ancestors
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Easter Hat Traditions
Apr 7
Our female ancestors always wore hats, styles that changed over the decades. Since about the 1970s and 1980s it has been much less a fashion statement for women to wear hats. One very traditional hat our female ancestors loved wearing was their finest 'Easter hat or bonnet', usually a nice new one worn to the Easter Sunday church services. W...
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A Barber’s Pole
Apr 5
It was a fact that back in the 1500s and earlier the large majority of people living across Europe could not read or write. So a business or shop had a problem with how to make a sign so the public knew what goods, products and services they offered. So many shopkeepers hung a metal emblem that was a symbol of their business or skill. For examp...
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April Fools’ Day – April 1st
Apr 1
This one day of the year has become the day you 'trust NO ONE' They will try to play a trick on you. Going back to Roman times, at the end of March. During a holiday called Hilaria, people participated in all kinds of games, processions, and masquerades. One of the most popular activities was for commoners to dress up as nobility to 'prank' peo...
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Cost of Items in 1950
Mar 31
With the 1950 Federal Census becoming available soon, it would be interesting to see the average cost of household items that your ancestors / relatives paid 72 years ago. The average cost of a gallon of gasoline was 27 cents. An average new car would cost $1,300 and $1,500. One night at a hotel was about $5.90. To purchase a loaf of bread was ...
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Morton Salt Logo
Mar 21
Everyone recognizes the little girl with her umbrella in one hand and an upturned container of salt. This special logo of the Morton Salt Company has been around for more than 100 years. The Morton Salt Company started in Chicago in the 1800s and was originally called Richmond & Company. In 1889, a man named Joy Morton acquired a major inte...
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US Census Available 72 years
Mar 19
Due to Federal law, the Federal US Census has the “72-year' rile. It states that personal information on those listed in a census can not be publicly viewed by the public after the census was taken for 72 years. The reason: is to protect the privacy of the individuals on that census and their families. However, information to a certain individua...
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Everyone’s Favorite – Chocolate
Mar 17
Doesn't matter if it is white, milk or dark chocolate, everyone loved chocolate. Beginning with the cacao bean (the source of chocolate). It was first a drink form with various sweetness levels. It would be decades before the chocolate of today would emerge. It began with the Native Americans, the Aztecs of Central America. They created a bitte...
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How Come Celebrating Birthdays with a Cake?
Mar 15
A long-standing tradition is celebrating birthdays with a 'birthday cake.' The ancient Romans did celebrate high-status men's birthdays with cakes made from nuts, honey, flour and yeast. They were very much an indulgence but not at all sweet. No ancient Roman women's birthdays were celebrated with any type of cake. During the 1700s, in Germany ...
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Classic Children’s Games
Mar 13
We can all remember the childhood games we played outside and that would also apply to our ancestors, no matter how long ago it occurred. The game of Dodgeball was done during recess at school and in any neighborhood playgrounds. It began as a general free-for-all-ball throwing game. Of course, there was a dangerous element like being clobbered...
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Sock Hops
Mar 9
You may not have attended a 'sock hop' but you have heard of them. They first began in 1944 sponsored by the Junior Red Cross to raise money for the relief war effort. For a small of charge, those attending had a night of good dancing but each person wearing just their socks since the dances were held in a school gymnasium and the gym floor didn't...