The Hidden History of the Holidays

Listening Length: 8 hours and 3 minutes

What are the origins of dressing in costume for Halloween? Why did the barbecue grill become an iconic image for Father’s Day?

From Halloween costumes to patriotic parades to belly-busting meals, every holiday tradition tells a unique story—one encoded in symbols and layered meanings that stretch back over the centuries. In 19 lectures, professional storyteller Dr. Hannah B. Harvey takes listeners through the seasons and investigates the surprising stories behind seemingly odd holiday traditions. Dr. Harvey explores the social, political, and performative history of holidays, ranging from Hanukkah and Mardi Gras to Mother’s Day and Thanksgiving, illustrating the way traditions survive across time and cultures.

In these fascinating lectures, Dr. Harvey turns the spotlight on the histories of American and international holidays, and listeners will discover the answers to such questions as

• How did Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria save Christmas from disappearing into obscurity in the 19th century?
• Why is "Auld Lang Syne" considered the "official" song of New Year’s celebrations?
• How did the iconic masculine images of fishing rods, barbecue grills, and lying in hammocks become synonymous with Father’s Day?
• Why should we thank ancient Rome’s Romulus and Remus for Valentine’s Day?
• To what cultures do we owe such loveable creatures as Easter bunnies and spring-predicting groundhogs?
• Why did Puritans seek to stamp out Christmas celebrations in America?
• How are the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria and today’s April Fool’s Day alike?

The Hidden History of Holidays is an eye-opening and entertaining look at what makes these festive celebrations so pervasive and powerful. By the end of these lectures, listeners will never think about greeting cards, broomsticks, or barbecues in the same way again.