Buzz
Although we often see traditions as fixed practices, that's far from the truth. In some cases, we might actually be relieved we don’t observe things the way our forebears did. In others, we should feel fortunate that these traditions even exist today. Regardless, many of our most beloved holiday rituals have shocking and dramatic histories.
10. The Story Behind Green Beer
On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone becomes Irish. But if you ask an actual Irish person what they think of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the US, you’re likely to be met with some puzzled expressions. For instance, corned beef and cabbage isn’t a traditional dish in Ireland. Irish immigrants in the US, struggling to make ends meet, turned to beef brisket and cabbage since they were among the most affordable options.
In Ireland, it’s not traditional to drink green beer. The concept of green beer was actually invented by a Bronx coroner named Dr. Thomas Hayes Curtin. While planning a St. Patrick’s Day party for his social club, the German-American Schnorrer Club of Morrisania, he ensured there was an abundance of food and brewed a special beer just for the event.
Curtin, an Irish immigrant from County Carlow, had moved to the United States as a child. Even without his famous green beer, his career was remarkable. He led the coroner’s office through some of New York City’s most devastating disasters, including the Slocum steamboat fire. After his wife tragically died in a house fire, Curtin was among the first Americans to enlist with French forces during World War I. Although he was honored as “Bronx Citizen of the Year” in 1945, it is his green beer that has become his enduring legacy.
At the time, there were a few scattered reports of bars serving green beer. However, Curtin is often credited with popularizing the unusual practice, mostly because we know exactly how he achieved the green color—by using laundry whitener. Known as “wash blue,” this iron powder was used to brighten white clothes. When mixed with yellowish lager, it transformed the beer into a green hue. By the 1950s, green beer became a well-established part of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, with billions of green pints served annually.
9. New Year’s Resolutions
The beginning of a new year seems like the perfect opportunity to make promises to become a better person, get healthier, or tackle those tasks we’ve been procrastinating on. But the tradition of making resolutions is an ancient one, tracing back to the time of the Mesopotamians.
The first recorded new year’s resolutions were made by the ancient Babylonians, who vowed to settle outstanding debts and return any borrowed property. However, their new year began with the spring harvest. For them, making promises to the gods was a spiritual ritual intended to ensure a smooth and prosperous year ahead.
Later, the Romans adopted a similar practice, dedicating their resolutions to Janus. On March 1, the original Roman new year, newly elected officials would swear an oath, while former officials joined in committing to uphold laws and fulfill their civic responsibilities.
In 300 BC, the new year was officially moved to January 1. This change allowed for the swearing in of new officials and gave leaders and soldiers time to pledge their loyalty to the emperor before heading off for spring campaigns. As the Roman Empire expanded, military forces needed to leave earlier each year to cover longer distances to reach their battlefields.
By 1740, a more contemporary form of resolutions emerged when John Wesley introduced a new type of church service. Held for those who preferred a quiet evening of reflection over a festive celebration, the Covenant Renewal Services offered attendees an opportunity to promise to continue their devoted service to God.
Resolutions have certainly changed over time. As noted by Oklahoma State University, early resolutions were primarily about strengthening faith in God, making sacrifices, taking on more responsibility, and improving one's inner self. Today, however, most people focus on resolutions centered around outward appearances.
8. The Creation of A Charlie Brown Christmas Was Almost Stopped
No matter how you feel about the holiday season, the Peanuts special A Charlie Brown Christmas is an enduring favorite. But it almost never aired. When Charles Schulz first proposed the idea in 1965, it was considered so controversial that CBS initially refused to broadcast the show.
CBS believed it was inappropriate to air a cartoon with characters reading from the Bible. Additionally, Schulz insisted on having no laugh track, arguing that it didn’t fit the serious tone they were aiming for.
The network also clashed with Schulz over the casting of voice actors. Schulz preferred children, while CBS wanted adults, which led to a major dispute over the authenticity of the Peanuts characters. The music selection was another sticking point, as network executives were doubtful that children would enjoy the soundtrack Schulz had chosen.
However, Linus reading from the Gospel of Luke was still the major sticking point. That scene, lasting 51 seconds, was long enough for network executives to fear that it would ruin the potential success of the special by delivering a message that reminded viewers of the true meaning of Christmas.
In an ironically fortunate turn of events, commercialism played a key role in saving the beloved tradition of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Schulz and the gang had the support of Coca-Cola, who had initially sparked the project by asking animator, director, producer, and voice of Snoopy, Bill Melendez, to pitch a Christmas special idea. With Coca-Cola's backing, CBS assumed they could air the special once and, if it failed, simply write it off as a loss on their taxes.
7. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Balloons
Since its inception in 1924, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has become a beloved tradition, integral to Thanksgiving celebrations across the United States. However, without its signature giant balloons, it would just be another parade.
The iconic balloons were the creation of German puppeteer Anthony Sarg. Born into an artistic family in Germany, Sarg began focusing on puppetry in 1917. After World War I, he moved to the United States, where he became well-known for his advertising work, toy-making, and the design of elaborate holiday window displays that remain a distinctive part of the season's festivities.
The first balloons made their appearance in the parade in 1927. These early creations were more like puppets than traditional balloons, inflated with oxygen and carried by groups of people. By the following year, they were filled with helium and released at the parade's conclusion.
The balloons, which included a massive 18-meter-long (60 ft) tiger, became a major attraction because Macy’s offered cash rewards for anyone who found and returned them. However, what started as a way to draw both children and adults to Macy’s new toy department also led to disaster. The first attempts at releasing the balloons ended with them exploding in mid-air.
While safety valves improved the release system of the balloons, they still couldn’t be steered, leading them to crash into nearby buildings. During one release, ace pilot Clarence Chamberlain tried to hook the slowly rising Felix the Cat balloon with his plane. Although he managed to latch onto the pig balloon accompanying Felix, the cat balloon slipped away, ultimately meeting its end when it got tangled in overhead wires in New Jersey.
In 1931, a hippo balloon was last seen around 160 kilometers (100 miles) off Rockaway Point, and the escape of the Willie Red Bird balloon almost prompted warnings for ships in the North Atlantic. In 1932, a female student pilot flew directly into that year’s Tom Kat balloon. After the plane became entangled, the instructor was able to shake free, although the student nearly fell out of the plane. Fortunately, they managed to land safely.
It’s no surprise that 1932 marked the final year for balloon releases in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
6. Fireworks on the Fourth of July
Whether you love them or not, fireworks have become a symbol of the Fourth of July. While America’s Independence Day should technically be celebrated on July 2, fireworks light up town parks (and occasionally backyards) across the country on July 4, as BBQs are devoured and beers are consumed.
Why fireworks, you ask? The answer is simple: John Adams insisted on it.
The day after the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, explaining how future Independence Days should be marked. "It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more," he wrote.
The following year, fireworks were ignited over Boston and the new nation's capital, Philadelphia. Guns were also involved, with ships along the Delaware River firing their cannons once for each of the original colonies. After Congress finished its dinner, even more gunfire erupted, including artillery and small arms. However, it wasn't until 1783 that Boston officially recognized America's birthday as a holiday.
Yet, America wasn't the first country to incorporate fireworks into major celebrations. This distinction likely belongs to either India or China. Additionally, fireworks originally served as military weapons. But once their erratic nature (and their vibrant colors) made them unsuitable for warfare, they transitioned to entertainment.
From the very start, there were those who disliked fireworks. When they were first introduced to royalty in China, Emperor Li Tsung presented them to his empress. She wasn't exactly thrilled when one of the so-called “ground-rats” darted directly toward her, prompting the empress to immediately call off the banquet.
5. The Scare of Poisoned Halloween Candy
The fear of poison or razor blades hidden in Halloween candy is largely a fictional danger, stemming from a 1983 column by Abigail Van Buren (aka 'Dear Abby'). Her article warned Americans about Halloween hazards, emphasizing the imagined threat of malicious individuals tampering with candy meant for children.
The myth was reinforced when her sister, Ann Landers, repeated the warning 12 years later. This created a strong belief in American society that a child who ate candy before an adult had a chance to inspect it for razor blades was essentially inviting danger.
While the likelihood of finding poison in Halloween candy is remote, there have been a few rare instances of malicious candy that led to violent, potentially fatal events. In 1964, Helen Pfeil devised an unusual method of telling teens they were too old to trick-or-treat by giving them steel wool pads, dog biscuits, and poison-laced ant bait.
Although she openly admitted her actions when handing out the treats, Pfeil was still convicted of child endangerment. While many other reported cases were hoaxes, there have been disturbing incidents where adults exploited the candy myth for sinister purposes.
In 1974, Timothy Mark O'Bryan tragically passed away after consuming a Pixie Stix filled with cyanide. His father, who had given him the poisoned candy, was later executed for the child's death. Just four years earlier, Kevin Toston had died from a heroin overdose shortly after Halloween, with his candy initially blamed. However, investigations revealed that Kevin had ingested his uncle's heroin, and the family had laced his candy with it after his death to cover up the neglect.
The first verified incident of actual random violence tied to Halloween candy occurred in 2000, when James Joseph Smith distributed Snickers bars containing needles.
4. Hot Cross Buns For Easter
In many cultures, hot cross buns are a traditional treat that graces the table during Easter celebrations. You may have encountered some of the myths surrounding these baked goods. For instance, sharing a hot cross bun with a friend is thought to strengthen your bond.
A number of these myths are tied to religious traditions, such as the tale that a 12th-century monk baked the first hot cross buns as a tribute to Good Friday. Another popular story is that Queen Elizabeth I deemed hot cross buns so significant as a religious symbol that it became illegal to consume them on any day other than Good Friday.
Although it's unclear whether hot cross buns have any real connection to Easter's religious meaning, uncovering the truth is surprisingly elusive. The Oxford English Dictionary cites the first mention of a 'hot cross bun' in 1733—long after the time of our 12th-century monk or Queen Elizabeth I. This mention comes from a song: 'Good Friday comes this Month, the old woman runs, With one or two a Penny hot cross Bunns.'
Historians have uncovered some recipes from this time, but it's unclear whether hot cross buns were being baked earlier. Some Roman-era sculptures show loaves of bread marked with a cross, though this may not be religious—it could simply have been a technique to make the bread easier to break.
Some scholars argue that the hot cross bun has its roots in the medieval period, linking it to the split within Christianity. According to an associate professor from Murdoch University, hot cross buns were a point of contention when Catholicism and Protestantism divided. The Protestant Church, newly formed, viewed the traditional bread as symbolizing Catholic superstition, a reason that could explain why Elizabeth I banned the buns.
Even today, hot cross buns continue to stir debate. Some religious leaders argue that by making them available year-round, the symbolic power of the bread as a religious marker has diminished. These buns are so popular now that British supermarket chain Tesco offers three varieties year-round, with additional flavors like toffee and apple-cinnamon added around Easter.
3. Lupercalia And Valentine’s Day
If Valentine’s Day isn’t your favorite, you can trace the roots back to the Romans, but their version of Cupid’s festival was quite different from our modern celebrations of love and romance in mid-February.
For the Romans, the festivities of Lupercalia spanned from February 13 to February 15. The celebration began with the sacrifice of a goat and a dog, whose hides were turned into whips. Two young men were ceremoniously baptized in blood, given food and wine, then tasked with running mostly naked through the streets, whipping anyone they came across. Women actually lined up to get hit because they believed it would increase their fertility for the upcoming year.
To make things even more interesting, the festival also featured a matchmaking ceremony. A woman would be paired with the man who drew her name in a lottery, and they would be considered a couple for the duration of the festival—likely with three days of enjoying all the perks of this arrangement.
The festival, thought to be a form of symbolic purification, was held in honor of Lupercus. Initially a fertility god, Lupercus was later connected to the myth of Rome’s founding and the nurturing of the twins Romulus and Remus.
In the third century, two men named Valentine were executed by the Romans, both on February 14 in different years. When the Catholic Church merged their martyrdom with the festival, it gave the day a more solemn tone. However, it wasn’t until Shakespeare and Chaucer wrote about it that the holiday began to take the overly sentimental form we know today.
2. Wearing White And Labor Day
One of fashion’s most enduring rules is: Don’t wear white after Labor Day. While many explanations exist for this guideline, no one knows for certain why it was first established.
A prominent theory ties the rule to social status. In an era when washing machines were rare, wearing white was impractical, so it became reserved for the upper class, especially those who spent their summers vacationing in fancy locations or yachting. Once summer was over, so was the luxury of wearing white without worrying about dirt.
One theory suggests that wearing dark colors in the scorching summer heat was simply impractical, especially when high-fashion trends in the 20th century were often set in northern cities. As Labor Day marked the end of summer, dark-colored clothing made its return.
However, it wasn’t until the 1950s that wearing white after Labor Day came to be seen as a fashion faux pas. Some believe this was a way to separate the classes, with the old-money elites aware of the rules, while the newly affluent could be easily identified as ignorant. Nonetheless, the origin of this strange tradition remains a mystery, and it continues to be followed by many today.
1. Kale, Colcannon, And Candy
Halloween candy is a relatively recent addition to the holiday's traditions. Up until the 1920s, Scotland and Ireland practiced a strange version of trick-or-treating that didn’t involve candy at all.
The final moments of October and the first moments of November have long been associated with spirits, the dead, and the supernatural. Playing games during this time was believed to help spirits cross over from the real world to the otherworld. If they could share some of their otherworldly wisdom while present, that was considered a bonus.
In the 18th century, Robert Burns wrote about an unusual divination practice called '[pull] the stalks.' Instead of trick-or-treating, unmarried individuals of a marriageable age were blindfolded and taken to kale fields. Each person would pull a stalk of kale, root and all. It was believed that the stalk would reveal details about their future spouse: tall or short, straight or crooked, healthy or withered.
Tasting the kale provided insight into the inner nature of their future spouse: bitter, sweet, and so on. The amount of dirt left on the root also carried significance. A root with more dirt meant the person would receive a large dowry or fortune from their partner, while a clean root signified a life of poverty.
Kale also featured in a peculiar Irish dish. During All Hallow’s Eve, the traditional colcannon meal was prepared with objects hidden inside to predict the future. If you found a ring, it meant you would be married before the next Halloween, while a thimble signified a life of spinsterhood.
While it may seem odd today, vegetables were once the central foods of Halloween. Candy didn’t take over the holiday until the mid-20th century. As late as the 1920s, it was common for children to receive fruits, nuts, cakes, and small toys. Even in the 1950s, Kellogg’s marketed their cereals as the 'perfect Halloween treat.' The candy industry didn’t gain dominance until the 1960s, and by the 1970s, other treats had been entirely overshadowed.
