strategically absorbed these pre-Christian traditions. Learn how the modern American Christmas largely took shape in the 19th century, with particular attention to the literary creation of Santa Claus by Washington Irving and his circle of writers known as the Knickerbockers. Their work directly influenced Clement Clark Moore's famous poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," which the hosts perform as a special dramatic reading.
The evolution of Christmas trees, gift-giving customs, and holiday decorations receives careful examination, demonstrating how these "timeless" traditions emerged relatively recently as part of a broader transformation of Christmas from a community celebration to a domestic, child-centered holiday.
Throughout the episode, Josh and Sarah weave together scholarly research with engaging storytelling, helping listeners understand how Christmas evolved to reflect changing American values while retaining its power to connect generations through shared celebration. Using primary sources, including court records and period writings, they illuminate how our holiday traditions, though often presented as ancient and unchanging, are dynamic expressions of cultural values that continue to evolve.
Find more episodes and resources at witchhuntshow.com. Follow us on social media @WitchHuntShow for updates and additional content.
Remembering the Innocent Victims of the Connecticut Witch Trials
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not
a creature with stirring, not even a mouse.
Welcome to Witch Hunt, the podcast of the witch trials and
more. I'm Josh Hutchinson.
And I'm Sarah Jack for the holidays.
We thought we'd pick a lighter topic than usual.
So today we look into the roots of Christmas as we know it today
(00:20):
in the United States. We tend to think of holiday
traditions as timeless. However, they all had to start
somewhere. You may be surprised by how
recently many of our traditions were created for.
Example Santa Claus was created in the 19th century, just about
200 years ago. In fact, many of our revered
(00:41):
traditions were developed in the19th century.
We wouldn't recognize the Christmas observed before then.
As we'll explain, the winter holidays were more like Carnival
than the more sedate, family oriented Christmas most
Americans celebrate today. In this episode, we'll peel back
the layers of today's holiday toreveal the true origins of the
(01:03):
invented traditions we know now.In his wonderful book The Battle
for Christmas, a Cultural history of America's most
cherished holiday, historian Steven Nissenbaum defines
invented traditions as customs that are made-up with the
precise purpose of appearing oldfashioned.
Remarkably, this is how many of our timeless traditions came to
(01:26):
be. But Christmas wasn't popular in
all corners of early American Society, especially not in
colonial New England. In fact, Christmas was so
reviled by many Puritans that they banned the practice in both
England and Massachusetts. The band did not hold up long in
England, but ran from 1659 to 1681 in Massachusetts.
(01:52):
And the law was only repealed there in the face of pressure
from the restored English monarchy, who threatened to pool
the Massachusetts Bay Colony's charter, the foundation of its
self governance, due to the passing of many laws that were
in conflict with English law, aswell as other colonial actions
which the king found repugnant. Despite repealing the Christmas
ban, by the way, the colony still lost its charter and was
(02:15):
placed under the authority of a royal governor who answered to
the king. And even after the ban was
lifted, Puritan churches did nothold Christmas services and
people were expected to work on Christmas Day, unless it was a
Sunday, in which case the normalSunday services were held.
It is commonly believed that thePuritans banned Christmas
(02:35):
because they were the enemies offun.
However, the real reason for theban was more complicated.
For one thing, Christmas was notthe peaceful family holiday many
people currently observe. Christmas revelries could easily
get out of hand, resulting in theft, property damage and
sometimes violence. You see, in those times,
(02:56):
Christmas was more like the carnival celebrations we
associate with the approach of Lynch.
And some elements are the same as what we've heard about in
researching the history of Halloween.
Many of these elements can be traced back to pre Christian
winter festivals in Europe like winter solstice observances,
Rome, Saturnalia and the Germanic Yule holiday.
(03:18):
Saturnalia, the feast of the gods Saturn was itself based
upon the earlier Greek celebration called Cronia, the
feast of Cronos and Cronus, essentially the Greek equivalent
of Saturn. Cronia was a time when social
hierarchies were thrown out the window, people from all walks of
life celebrated together and masters served their servants.
(03:40):
Enslaved people were granted much more liberty than in
ordinary times and were able to celebrate and fill the Athenian
air with the sounds of their jubilee.
These themes of rampant equalityand social inversion were
carried on by the Romans with Saturnalia, which was held
annually from December 17th through December 23rd.
(04:00):
Like many fall and winter holidays, Saturnalia was a
harvest festival observed at a time of year when fresh crops
were in, agricultural workers had some freedom from work, and
animals were slaughtered to prepare for winter.
These were days of leisure for many people when food and drink
were abundant and had to be consumed or preserved for the
coming months. It was a natural time for
(04:22):
feasting and letting loose when food, drink and sex were all on
the table. This, of course, would later
trouble the Puritans and many other Christians who were
shocked by the rock'n'roll lifestyles of the ancients.
For the Puritans, the link between Christmas and the feast
of Saturn was a problem. There were people in New England
who refused to even name the days of the week.
(04:46):
For such people, Saturday was not Saturn's day, it was simply
the 6th day, and Christmas was certainly not to be observed by
letting go of inhibitions. If Christmas was to be observed
at all, and many believed it should not be celebrated, it
should be observed quietly and solemnly, reflecting on Christ's
life and sacrifice. But should Christmas be
(05:08):
acknowledged? According to many leading
Puritans, the answer was a resounding no.
The Puritans believed in only observing religious customs,
rites and holidays spelled out in the Bible.
And there is no passage in Scripture that instructs
followers of Christ to observe the day of His birth.
Furthermore, nobody knows the date when baby Jesus was born.
(05:30):
The Bible doesn't even offer clues to the season, except that
we can probably rule out winter because shepherds of Israel
would not have been in the fields of their sheep at night
during the winter. Even the year of the Nativity
cannot be pinned down. According to the Bible, the
birth occurred during the reign of Herod, who died in the year
we now label 4 BCE, meaning Jesus was likely born between
(05:52):
6:00 and 4:00 BCE, not in the year 1 CE.
For all these reasons, Puritan ministers opposed Christmas.
However, not all of their parishioners did.
Many holiday customs were transported from England to New
England in the 17th century, andsome colonists were determined
to observe them. We have spoken on this podcast
(06:13):
about a Christmas celebration that went horribly awry in
Hartford, CT. Confusion over the observance
and its meaning contributed to the Hartford witch panic and to
witchcraft accusations against the Christmas Keepers, including
Rebecca Greensmith, who confessed that the devil told
her that at Christmas they wouldhave a merry meeting.
(06:34):
In undated testimony, eyewitnessRobert Stern described seeing
Rebecca in the woods with others, He said.
I saw this woman Good Wife Seeger in the woods with three
more women and with them I saw 2black creatures like 2 Indians
but taller. I saw likewise a kettle there
over a fire. I saw the women dance round
(06:54):
these black creatures, and whilst I looked upon them, one
of the women, Good Wife Greensmith, saith.
Look who is Yonder? And then they ran away up the
hill. I stood still, and the black
things came toward me, and then turned to come away.
He further saith, I know the persons buy their habits or
clothes, having observed such clothes on them not long before.
(07:17):
This may or may not have been what Rebecca Greensmith referred
to in her confession. In 1662 in Beverly, MA, a
fisherman named William Hoar wasordered not to allow the people
visiting him on Christmas Day todrink alcohol.
William was the husband of future Salem witch Charles.
Suspect Dorcas whore. 17 years later in neighboring Salem
(07:37):
Village, 4 younger men went out Wassling on Christmas night
hoping to obtain alcoholic beverages and perhaps other
gifts from 72 year old John Rhoden.
The young men included Samuel Braybrook, who in 1692 would be
tasked with transporting Sarah Goode from Salem Village to
Ipswich following her witchcraftarrest.
(07:58):
And who went on to testify against our mutual ancestor,
Mary Estie? Another Wassler that night in
1679 was Joseph Flint, who wouldtestify against witchcraft
suspects George Jacobs senior and Margaret Jacobs in 1692.
Benjamin Fuller was also with the Christmas Keepers that
night. He was one of the three dozen
(08:19):
men who refused to contribute tothe minister's salary when
Samuel Parris was ordained in Salem Village in 1689.
The 4th Wassler was Joseph Foster.
According to John Roden's account, he, his wife Mary, and
their stepson Daniel Poole were home when the four merrymakers
came knocking at about 9:00 PM. The four visitors set themselves
(08:41):
by the fire, and Foster and Fuller began singing.
After two songs, Braybrook askedRoden if the songs were worth a
cup of Perry, a pear wine. Roden said he didn't like the
singing and asked the men to leave.
Benjamin Fuller said it was Christmas Day at night, and they
came to be merry and to drink Perry, which was not to be had
anywhere else but here. And Perry they would have before
(09:04):
they went. Roden told them they should have
none there. Joseph Foster said he had
travelled from town and didn't have money on him.
He asked Braybrook to order two pots of Perry and promised to
pay him back. Now, Mary Rodent told the men,
they weren't running a licensed Tavern.
The Waslers left after this, but15 minutes later, three of them,
(09:25):
Foster, Braybrook and Flint returned.
Foster told the rodents he had borrowed money and could now pay
for Perry. John and Mary Roden asked to see
the money, which turned out to be a piece of lead rather than a
coin. The three men left but stopped a
short distance away and called out to the rodents.
Samuel Braybrook asked Daniel Poole how to get to Marblehead,
(09:48):
but Poole told him to go home tohis wife.
Braybrook challenged Poole to come out and fight, and Flint
said if he wanted to box, he would box with him for a potted
Perry. Then the men grew destructive,
throwing stones, bones, and other things that pool in the
doorway and against the house. This went on for about an hour
(10:10):
and a half. The men also broke down a long
stretch of stone fence, broke into a cellar and stole a lot of
apples. On March 12th, 1680, Samuel
Braybrook petitioned the court apologizing for sinning and
breaking the law. He said it was the first time he
had so transgressed. The records and files of the
(10:31):
Quarterly Courts of Essex Countydo not indicate the outcome of
the case against the Waslers. As shown by this incident,
rituals of misrule and social inversion remained in place long
after the Roman Catholic Church replaced Saturnalia and
celebrations of the winter solstice with Christmas in the
4th century. The addition of Christmas to the
(10:51):
church calendar came after Christians had for three
centuries not observed today as the anniversary of Christ's
birth. Throughout the early centuries
of Christianity, believers did not place much importance on the
birth of Christ. It was his rebirth and his
impending return that drew more attention.
And so the Christians of the first 3 centuries AD did not
(11:11):
have Christmas. However, in the 2nd century, ADA
group of Christians in Egypt began to celebrate Jesus's
baptism on the day now known on the liturgical calendar as
Epiphany, the celebration of Christ's manifestation to the
Gentiles. Over time, this celebration
spread across the Greek speakingportion of the Roman Empire and
(11:33):
grew to incorporate Christ's birth and the Magi arrival in
Bethlehem. Christmas was not the only
Christian holiday to take the place of an earlier non
Christian festival. Indeed, the Egyptian Christians
may have selected January 6th for Epiphany because the Greeks
had celebrated the birth of Annefrom the virgin goddess of
quarry on that day. Cory was the form of the goddess
(11:56):
Persephone, and Aeon may have been a form of the God Dionysus,
who had been reborn after being killed by the Titans.
Bacchus was the Roman equivalentof Dionysus.
You may recognize him from his feast called Bacchanalia,
another festival which many Christians found to be the time
of too much licentiousness. Meanwhile, Christians in the
(12:18):
western part of the Roman Empirecontinued to abstain from
observing Jesus birth until after Emperor Constantine
converted and made Roma Christian Empire.
It was during or shortly after the reign of Constantine that
Latin speaking regions began observing Christ's birthday.
At the time the church adopted December 25th for Christ's
(12:38):
birthday, that date fell on the winter solstice, the moment when
days began growing longer following the longest night of
the year. This day was observed by many
Romans as the birthday of the sun God Sol Invictus.
So Romans went from celebrating December 25th as Deus Natalis
(12:58):
Solis Invicti, the birthday of the God of the unconquered Sun,
to celebrating in its Christmas the birthday of Christ, who is
known as the immortal Son of God.
From the God of the Sun to the Son of God, Roman religion was
being shaken from the foundation.
Both Epiphany and Christmas began to be observed across most
of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries.
(13:21):
And made their way into the ecclesiastical calendar by 567,
when the Council of Tours created the 12 Days of
Christmas, declaring that every day between Christmas and
Epiphany was a festival. Now that's a tradition I could
get behind. This council also created the
season of Advent, during which Christians were tasked with
(13:42):
preparing for Christmas and for Christ's return.
The pre Christian festivals we have discussed so far are not
the only ones to feed into the Christmas season.
And the Romans weren't the only ones partying in the winter to
their N the Germanic and Scandinavian peoples were
celebrating Yule. Many of our contemporary
Christmas traditions, such as those Yule logs we love to watch
(14:05):
burn on TV, came from this festival.
Wasserling, the predecessor of caroling, may also have
developed during the centuries when Yule was broadly celebrated
in northern Europe. The earliest known reference to
Yule comes from a 6th century Gothic calendar, which refers to
what we call November as fruma yulis, meaning before Yule.
(14:27):
The holiday is also mentioned bythe Vitable bead and by the
authors of several sagas. As Christianity spread to the
Germanic lands, Yule was absorbed into Christmas.
This is an critic method of absorbing local customs into
Christianity. Created Christmas as we know it
by fusing Saturnalia, the solstice, Yule and other
(14:48):
influences. Christmas was initially more of
a festival for adults than the family oriented holiday we
observed these days. In the words of increased
Mather, the Puritan divine from Boston, the generality of
Christmas keepers observed that festival after such a manner as
is highly dishonorable to the name of Christ.
(15:09):
How few are there, comparatively?
That's been those holidays, as they are called, after an holy
manner, But they are consumed incomplications and interludes, in
playing at cards, in revelings and in in excess of wine, in mad
mirth. Increase's son Cotton later put
it this way. The Feast of Christ's Nativity
(15:30):
is spent in revelling, dicing, carting, masking, and an all
licentious liberty by mad mirth,by long eating and by hard
drinking, by lewd gaming, by rude revelling.
In England in 1725, the Anglicanpriest Henry Board of Newcastle
echoed the Mather's sentiments and went on to describe the
(15:51):
horrors of mumming and caroling.Mumming involved men dressing as
women and women dressing as men.In these guises, people went
around to neighbors homes to celebrate Christmas and occasion
and Bourne's words of much uncleanness and debauchery.
According to Bourne, singing Christmas carols was
disgraceful, usually only done in the midst of writing and
(16:15):
chambering and wantonness. Chambering basically meant
fornication, as in the act of taking someone to your
bedchamber. Now let's talk about some of the
ways we still observe Christmas today, in addition to the
caroling and religious services we've already mentioned Green.
Plants have long been a part of winter festivals.
In particular, Evergreen plants have been important pieces of
(16:37):
celebration going back to ancient times.
Such greenery was used in both Roman and Germanic festivals.
In many northern European countries, garlands and reefs
had practical functions as well as decorative ones.
Evergreen boughs were placed strategically around the home to
ward off evil spirits and even witches.
(16:58):
It was seen as especially important to protect entrances
to the home, so Evergreen boughswere placed on doors and windows
and near chimneys and wells. There's a story from the New
England witch trials about witchcraft suspect Rachel Fuller
being prevented from entering a home when sweet bays were laid
under the threshold. In addition to their uses in
(17:18):
counter magic, evergreens just smell good, right?
So thank you Christmas trees, Garland and wreaths for making
breathing more pleasant without harsh canals.
Christmas trees are a relativelyrecent innovation, though they
may have been based upon older traditions.
It is commonly believed that Christmas trees originated in
(17:38):
Germany, and that does seem to be true.
However, the tradition predates the modern nation of Germany and
was practiced outside of the current boundaries of that
nation. The modern Christmas tree first
appeared in northern Germany andLivonia, now Latvia and Estonia,
in the 15th century. It was not until the 1830s,
however, that Christmas trees became fashionable in the United
(18:01):
States. Trees were initially decorated
with wax candles, small gifts, fruits and nuts.
Later, glass ornaments and othertouches were added.
In fact, popcorn Garland may have been hung on Christmas
trees in Williamsburg, VA, as far back as 1842, if not even
earlier. Popcorn was then as now, cheap
(18:22):
and easy to come by, so it was avery practical way to dress up a
tree, which I have done. Turning our attention now to
those gifts hanging on the trees, we find that the
tradition of gift giving during winter festivals dates back to
the ancients, but it's taken on many wildly different forms over
the years. The Romans exchanged gifts
during Saturnalia, often waxed figures known as Zigelaria.
(18:48):
And the Christian Gospel of Matthew declared that the wise
men or Magi had given the baby Jesus 3 gifts, gold,
frankincense and myrrh. By the way, the Gospel of
Matthew also describes the wise men entering the house where the
baby Jesus rested at the stable.And the Gospel of Luke simply
says Jesus was initially laid ina major as there was no room in
(19:10):
the end. No mention of the stable or
cave, the majors where the shepherds visited Jesus,
apparently well before the wise men arrived.
Neither Matthew nor Luke shed much more light on the Nativity,
and much of the scene we picturetoday was invented as legends
developed about the Christ child's birth.
Not every gospel written made itinto the Bible and there's a
(19:32):
whole sub genre of non canonicalinfancy gospels including the
Gospel of James and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
The Gospels that made it into the Bible do not reference the
presence of animals in the stories of the visits by the
shepherds or the wise men, whichoccurred on separate,
unspecified dates. However, the 2nd century Gospel
of James tells of the son of Joseph leading a donkey to
(19:54):
Bethlehem. In this version of the Nativity,
Jesus is born in a cave on the way to Bethlehem.
The wise men are mentioned in the Gospel of James, but are not
named until about the year 500, when they're listed in a Greek
manuscript. Despite the gift giving present
in the biblical account of the Nativity, Christmas Keepers did
not exchange gifts in our modernway until pretty recently, with
(20:17):
manufactured gifts being purchased beginning only in the
19th century. When gifts were exchanged
earlier on, it was often part ofwasselling when it was those who
were better off giving to the less fortunate out of a sense of
either no bless, oblige or a desire to ward off rowdier
behavior. But in the 19th century, people
(20:38):
in the US and elsewhere started to think of the children.
Because wasn't it rewarding to give gifts to our own kids and
bask in their happy glows? Much more rewarding than
reluctantly giving to people youbarely knew, if at all.
The shift toward giving presentsto children was part of a large
shift toward a more peaceful domestic Christmas.
The carnival like atmosphere andmuch of the raucousness
(21:00):
disappeared and being with family became the most important
thing about the holiday. The Christmas shift reminds me
of what happened with Halloween in the middle of the 20th
century, when the wild night waspartially rained in and
children's trick or treating took center stage.
Another way Americans recenteredChristmas around children was to
invent a colorful character to deliver many of the presents.
(21:22):
Did you know that Washington Irving, author of Sleepy Hollow,
wrote stories about Saint Nicholas that significantly
contributed to the development of Santa Claus?
Irving and his literary friends,known as the Knickerbockers,
wrote many of the earliest stories and poems about Saint
Nicholas in the US. The Knickerbockers worked to
invent the tradition first of visits from Saint Nicholas and
(21:45):
later of visits from Santa Claus, which were supposedly
based upon ancient Dutch traditions.
In fact, the Knickerbockers werenamed for Irving's eighteen O 9
book Knickerbocker's History of New York, a parody which
referenced St. Nicholas 25 times.
One passage from the Knickerbocker's History of New
York says, And the sage Olaf dreamed a dream, and lo, the
(22:10):
good Saint Nicholas came riding over the tops of the trees, and
that sell the same wagon whereinhe brings his yearly presents to
children. And when Saint Nicholas had
smoked his pipe, he twisted it in his hat band, and, laying his
finger beside his nose, gave theastonished fan Courtland a very
significant look. Then, mounting his wagon, he
(22:30):
returned over the treetops and disappeared.
Saint A scholar, Charles W Jones, wrote that without
Irving, there would be no Santa Claus.
Santa Claus was made by Washington Irving.
Knickerbocker Writings directly fed the famous 1823 poem A Visit
from Saint Nicholas, which is also known as The Night Before
(22:50):
Christmas. This poem is attributed to
Clement Clark Moore, whose great, great, great grandfather,
John Moore may be the same John Moore who served on juries in
the witchcraft trials of Mary Johnson, Katherine Palmer, Joan
and John Carrington, and Margaret and Nicholas Jennings.
This poem created many of the features of Santa Claus we know
(23:12):
and love today. His look was further stamped
into America's minds through images drawn by Thomas Nast in
1863 and 1881. Nast also developed the idea
that Santa lives at the North Pole.
In the later 1800s, stores started using Santa displays to
attract customers during the Christmas season, and in the
(23:34):
1890s, children first flocked tostores to visit men costume to
Santa. Over time, Santa was used in
more and more advertising displays.
And even headlined major parades.
In the 1930s, Coca-Cola advertisements cemented the
picture of Santa in his red suit.
And now Sarah and I would like to read the well known poem A
(23:57):
Visit from Saint Nicholas. Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house not acreature with stirring, not even
a mouse. The stockings were hung by the
chimney with care, in hopes thatSaint Nicholas soon would be
there. The children were nestled all
snug in their beds while visionsof sugar plums danced in their
heads, and Mama and her crew chief and I in my cap had just
(24:21):
settled our brains for a long winter's nap, when out on the
lawn there arose such a clatter.I sprang from my bed to see what
was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a
flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow gave a luster of
midday to objects below, when what to my wondering eyes did
(24:42):
appear but a miniature sleigh and a tiny reindeer with a
little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment he
must be Saint Nick. More rapid than eagles, his
coursers they came, and he whistled and shouted and called
them by name. Now Dasher, now Dancer, now
Prancer and Vixen, on Comet, on Cupid, on Donner, on Blitzen.
(25:03):
To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall.
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all.
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly when they meet
with an obstacle mount to the sky, so up to the housetop the
courses they flew with the sleigh full of toys, and Saint
Nicholas too. And then in the twinkling I
heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
(25:26):
As I drew in my head and was turning around down the chimney,
Saint Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his
clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung onhis back and he looked like a
peddler just opening his. Pack his eyes, how they twinkle,
his dimples how merry. His cheeks were like roses, his
(25:49):
nose like a cherry, His droll little mouth was drawn up like a
bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the
smoke had encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a littleround belly that shook when he
laughed like a bowl full of Jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a rightjolly old elf, and I laughed
(26:12):
when I saw him in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and A twist ofhis head soon gave me to know I
had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, but went
straight to his work and filled all the stockings, then turned
with a jerk, and laying his finger a side of his nose and
giving a nod up the chimney, he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team, gave a whistle, and away
(26:35):
they all flew like the down of aThistle.
But I heard him exclaim, and he drove out of sight.
Happy Christmas to all and to all the good night.
Mary Bingham has a personal family Christmas tradition to
share in this week's Minute withMary Family.
Traditions are very special thistime of year.
(26:56):
Whether some gather with family to celebrate the Winter
Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah orKwanzaa, my mother always made
the holidays very special. One of our many traditions was
to sign a tablecloth every year beginning in 1977.
It was always fun to see how herchildren, her grandchildren and
(27:18):
her great grandchildren grew through the years with the art
and poetry that would accompany the signatures.
Mom spent several months sewing our linen creation with great
joy as she rocked in her chair preparing the tablecloth for the
following Christmas. Now that Mom is no longer here,
our family will be sure to keep that tradition alive.
(27:42):
The number of tablecloths is nowat 3 and will continue to grow
with each generation. Thanks, Mom.
Thank you, Mary. And now Sarah has End witch
hunts news. End Witch Hunts News As we wrap
up our final news segment of 2024, we want to express our
(28:03):
heartfelt gratitude for your incredible support throughout
the year. Your financial contributions
have made it possible for us to continue producing this podcast
and creating educational contentthat reaches people worldwide.
Please consider including us in your holiday giving by going to
our donation page, LinkedIn. The episode notes.
This holiday season, while we embrace the spirit of giving and
(28:25):
show kindness to our families, neighbors, and local
communities, let's remember thatalthough violence knows no
borders, love is not bound by borders.
Let's continue to prioritize loving humanity actively across
borders into the new year. Speaking of the New Year, we
invite you to join us for a special in person gathering
(28:47):
Remembering the Innocent Victimsof the Connecticut Witch Trials
on February 1st, 2025 at 1:00 PMat the Old State House in
Hartford, CT. Whether you're jotting this down
in that fresh calendar you just bought or the one Santa tucked
into your stocking, be sure to mark this free public event so
that you can share about it and attend it.
(29:08):
We want to see you. You'll find a link to the
digital event program and more information in the show notes.
As 2024 draws to a close, we must remember that our work
extends beyond mere remembrance.The stories of those who lost
their lives in gender based violence and witchcraft
accusations must not fade into history.
(29:28):
They must serve as lessons that guide us forward.
Please join us here on Witch Hunt again in 2025 as we
continue learning how we can endwitch hunts together.
Thank you, Sarah. You're welcome.
And thank you for joining us on this special Christmas episode
of Witch Hunt. Visit witchhuntshow.com to see
our back catalog and TuneIn again next week.
(29:51):
Have great holidays and a beautiful new year.
(30:48):
The.
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not
a creature with stirring, not even a mouse.
Welcome to Witch Hunt, the podcast of the witch trials and
more. I'm Josh Hutchinson.
And I'm Sarah Jack for the holidays.
We thought we'd pick a lighter topic than usual.
So today we look into the roots of Christmas as we know it today
(00:20):
in the United States. We tend to think of holiday
traditions as timeless. However, they all had to start
somewhere. You may be surprised by how
recently many of our traditions were created for.
Example Santa Claus was created in the 19th century, just about
200 years ago. In fact, many of our revered
(00:41):
traditions were developed in the19th century.
We wouldn't recognize the Christmas observed before then.
As we'll explain, the winter holidays were more like Carnival
than the more sedate, family oriented Christmas most
Americans celebrate today. In this episode, we'll peel back
the layers of today's holiday toreveal the true origins of the
(01:03):
invented traditions we know now.In his wonderful book The Battle
for Christmas, a Cultural history of America's most
cherished holiday, historian Steven Nissenbaum defines
invented traditions as customs that are made-up with the
precise purpose of appearing oldfashioned.
Remarkably, this is how many of our timeless traditions came to
(01:26):
be. But Christmas wasn't popular in
all corners of early American Society, especially not in
colonial New England. In fact, Christmas was so
reviled by many Puritans that they banned the practice in both
England and Massachusetts. The band did not hold up long in
England, but ran from 1659 to 1681 in Massachusetts.
(01:52):
And the law was only repealed there in the face of pressure
from the restored English monarchy, who threatened to pool
the Massachusetts Bay Colony's charter, the foundation of its
self governance, due to the passing of many laws that were
in conflict with English law, aswell as other colonial actions
which the king found repugnant. Despite repealing the Christmas
ban, by the way, the colony still lost its charter and was
(02:15):
placed under the authority of a royal governor who answered to
the king. And even after the ban was
lifted, Puritan churches did nothold Christmas services and
people were expected to work on Christmas Day, unless it was a
Sunday, in which case the normalSunday services were held.
It is commonly believed that thePuritans banned Christmas
(02:35):
because they were the enemies offun.
However, the real reason for theban was more complicated.
For one thing, Christmas was notthe peaceful family holiday many
people currently observe. Christmas revelries could easily
get out of hand, resulting in theft, property damage and
sometimes violence. You see, in those times,
(02:56):
Christmas was more like the carnival celebrations we
associate with the approach of Lynch.
And some elements are the same as what we've heard about in
researching the history of Halloween.
Many of these elements can be traced back to pre Christian
winter festivals in Europe like winter solstice observances,
Rome, Saturnalia and the Germanic Yule holiday.
(03:18):
Saturnalia, the feast of the gods Saturn was itself based
upon the earlier Greek celebration called Cronia, the
feast of Cronos and Cronus, essentially the Greek equivalent
of Saturn. Cronia was a time when social
hierarchies were thrown out the window, people from all walks of
life celebrated together and masters served their servants.
(03:40):
Enslaved people were granted much more liberty than in
ordinary times and were able to celebrate and fill the Athenian
air with the sounds of their jubilee.
These themes of rampant equalityand social inversion were
carried on by the Romans with Saturnalia, which was held
annually from December 17th through December 23rd.
(04:00):
Like many fall and winter holidays, Saturnalia was a
harvest festival observed at a time of year when fresh crops
were in, agricultural workers had some freedom from work, and
animals were slaughtered to prepare for winter.
These were days of leisure for many people when food and drink
were abundant and had to be consumed or preserved for the
coming months. It was a natural time for
(04:22):
feasting and letting loose when food, drink and sex were all on
the table. This, of course, would later
trouble the Puritans and many other Christians who were
shocked by the rock'n'roll lifestyles of the ancients.
For the Puritans, the link between Christmas and the feast
of Saturn was a problem. There were people in New England
who refused to even name the days of the week.
(04:46):
For such people, Saturday was not Saturn's day, it was simply
the 6th day, and Christmas was certainly not to be observed by
letting go of inhibitions. If Christmas was to be observed
at all, and many believed it should not be celebrated, it
should be observed quietly and solemnly, reflecting on Christ's
life and sacrifice. But should Christmas be
(05:08):
acknowledged? According to many leading
Puritans, the answer was a resounding no.
The Puritans believed in only observing religious customs,
rites and holidays spelled out in the Bible.
And there is no passage in Scripture that instructs
followers of Christ to observe the day of His birth.
Furthermore, nobody knows the date when baby Jesus was born.
(05:30):
The Bible doesn't even offer clues to the season, except that
we can probably rule out winter because shepherds of Israel
would not have been in the fields of their sheep at night
during the winter. Even the year of the Nativity
cannot be pinned down. According to the Bible, the
birth occurred during the reign of Herod, who died in the year
we now label 4 BCE, meaning Jesus was likely born between
(05:52):
6:00 and 4:00 BCE, not in the year 1 CE.
For all these reasons, Puritan ministers opposed Christmas.
However, not all of their parishioners did.
Many holiday customs were transported from England to New
England in the 17th century, andsome colonists were determined
to observe them. We have spoken on this podcast
(06:13):
about a Christmas celebration that went horribly awry in
Hartford, CT. Confusion over the observance
and its meaning contributed to the Hartford witch panic and to
witchcraft accusations against the Christmas Keepers, including
Rebecca Greensmith, who confessed that the devil told
her that at Christmas they wouldhave a merry meeting.
(06:34):
In undated testimony, eyewitnessRobert Stern described seeing
Rebecca in the woods with others, He said.
I saw this woman Good Wife Seeger in the woods with three
more women and with them I saw 2black creatures like 2 Indians
but taller. I saw likewise a kettle there
over a fire. I saw the women dance round
(06:54):
these black creatures, and whilst I looked upon them, one
of the women, Good Wife Greensmith, saith.
Look who is Yonder? And then they ran away up the
hill. I stood still, and the black
things came toward me, and then turned to come away.
He further saith, I know the persons buy their habits or
clothes, having observed such clothes on them not long before.
(07:17):
This may or may not have been what Rebecca Greensmith referred
to in her confession. In 1662 in Beverly, MA, a
fisherman named William Hoar wasordered not to allow the people
visiting him on Christmas Day todrink alcohol.
William was the husband of future Salem witch Charles.
Suspect Dorcas whore. 17 years later in neighboring Salem
(07:37):
Village, 4 younger men went out Wassling on Christmas night
hoping to obtain alcoholic beverages and perhaps other
gifts from 72 year old John Rhoden.
The young men included Samuel Braybrook, who in 1692 would be
tasked with transporting Sarah Goode from Salem Village to
Ipswich following her witchcraftarrest.
(07:58):
And who went on to testify against our mutual ancestor,
Mary Estie? Another Wassler that night in
1679 was Joseph Flint, who wouldtestify against witchcraft
suspects George Jacobs senior and Margaret Jacobs in 1692.
Benjamin Fuller was also with the Christmas Keepers that
night. He was one of the three dozen
(08:19):
men who refused to contribute tothe minister's salary when
Samuel Parris was ordained in Salem Village in 1689.
The 4th Wassler was Joseph Foster.
According to John Roden's account, he, his wife Mary, and
their stepson Daniel Poole were home when the four merrymakers
came knocking at about 9:00 PM. The four visitors set themselves
(08:41):
by the fire, and Foster and Fuller began singing.
After two songs, Braybrook askedRoden if the songs were worth a
cup of Perry, a pear wine. Roden said he didn't like the
singing and asked the men to leave.
Benjamin Fuller said it was Christmas Day at night, and they
came to be merry and to drink Perry, which was not to be had
anywhere else but here. And Perry they would have before
(09:04):
they went. Roden told them they should have
none there. Joseph Foster said he had
travelled from town and didn't have money on him.
He asked Braybrook to order two pots of Perry and promised to
pay him back. Now, Mary Rodent told the men,
they weren't running a licensed Tavern.
The Waslers left after this, but15 minutes later, three of them,
(09:25):
Foster, Braybrook and Flint returned.
Foster told the rodents he had borrowed money and could now pay
for Perry. John and Mary Roden asked to see
the money, which turned out to be a piece of lead rather than a
coin. The three men left but stopped a
short distance away and called out to the rodents.
Samuel Braybrook asked Daniel Poole how to get to Marblehead,
(09:48):
but Poole told him to go home tohis wife.
Braybrook challenged Poole to come out and fight, and Flint
said if he wanted to box, he would box with him for a potted
Perry. Then the men grew destructive,
throwing stones, bones, and other things that pool in the
doorway and against the house. This went on for about an hour
(10:10):
and a half. The men also broke down a long
stretch of stone fence, broke into a cellar and stole a lot of
apples. On March 12th, 1680, Samuel
Braybrook petitioned the court apologizing for sinning and
breaking the law. He said it was the first time he
had so transgressed. The records and files of the
(10:31):
Quarterly Courts of Essex Countydo not indicate the outcome of
the case against the Waslers. As shown by this incident,
rituals of misrule and social inversion remained in place long
after the Roman Catholic Church replaced Saturnalia and
celebrations of the winter solstice with Christmas in the
4th century. The addition of Christmas to the
(10:51):
church calendar came after Christians had for three
centuries not observed today as the anniversary of Christ's
birth. Throughout the early centuries
of Christianity, believers did not place much importance on the
birth of Christ. It was his rebirth and his
impending return that drew more attention.
And so the Christians of the first 3 centuries AD did not
(11:11):
have Christmas. However, in the 2nd century, ADA
group of Christians in Egypt began to celebrate Jesus's
baptism on the day now known on the liturgical calendar as
Epiphany, the celebration of Christ's manifestation to the
Gentiles. Over time, this celebration
spread across the Greek speakingportion of the Roman Empire and
(11:33):
grew to incorporate Christ's birth and the Magi arrival in
Bethlehem. Christmas was not the only
Christian holiday to take the place of an earlier non
Christian festival. Indeed, the Egyptian Christians
may have selected January 6th for Epiphany because the Greeks
had celebrated the birth of Annefrom the virgin goddess of
quarry on that day. Cory was the form of the goddess
(11:56):
Persephone, and Aeon may have been a form of the God Dionysus,
who had been reborn after being killed by the Titans.
Bacchus was the Roman equivalentof Dionysus.
You may recognize him from his feast called Bacchanalia,
another festival which many Christians found to be the time
of too much licentiousness. Meanwhile, Christians in the
(12:18):
western part of the Roman Empirecontinued to abstain from
observing Jesus birth until after Emperor Constantine
converted and made Roma Christian Empire.
It was during or shortly after the reign of Constantine that
Latin speaking regions began observing Christ's birthday.
At the time the church adopted December 25th for Christ's
(12:38):
birthday, that date fell on the winter solstice, the moment when
days began growing longer following the longest night of
the year. This day was observed by many
Romans as the birthday of the sun God Sol Invictus.
So Romans went from celebrating December 25th as Deus Natalis
(12:58):
Solis Invicti, the birthday of the God of the unconquered Sun,
to celebrating in its Christmas the birthday of Christ, who is
known as the immortal Son of God.
From the God of the Sun to the Son of God, Roman religion was
being shaken from the foundation.
Both Epiphany and Christmas began to be observed across most
of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries.
(13:21):
And made their way into the ecclesiastical calendar by 567,
when the Council of Tours created the 12 Days of
Christmas, declaring that every day between Christmas and
Epiphany was a festival. Now that's a tradition I could
get behind. This council also created the
season of Advent, during which Christians were tasked with
(13:42):
preparing for Christmas and for Christ's return.
The pre Christian festivals we have discussed so far are not
the only ones to feed into the Christmas season.
And the Romans weren't the only ones partying in the winter to
their N the Germanic and Scandinavian peoples were
celebrating Yule. Many of our contemporary
Christmas traditions, such as those Yule logs we love to watch
(14:05):
burn on TV, came from this festival.
Wasserling, the predecessor of caroling, may also have
developed during the centuries when Yule was broadly celebrated
in northern Europe. The earliest known reference to
Yule comes from a 6th century Gothic calendar, which refers to
what we call November as fruma yulis, meaning before Yule.
(14:27):
The holiday is also mentioned bythe Vitable bead and by the
authors of several sagas. As Christianity spread to the
Germanic lands, Yule was absorbed into Christmas.
This is an critic method of absorbing local customs into
Christianity. Created Christmas as we know it
by fusing Saturnalia, the solstice, Yule and other
(14:48):
influences. Christmas was initially more of
a festival for adults than the family oriented holiday we
observed these days. In the words of increased
Mather, the Puritan divine from Boston, the generality of
Christmas keepers observed that festival after such a manner as
is highly dishonorable to the name of Christ.
(15:09):
How few are there, comparatively?
That's been those holidays, as they are called, after an holy
manner, But they are consumed incomplications and interludes, in
playing at cards, in revelings and in in excess of wine, in mad
mirth. Increase's son Cotton later put
it this way. The Feast of Christ's Nativity
(15:30):
is spent in revelling, dicing, carting, masking, and an all
licentious liberty by mad mirth,by long eating and by hard
drinking, by lewd gaming, by rude revelling.
In England in 1725, the Anglicanpriest Henry Board of Newcastle
echoed the Mather's sentiments and went on to describe the
(15:51):
horrors of mumming and caroling.Mumming involved men dressing as
women and women dressing as men.In these guises, people went
around to neighbors homes to celebrate Christmas and occasion
and Bourne's words of much uncleanness and debauchery.
According to Bourne, singing Christmas carols was
disgraceful, usually only done in the midst of writing and
(16:15):
chambering and wantonness. Chambering basically meant
fornication, as in the act of taking someone to your
bedchamber. Now let's talk about some of the
ways we still observe Christmas today, in addition to the
caroling and religious services we've already mentioned Green.
Plants have long been a part of winter festivals.
In particular, Evergreen plants have been important pieces of
(16:37):
celebration going back to ancient times.
Such greenery was used in both Roman and Germanic festivals.
In many northern European countries, garlands and reefs
had practical functions as well as decorative ones.
Evergreen boughs were placed strategically around the home to
ward off evil spirits and even witches.
(16:58):
It was seen as especially important to protect entrances
to the home, so Evergreen boughswere placed on doors and windows
and near chimneys and wells. There's a story from the New
England witch trials about witchcraft suspect Rachel Fuller
being prevented from entering a home when sweet bays were laid
under the threshold. In addition to their uses in
(17:18):
counter magic, evergreens just smell good, right?
So thank you Christmas trees, Garland and wreaths for making
breathing more pleasant without harsh canals.
Christmas trees are a relativelyrecent innovation, though they
may have been based upon older traditions.
It is commonly believed that Christmas trees originated in
(17:38):
Germany, and that does seem to be true.
However, the tradition predates the modern nation of Germany and
was practiced outside of the current boundaries of that
nation. The modern Christmas tree first
appeared in northern Germany andLivonia, now Latvia and Estonia,
in the 15th century. It was not until the 1830s,
however, that Christmas trees became fashionable in the United
(18:01):
States. Trees were initially decorated
with wax candles, small gifts, fruits and nuts.
Later, glass ornaments and othertouches were added.
In fact, popcorn Garland may have been hung on Christmas
trees in Williamsburg, VA, as far back as 1842, if not even
earlier. Popcorn was then as now, cheap
(18:22):
and easy to come by, so it was avery practical way to dress up a
tree, which I have done. Turning our attention now to
those gifts hanging on the trees, we find that the
tradition of gift giving during winter festivals dates back to
the ancients, but it's taken on many wildly different forms over
the years. The Romans exchanged gifts
during Saturnalia, often waxed figures known as Zigelaria.
(18:48):
And the Christian Gospel of Matthew declared that the wise
men or Magi had given the baby Jesus 3 gifts, gold,
frankincense and myrrh. By the way, the Gospel of
Matthew also describes the wise men entering the house where the
baby Jesus rested at the stable.And the Gospel of Luke simply
says Jesus was initially laid ina major as there was no room in
(19:10):
the end. No mention of the stable or
cave, the majors where the shepherds visited Jesus,
apparently well before the wise men arrived.
Neither Matthew nor Luke shed much more light on the Nativity,
and much of the scene we picturetoday was invented as legends
developed about the Christ child's birth.
Not every gospel written made itinto the Bible and there's a
(19:32):
whole sub genre of non canonicalinfancy gospels including the
Gospel of James and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
The Gospels that made it into the Bible do not reference the
presence of animals in the stories of the visits by the
shepherds or the wise men, whichoccurred on separate,
unspecified dates. However, the 2nd century Gospel
of James tells of the son of Joseph leading a donkey to
(19:54):
Bethlehem. In this version of the Nativity,
Jesus is born in a cave on the way to Bethlehem.
The wise men are mentioned in the Gospel of James, but are not
named until about the year 500, when they're listed in a Greek
manuscript. Despite the gift giving present
in the biblical account of the Nativity, Christmas Keepers did
not exchange gifts in our modernway until pretty recently, with
(20:17):
manufactured gifts being purchased beginning only in the
19th century. When gifts were exchanged
earlier on, it was often part ofwasselling when it was those who
were better off giving to the less fortunate out of a sense of
either no bless, oblige or a desire to ward off rowdier
behavior. But in the 19th century, people
(20:38):
in the US and elsewhere started to think of the children.
Because wasn't it rewarding to give gifts to our own kids and
bask in their happy glows? Much more rewarding than
reluctantly giving to people youbarely knew, if at all.
The shift toward giving presentsto children was part of a large
shift toward a more peaceful domestic Christmas.
The carnival like atmosphere andmuch of the raucousness
(21:00):
disappeared and being with family became the most important
thing about the holiday. The Christmas shift reminds me
of what happened with Halloween in the middle of the 20th
century, when the wild night waspartially rained in and
children's trick or treating took center stage.
Another way Americans recenteredChristmas around children was to
invent a colorful character to deliver many of the presents.
(21:22):
Did you know that Washington Irving, author of Sleepy Hollow,
wrote stories about Saint Nicholas that significantly
contributed to the development of Santa Claus?
Irving and his literary friends,known as the Knickerbockers,
wrote many of the earliest stories and poems about Saint
Nicholas in the US. The Knickerbockers worked to
invent the tradition first of visits from Saint Nicholas and
(21:45):
later of visits from Santa Claus, which were supposedly
based upon ancient Dutch traditions.
In fact, the Knickerbockers werenamed for Irving's eighteen O 9
book Knickerbocker's History of New York, a parody which
referenced St. Nicholas 25 times.
One passage from the Knickerbocker's History of New
York says, And the sage Olaf dreamed a dream, and lo, the
(22:10):
good Saint Nicholas came riding over the tops of the trees, and
that sell the same wagon whereinhe brings his yearly presents to
children. And when Saint Nicholas had
smoked his pipe, he twisted it in his hat band, and, laying his
finger beside his nose, gave theastonished fan Courtland a very
significant look. Then, mounting his wagon, he
(22:30):
returned over the treetops and disappeared.
Saint A scholar, Charles W Jones, wrote that without
Irving, there would be no Santa Claus.
Santa Claus was made by Washington Irving.
Knickerbocker Writings directly fed the famous 1823 poem A Visit
from Saint Nicholas, which is also known as The Night Before
(22:50):
Christmas. This poem is attributed to
Clement Clark Moore, whose great, great, great grandfather,
John Moore may be the same John Moore who served on juries in
the witchcraft trials of Mary Johnson, Katherine Palmer, Joan
and John Carrington, and Margaret and Nicholas Jennings.
This poem created many of the features of Santa Claus we know
(23:12):
and love today. His look was further stamped
into America's minds through images drawn by Thomas Nast in
1863 and 1881. Nast also developed the idea
that Santa lives at the North Pole.
In the later 1800s, stores started using Santa displays to
attract customers during the Christmas season, and in the
(23:34):
1890s, children first flocked tostores to visit men costume to
Santa. Over time, Santa was used in
more and more advertising displays.
And even headlined major parades.
In the 1930s, Coca-Cola advertisements cemented the
picture of Santa in his red suit.
And now Sarah and I would like to read the well known poem A
(23:57):
Visit from Saint Nicholas. Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house not acreature with stirring, not even
a mouse. The stockings were hung by the
chimney with care, in hopes thatSaint Nicholas soon would be
there. The children were nestled all
snug in their beds while visionsof sugar plums danced in their
heads, and Mama and her crew chief and I in my cap had just
(24:21):
settled our brains for a long winter's nap, when out on the
lawn there arose such a clatter.I sprang from my bed to see what
was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a
flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow gave a luster of
midday to objects below, when what to my wondering eyes did
(24:42):
appear but a miniature sleigh and a tiny reindeer with a
little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment he
must be Saint Nick. More rapid than eagles, his
coursers they came, and he whistled and shouted and called
them by name. Now Dasher, now Dancer, now
Prancer and Vixen, on Comet, on Cupid, on Donner, on Blitzen.
(25:03):
To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall.
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all.
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly when they meet
with an obstacle mount to the sky, so up to the housetop the
courses they flew with the sleigh full of toys, and Saint
Nicholas too. And then in the twinkling I
heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
(25:26):
As I drew in my head and was turning around down the chimney,
Saint Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his
clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung onhis back and he looked like a
peddler just opening his. Pack his eyes, how they twinkle,
his dimples how merry. His cheeks were like roses, his
(25:49):
nose like a cherry, His droll little mouth was drawn up like a
bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the
smoke had encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a littleround belly that shook when he
laughed like a bowl full of Jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a rightjolly old elf, and I laughed
(26:12):
when I saw him in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and A twist ofhis head soon gave me to know I
had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, but went
straight to his work and filled all the stockings, then turned
with a jerk, and laying his finger a side of his nose and
giving a nod up the chimney, he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team, gave a whistle, and away
(26:35):
they all flew like the down of aThistle.
But I heard him exclaim, and he drove out of sight.
Happy Christmas to all and to all the good night.
Mary Bingham has a personal family Christmas tradition to
share in this week's Minute withMary Family.
Traditions are very special thistime of year.
(26:56):
Whether some gather with family to celebrate the Winter
Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah orKwanzaa, my mother always made
the holidays very special. One of our many traditions was
to sign a tablecloth every year beginning in 1977.
It was always fun to see how herchildren, her grandchildren and
(27:18):
her great grandchildren grew through the years with the art
and poetry that would accompany the signatures.
Mom spent several months sewing our linen creation with great
joy as she rocked in her chair preparing the tablecloth for the
following Christmas. Now that Mom is no longer here,
our family will be sure to keep that tradition alive.
(27:42):
The number of tablecloths is nowat 3 and will continue to grow
with each generation. Thanks, Mom.
Thank you, Mary. And now Sarah has End witch
hunts news. End Witch Hunts News As we wrap
up our final news segment of 2024, we want to express our
(28:03):
heartfelt gratitude for your incredible support throughout
the year. Your financial contributions
have made it possible for us to continue producing this podcast
and creating educational contentthat reaches people worldwide.
Please consider including us in your holiday giving by going to
our donation page, LinkedIn. The episode notes.
This holiday season, while we embrace the spirit of giving and
(28:25):
show kindness to our families, neighbors, and local
communities, let's remember thatalthough violence knows no
borders, love is not bound by borders.
Let's continue to prioritize loving humanity actively across
borders into the new year. Speaking of the New Year, we
invite you to join us for a special in person gathering
(28:47):
Remembering the Innocent Victimsof the Connecticut Witch Trials
on February 1st, 2025 at 1:00 PMat the Old State House in
Hartford, CT. Whether you're jotting this down
in that fresh calendar you just bought or the one Santa tucked
into your stocking, be sure to mark this free public event so
that you can share about it and attend it.
(29:08):
We want to see you. You'll find a link to the
digital event program and more information in the show notes.
As 2024 draws to a close, we must remember that our work
extends beyond mere remembrance.The stories of those who lost
their lives in gender based violence and witchcraft
accusations must not fade into history.
(29:28):
They must serve as lessons that guide us forward.
Please join us here on Witch Hunt again in 2025 as we
continue learning how we can endwitch hunts together.
Thank you, Sarah. You're welcome.
And thank you for joining us on this special Christmas episode
of Witch Hunt. Visit witchhuntshow.com to see
our back catalog and TuneIn again next week.
(29:51):
Have great holidays and a beautiful new year.
(30:48):
The.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.