Easter as celebrated today is rich with tradition.
∞ Easter was named after Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre, according to 8th century English monk Venerable Bede. ∞ The first story of a rabbit hiding eggs in a garden was published in 1680. This rabbit was later named the “Easter Bunny.” ∞ The tradition of egg decoration was brought to the U.S. by Ukrainian immigrants. ∞ The tradition of buying new outfits for Easter began in mid-1800s New York. It was believed to bring good luck for the coming year. ∞ The white lily (now known as the “Easter Lily”), representing grace and purity, is the official flower of Easter. ∞ President Rutherford B. Hayes began the White House front lawn Easter Egg Roll tradition in 1878. ∞ 76% of Americans bite the ears off of a chocolate bunny first!
Mardi Gras marks a day of indulgence before the Lenten season begins. While our area lacks historical ties to this event, Southern Californians have embraced the festival’s spirit with lively events and gatherings. Old Pasadena and the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego are renowned for hosting energetic celebrations featuring colorful parades, lively music, and the indulgent cuisine of the Big Easy. Streets fill with revelers adorned in beads, masks, and vibrant costumes, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of Fat Tuesday festivities along the Gulf Coast. Local establishments in areas like West Hollywood, Long Beach, and Santa Monica also join the celebration, offering special menus, themed parties, live music, and festive decorations.
Southern California’s adaptation of Mardi Gras adds a unique West Coast flair to this centuries-old celebration, allowing residents to adopt and immerse themselves in the spirit of the season.
R.T. Clown has Mardi Gras entertainment for you and your group! Call us at 310.376.2250!
February 2 is Groundhog’s Day in the United States and Canada! The tradition involves the adorable pudgy Groundhog emerging from its and HOPEFULLY NOT SEEING its shadow, since according to folklore, those in cold climates will be doomed to six weeks of winter. Who wants that?!
Groundhog’s Day dates back to the Germanic holiday Candlemas, which denotes the end of winter.
Groundhogs CAN predict the end of winter! Ok, that could be a stretch. The logic is that spring is around the corner if a Groundhog is inclined to come out of its hibernation burrow without immediately retreating back.
The 1993 movie Groundhog’s Day made the holiday widely popular. Tens of thousands of people across the United States participated in Groundhog’s Day festivities!
Come what may, an early spring or more wintry days and nights, the cute and pudgy Groundhog graces us with its presence and gives a spring of hope, although fleeting.
These days we may be able to send Santa our Christmas wish list by email or even tag him on social media, but a fun family project may be to write Santa a good, old-fashioned letter! Here are some options for where to drop that letter off to Santa. (Be sure to call before to confirm that Santa’s collection boxes are functional and ready to receive letters!)
Macy’s: Macy’s has forever provided special holiday forwarding services for letters to Santa via their beautiful red mail collection boxes at their stores. Be sure to take photos of this moment!
Theme Parks: Theme parks like Disneyland and Universal CityWalk often have special mailboxes where kids can drop their letters to Santa. You can make that part of an awesome day there too!
Malls, Shopping Centers, Specialty Shops, Toy Stores: Places like these make it convenient for kids to drop off their letters to get to Santa.
Public Libraries & Community Centers: Many of these places set up designated areas or mailboxes for Santa letters.
Santa’s Village or Winter Wonderland Attractions: Check for holiday events in your community, as they sometimes feature Santa-themed activities and collection boxes where kids can drop off their letters.
U.S. Postal Service: Of course! U.S.P.S. Operation Santa is over 100 years old! The exact steps to follow are at the USPS website (and naturally, a stamp is required). If your child sends a letter to Santa this way by December 10, there’s a good chance they’ll get a personalized response back from Santa himself! It will be postmarked from Santa’s helpers near Anchorage, Alaska (the closest place you can get to the North Pole in the U.S. Here’s the address:
Santa Claus 123 Elf Road North Pole, 88888
Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland: This Village is super close to the North Pole and has a special post office that receives letters from children all over the world. The official address to send letters to Santa internationally is:
Santa Claus Santa Claus Main Post Office Tähtikuja 1, 96930 Arctic Circle Rovaniemi, Lapland, FINLAND
This Post Office in Rovaniemi is well-known for handling letters to Santa, and they often respond to many of the letters they receive if given a return address. Plus, letters sent from this address often receive a special Arctic Circle postmark! For extra fun, be sure to visit your local post office to get a special air mail postage stamp!
The whole family can enjoy this unique holiday tradition. For loving grownups who would like to help Santa with gift selection, wrapping and distribution, visit: www.uspsoperationsanta.com/letters
Black Friday originated in the U.S. in the 1950s, marking kickoff to the holiday shopping season after Thanksgiving. The term was initially coined by Philadelphia police officers in the 1960s to describe the chaos and congestion caused by the influx of shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. Retailers began capitalizing on this day by offering significant discounts and deals, turning it into a major shopping event. Over the years, Black Friday evolved, extending beyond brick-and-mortar stores to online.
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