By The White House Historical Association In 1981, the White House Historical Association created the first Official White House Christmas Ornament, establishing a tradition that honors the presidents of the United States and reflects on the history and events that…
Christmas bone china Story & Photos by Donald-Brian Johnson Most of the year, it’s kept safely tucked away in drawers, or on display behind the locked glass doors of a dining room cabinet. And then the holiday season is upon…
Presidential Christmas Cards by Bill Thornbrook One December day it appears in the mailbox with other holiday greetings. Something sets this envelope apart, says it’s special. The return address catches the eye. Yes, just three words imprinted on a single…
Once Upon a Time There Was Christmas By Pamela E. Apkarian-Russell “The Halloween Queen” Holidays do not have to be stressful nor terribly expensive if you slip back in time when Christmas was less technologically and commercially driven. People purchased…
Ken’s Korner: Mystery donors drop rare coins into kettles News & Views From the World of Antiques & Collectibles By Ken Hall Each year an army of Salvation Army Santas braves the cold and accepts donations of loose change and…
Yuletide is a-coming! By Pamela E. Apkarian-Russell The smell of fresh pine in the house and cookies baking in the oven are some of the happiest memories we have of the Yuletide holidays. Fresh cranberries cooking on the stove with…
Figure Skating and the Arts By Frances Dafoe When I started working on the book Figure Skating and the Arts: Eight Centuries of Sport and Inspiration, I had no idea of the treasures I would find in private and public…
Mystical, Magical, Mistletoe: The Link between Santa Claus & the Green Man – The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles – December 2006 by Pamela E. Apkarian-Russell Mistletoe is an ancient and much revered plant and can be seen on many a…
Christmas Dolls – The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles – December 2004 by Dorothy McGonagle What is a Christmas Doll? Surely there are as many answers as there are people who have received dolls or given dolls to girls for Christmas.…
Original Article: Christmas at Colonial Williamsburg – The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles – December 2003 Updated June 2025; 2003–2010: Upholding Tradition Throughout the early 2000s, the Grand Illumination remained a cherished annual event, typically held on the first Sunday…
Hearth to Hearth: Christmas Pudding – The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles – January 2002 In the great celebratory feast, a highlight of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Mrs. Cratchit’s Christmas Plum Pudding is described as only Dickens could do it: “Hallo! A great…
English Christmas Cards – The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles – December 2001 By Carol Woodbury The avant garde English magazine, The Studio, is a wonderful place to glimpse the artistic atmosphere of the late 19th – early 20th centuries.…
