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Archive: 2020 (17 Posts)

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Festivus and Family Lore

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

This time of year many people celebrate Festivus, an alternative holiday that is based on a single episode of the television show Seinfeld, “The Strike,” which aired on December 18, 1997. It is most commonly celebrated on December 23 or another date in December, but it can be celebrated at other times of the year. …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Songs of the Harvest

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

Thanksgiving days were declared by United States Presidents at various times in American history, beginning with George Washington making November  26, 1789, a day of thanksgiving, but Thanksgiving was not established as a regular yearly Federal holiday until 1870. So there are not a great many songs specifically for American Thanksgiving, and these were composed …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America Project Now Available

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

The Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America Project was conducted in the summer of 1982 by the American Folklife Center to survey selected religious and secular ethnic community-based schools conducted, at least in part, in a language other than English to document the continued ethnolinguistic and cultural diversity of the United States. This collection …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Symbolism in the Women’s Suffrage Movement

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

From the very beginnings of the Women’s suffrage movement, the organizers realized that they needed to use symbolism to help get their message across and make it memorable. This month we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote, as it was ratified on August 18, …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Who Were Those Gals? “Buffalo Gals” Revisited

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

Back in 2014 I wrote a blog about one of my favorite dance songs, “Buffalo Gals.”  I have thought a lot about it since and explored more of the history of similar and related songs. More is available online today as well, so that more examples can be readily presented here. “Buffalo Gals” from its …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Traditional Sports for Unity

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

The ancient concept of the Olympics was to create competitions that brought people together once every four years in a ritual in honor of the god Zeus. Wars were banned while the games were put on allowing people of different states to participate and travel to and from the games safely. People came from all …