Trailing of the Sheep Festival for 2013 begins on Thursday October 10 and concludes on Sunday October 13. Sheep are quiet animals, and the raising of sheep is an unobtrusive business in Idaho. No hulking factories or scurrying trucks mark … Continue reading →
And what are you that, missing you, I should be kept awake As many nights as there are days With weeping for your sake? And what are you that, missing you, As many days as crawl I … Continue reading →
February 14 is the feast day for Saint Valentine, who was martyred in Rome on that day in 269 A.D. Valentine’s Day became associated with older celebrations inspired by the Roman goddess Juno, the protector of women. Juno’s festival included … Continue reading →
The first Christmas in Twin Falls, Idaho was one of the most interesting holiday seasons the Magic city has known. Twin Falls was a decidedly new town in 1904. There were not more than 75 dwellings in the vicinity because the … Continue reading →
Few things represent the hope in the human heart at the holiday season like a burning candle. The flame’s intensity, its surging as it finds fresh sources of fuel, and its fragility remind us of life itself. Candle-lit outdoor lanterns … Continue reading →
Nothing enlivens long winter nights like strings of sparkling holiday lights, and Boise Valley communities do their best to participate in this happy tradition. Using candles to brighten holiday processions dates to the Middle Ages, as people used the lighted … Continue reading →
This month we share with our readers an almanac maker’s secret: the routine that people used in Europe for centuries to predict if the coming year would be damp or dry. As Charles Swainson described it: “In Belgium, as well … Continue reading →
Before the advent of “safe-and-sane” fireworks, kids of all ages began the Fourth of July by setting off strings of firecrackers. But firecrackers had their start in China, and the Chinese used them to drive off evil spirits. Here is … Continue reading →
In England, similar beliefs were associated with the eve of St. Mark’s Day (the eve being April 24) as with the eve of All Souls Day, otherwise known as Halloween. Young ladies believed it was a good time to determine … Continue reading →
The coast of Wales has at its most western point one of the oldest Christian centers in the British Isles: St. David’s, in use for 1500 years. According to stories passed down, St. David was a descendant of British royalty, … Continue reading →