The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't
New England colonists used molasses imported from the West Indies because it did not cost as much as sugar. A byproduct of sugar...
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An Exploration of my Family's Genealogy, Ancestors and Their Journey Through History
Chasing Family Ghosts
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- Nov 6
- 5 min
The Bi-Annual Time Warp
The idea behind the clock shift, often incorrectly called daylight savings time, is to maximize sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, but...
- Aug 14
- 4 min
The Mennonites
Now to tell a little more background information about the Mennonites in my family tree. The name is derived from the founder of the...
- Jul 24
- 4 min
Powwowing and the Pennsylvania Germans
Here is a story about something that my Pennsylvania German ancestors may have used or even practiced at some point. Powwow, also called...
- Jun 18
- 12 min
"Whose Father Was He?"
Welcome to my 200th post! Here is a story for Father's Day. Since it began by a woman honoring her father who fought during the Civil...
- May 29
- 3 min
Decoration Day
Before it was "Memorial Day" it was known as "Decoration Day." The years following the end of the Civil War in 1865 saw American...
- Apr 9
- 7 min
Easter Eggs
In the 18th century, German-speaking immigrants were among the first to establish a robust Easter egg tradition in Pennsylvania. By the...
- Mar 27
- 4 min
The True Story of the "Pennsylvania Dutch", Part 2: The Language
(For Part 1, click here) During the Middle Ages, there was no German country, language, or national identity. Germans were politically...
- Mar 19
- 4 min
The True Story of the "Pennsylvania Dutch", Part 1: The People
When the vast majority of people hear the term "Pennsylvania Dutch", they typically conjure images of Amish persons riding in horse-drawn...
- Feb 13
- 6 min
The Mother of American Valentines
This Tuesday will be Valentine's Day. It is big business and this year Americans are expected to spend over $26 billion. Of that, 40%...
- Feb 6
- 4 min
6 More Weeks of Winter
Every year on 2 February, I, along with my fellow Americans, anxiously await Punxsutawney Phil’s all-knowing weather prediction. Will we...
- Jan 1
- 5 min
The New Year Wish
Folk celebrations that accompany the New Year were a vital part of Pennsylvania German culture. Essentially these celebrations were...
- Dec 25, 2022
- 5 min
A Medieval Christmas
The term "Christmas" first became part of the English language in the 11th century as an amalgamation of the Old English expression...
- Dec 12, 2022
- 4 min
Advent Wreaths
The Christmas season is a time of numerous advent traditions and celebrations. We look forward to listening to and singing certain...
- Dec 5, 2022
- 5 min
Neanderthals v. Denisovans
As my loyal readers know by now, I am a sucker for "add-on" genetic reports. The latest that I took was an "Archaic" report offered by...
- Nov 24, 2022
- 4 min
Franksgiving
A Tale of Two Thanksgivings There was a time when, depending on the state where you lived, the date you celebrated Thanksgiving could be...
- Oct 31, 2022
- 10 min
The Legend of the Jersey Devil
Here is a spooky story for Halloween. The New Jersey Pine Barrens is home to miles of thick, seemingly impenetrable pine tree forests and...
- Oct 24, 2022
- 5 min
The Story of "German" DNA
When people today think about the German people, they think about Germans from recent history. It may be the East/West German split,...
- Oct 3, 2022
- 4 min
My Viking Group
I received an email from Living DNA, a site that I have used for general ancestry results, that claimed: "Now, using the latest academic...
- Jul 11, 2022
- 5 min
The Huguenots
Welcome to my 150th Post! Since a number of my relatives were Huguenots, particularly the DuBois family, I will now tell you a bit about...
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