Author Archives: dcaligari

Sometimes the holidays aren’t all fun and games

December 6, 1917 –On the morning of December 6, the munitions ship Mont Blanc exploded in Halifax harbor after being struck by another ship, the Norwegian ship Imo. It is the largest explosion before the atomic age. The ship was carrying 200 tons of TNT, 61 tons of gun cotton, 35 tons of Benzyl, andContinue reading “Sometimes the holidays aren’t all fun and games”

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer –

Today is the 57th anniversary of the original broadcast of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – Rudolph was born 83 years ago this Christmas season, at the Montgomery Ward department store headquarters in Chicago. He was the star of a humble coloring book, written by a copywriter, Robert May, who almost named the protagonist “Reginald.”Continue reading “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer –”

A long cap on his head

It’s the Feast of Saint Nicholas (yes, that St. Nick.) Amongst other things, he is the patron saint of children and was known for his generosity. He’s also known as the patron saint of sailors, fishermen, merchants, the falsely accused, prostitutes (Huh), repentant thieves, pharmacists and broadcasters. The biggest gift he ever gave was toContinue reading “A long cap on his head”

No one knows, she comes and goes

To most people, Tuesday is just another day, and that’s mostly because it is. Tuesday gets its English name from the Old English Tiwesdæg and the Middle English Tewesday, meaning ‘Tiw’s Day.” Tiw was the Norse God of Single Combat, Victory, and Heroic Glory. Tiw is also associated with the Roman God of War, Mars.Continue reading “No one knows, she comes and goes”

Angels have no thought of ever returning you

A song about Sunday was banned for 66 years by the BBC Gloomy Sunday is the name of a popular song composed by Hungarian pianist and composer Rezso Seress and published in 1933. Also known as ‘The Hungarian Suicide Song’, this song has been the center of many urban myths linking it to the suicideContinue reading “Angels have no thought of ever returning you”

All good things come to an end –

Even Eight Crazy Nights – Another reason Hanukkah feels better than Christmas – You can’t be nailed to a menorah. You’ve probably run out of gifts at this point, wrap your family’s fresh laundry as the gift that shows you’ve done the laundry. At this point, look up a local oil recycler – it willContinue reading “All good things come to an end –”

On ev’ry Christmas tree

Christmas tinsel was initially made of lead until the US government persuaded manufacturers to change it to plastic. Lead foil was a popular material for tinsel manufacture for several decades of the 20th century. Unlike silver, lead tinsel did not tarnish, so it retained its shine. However, use of lead tinsel was phased out afterContinue reading “On ev’ry Christmas tree”