Christmas
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During this festive season it’s time to look at how Christmas was celebrated during the darkest era of mankind. It’s amazing that at the height of the war the all time best selling Christmas song was first released. From the movie ‘Holiday Inn’ White Christmas Below are some pictures of Christmas celebrations during WWII Christmas
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During the Holocaust, Jewish prisoners in the Westerbork Transit Camp in the Netherlands observed Hanukkah under harrowing circumstances. Despite the dire conditions, they sought to maintain their cultural and religious traditions as an act of resistance and hope. In Westerbork, Hanukkah celebrations were modest and often conducted in secret. Prisoners used makeshift menorahs crafted from
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I don’t care if you’re Santa; a queue is a queue. In 1975, Santa Claus stood in line with other customers for a cup of coffee in New York City. We all live in Santa’s submarine Santa Claus at the North Pole. Circa 1987. Size does matter. A large Christmas tree practically consumed this family’s
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It was a few weeks before Christmas 2011. We went to see “Arthur Christmas” in the cinema in 3D. Afterwards my family were saying how impressive the 3D had been, where I hadn’t noticed it at all. I had some problem with my eye though, but hadn’t thought anything of it. I thought it was
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Before diving into the story, let me first give a brief explanation of who Sinterklaas is for those who may want to become more familiar with him. Sinterklaas is a traditional holiday figure celebrated primarily in the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of Germany. The festival, which has roots in both Christian and pre-Christian traditions, takes
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Some might think the title, Escape to Suriname—A Holocaust Christmas Story, is a bit contradictory. Dutch Jews were fully integrated into Dutch culture, and many would have participated in the Sinterklaas and Christmas celebrations. This story is about more than that, and one I was not familiar with. On Christmas Eve 1942, more than a hundred,
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Dutch Christmas is slightly different from other Christmas celebrations. On the 5th of December, the Dutch celebrate “Sinterklaas” Saint Nicholas, although it is the same figure as Santa Claus or Father Christmas. There are subtle differences in the “configuration” Sinterklaas doesn’t come from Lapland but from Spain and arrives on a steamboat and a white
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This piece isn’t about a Star Wars Christmas special—though, to be honest, seeing Santa join Darth Vader on the Dark Side would be undeniably awesome. When we think of Christmas, images of jolly Santa Claus, festive decorations, and cheerful Christmas carols come to mind. But hidden within the warmth of holiday cheer lies a figure
History of Sorts 