"So this is Christmas and what have you done? Another year over, a new one just begun... A very merry Christmas and a happy new year, let's hope it's a good one without any fear." These lyrics feel especially apt as we get ready to head into 2021 after a difficult year facing a global…
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne." This is the classic song sung on New Year's Eve after the ball drops in Times Square each year, and all around…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmbsp-x2E8E "There'll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow There'll be scary ghost stories, and tales of the glories of, Christmases long, long ago." A Christmas classic, this 1963 song by Andy Williams describes Christmas traditions, including some we no longer practice. What do scary ghost stories have to…
Monster Mash. It was a graveyard smash. Monster Mash was released in 1962. Written by Bobby Pickett and Leonard Capizzi and recorded by Pickett and “the Crypt-Kickers.,” the single hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from October 20-27, 1962 and has been a Halloween favorite ever since. The song features Pickett doing an […]
What are the origins of a popular song that has become a Halloween favorite? A breakup, a blues singer, and a drunken recording session. A song many know because of its numerous cover versions, "I Put a Spell on You" is now included on Halloween playlists, owing partly to its inclusion in the movie Hocus…
The US National Archives' #19forthe19th Instagram Challenge is highlighting women's history for 19 weeks in celebration of the centennial of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote. This week's theme? #PlayLikeAGirl I decided to take a look at pioneering female musicians who play instruments specifically female drummers, who continue to remain a…
On this day in 1992 the Los Angeles riots broke out in response to two specific incidents in the city and general mounting racial tensions. Just over a year prior an African American man, Rodney King, was beaten and tasered by police during a traffic stop/chase resulting in the officers involved being charged with excessive…
March was Women's History Month and I was reminded of how much I love women's history. From seeing others posting about the women of the past who inspired them, honoring trailblazers, pioneers, and rebels, to doing my own posts, researching, writing about, and revisiting past work I've done on women in history, I am feeling…
Many elementary school children have heard of Betsy Ross, one of the few female figures of the Revolutionary War period of early American history that receives attention in classrooms. She is commonly known as the seamstress that created the first American flag. However, historical evidence actually does not exist to support this well-known "fact." The…
For Women's History Month I am revisiting some of my favorite research projects I've undertaken and focusing on women of all walks of life, not just "great" or notable women --though I love that many are highlighting the wonderful, trailblazing, inspiring women of the past this month. Introduction Today's post is about Anna, Julian and…
Beth Nevarez Historical Consulting 