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Category: Holidays

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

Consider Making Monday a Day On, Not a Day Off

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

Every year, on the third Monday of January, America pauses to celebrate the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His widow, Coretta Scott King, along with many civil rights leaders, public figures and everyday people campaigned against the odds—and many resistant politicians—to make Dr. King’s birthday a federal holiday. I …

A group of people including Rosanne Cash look at a disc sleeve

Arthur McBride, Carrie Grover, Paul Brady, and Rosanne Cash: More About a Classic Song

Posted by: Stephen Winick

In a previous post, I discussed one of AFC’s most influential field recordings, Carrie Grover’s “Arthur McBride,” and the popular tracks it inspired: versions by Paul Brady and by Bob Dylan. I was inspired to write about the song again by Rosanne Cash, a fan of both Dylan and Brady, who enthused about “Arthur McBride” …

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

Hipster St. George and the Unicorn: A Web Archiving Mumming

Posted by: Stephen Winick

Note: Every year, in the week before Christmas, staff members of the American Folklife Center put our research and performance skills into play, bringing collections to life in a dramatic performance that tours the halls of the Library of Congress.  Dressed in costumes that range from striking to silly, we sing, act, rhyme, and dance …

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

Songs for Christmas and the New Year Collected by Alan Lomax

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

As we approach the end of the centennial year of the birth of Alan Lomax, it seems appropriate to look at recordings of songs and music he collected celebrating Christmas, the new year, and Epiphany.  The recordings presented here are all part of the collections of the American Folklife Center, but many have been put …

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

Spooky Stories for Halloween

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

As some of our readers may remember, tomorrow is the second anniversary of Folklife Today, and our very first post was about Halloween.  Last year, we did a series of posts about collecting Halloween and Day of the Dead photos through a special hashtag.  You can see some of the results here and here and …

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

Vasant Panchami: A Celebration of Learning

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

January 24, 2015 is the date for the Hindu festival Vasant Panchami or Saraswati Puja, celebrating both the coming of spring and the birthday of  Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, learning, crafts, and fine arts.  The date for the celebration of Vasant Panchami varies from year to year, as it is calculated by a lunar calendar. It falls on …

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

Farewell to the Holidays

Posted by: Stephen Winick

On this snowy January day, I’d like to wish the readers of Folklife Today a happy end to the holiday season.  Many people take down their Christmas decorations immediately after the day itself, and others use New Year’s Day as the end of their holiday. But among many communities, the Christmas season culminates after Twelfth …