Peter Parley's Christmas

Or, a festive story of Transatlantic literary piracy starring nineteenth century children's favourite Peter Parley.

Tales About Christmas by Peter Parley (London, 1838) and Peter Parley's Christmas Tales (1838) - spot the difference

"A right fat, jolly, roistering little fellow" - Irving, Paulding, Saint Nicholas

It's Saint Nicholas' Eve, which means that in Holland - and in plenty of other places, too - Sinterklaas celebrations are in full swing. I'm paying brief homage to the Dutch part of my heritage by gesturing to the development of Saint Nicholas in the New World in works by early American writers - specifically Washington Irving and James Kirke Paulding. Yes, little Saint Nick was a popular chap amongst the Knickerbocker set.

Countdown to Christmas 2012: Year-End Round-Up

(from The Book of Days)

So this Christmas countdown degenerated into a pair of advent book-ends. But hey, as Scrooge teaches us, it's never too late to make amends and there's still time for a Christmas round-up featuring some of my favourite subjects from the inaugural year of American Scrapbook. Is it a coincidence that they've all written on Christmas?

Countdown to Christmas 2012: The Almanack of the Month

"Holding out their little hands, with their hearts in them, to receive something!"

Happy December. Consider this the beginning of an unreliable Advent Calendar...

Countdown to Halloween: "'Twas the Night of All Hallows", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1865

It's the first Halloween after the Civil War - and is a changing Halloween sensibility discernible in the way that the Brooklyn Daily Eagle marked the day?