May Day

I’m a little late in this post, but I decided to go with this real, slightly late date (vs. cheating and pretending I posed on May1) because this little research actually came in handy. Back in April I was at work in a brainstorming session when someone pitched the idea of running a May Day coupon. And while I thought it was a great idea, I also thought about the whole mystique (at least for me) of May Day and what it symbolizes in modern society.

What is May Day? How was it celebrated? What did the holiday represent?

May Day has always been a Northern Hemisphere holiday, celebrated in Europe before Christianity spread to the region. The earliest known celebrations appeared with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers. A five-day celebration was held in her honor, beginning on April 28 and ending May 2.

May Day was also known as the Gaelic Beltane in Britain. The Druids would celebrate the festival by lighting fires to give life to the springtime sun, driving cattle through the fires to purify them (I’m not sure how this worked, but I am indeed curious), and couples passing through the smoke for good luck in their relationship.

In pre-Christian European pagan cultures, May Day marked the first day of summer. February 1 was the official first day of spring, and the summer solstice on June 25 was Midsummer.

The May Day pole seems to date from the Middle Ages. Towns would work together to erect large Maypoles, even competing with neighboring towns for the tallest one. Interestingly, the Maypole came from Germany and other Northern European countries. The Maypole dance also goes along with the tradition. Now, this little bit of knowledge served me well on May Day – I could tell one of my bosses about this when he asked about the May Day pole (I love when my research pays off!).

Since I was the one in charge of the entire May Day campaign, I used the May Day pole on the imagery (because in my mind, that is what I associate with the holiday). Well, one of my coworkers saw the imagery and commented that that wasn’t what she first thought of. In her childhood, they would create baskets of flowers and leave them for people to find.

So I wanted to see what traditions are associated with this holiday. There is the May Pole, dancing, eating & drinking, celebrating with flowers, and also trying magic (apparently it’s easiest to perform divination on May Day, who knew?)

So why is this ancient holiday relevant today? I think it’s important to remember where we came from. I also think it’s important to celebrate the changing seasons. And like the Druids, I always like celebrations that involve purifying yourself and starting again.

Happy History!

Daylight Savings

I don’t know about you, but I needed that hour of sleep that I lost yesterday morning to Daylight Savings time. Working hard all week, all I want to do is sleep in on Sunday morning. Well I did do that, but I almost slept into Sunday afternoon.

Time is one of those funny things that is a human invention to keep track of ourselves. We measure our lives in this made up way that measures days, weeks, months, and years, and apparently can change time ahead or back at whim. Maybe I’m extra grouchy due to the time change, but it begs me to wonder, what is the history of Daylight Savings (DST).

Have you ever seen that Disney movie National Treasure? In it they say that it was Benjamin Franklin who first proposed the idea of DST. Doing my research, I see that this practice goes much further back than the Founding Fathers, even as far back as the Romans. It makes sense to think that these ancient civilizations adjusted themselves in accordance to the sun.

There is debate over whether Franklin himself first suggested it, or that belongs to an entomologist from New Zealand. Regardless it was William Willett in 1905 that first proposed the idea of moving the clocks forward in the summer in this more modern age. The first Daylight Savings Bill was drafted in 1909 and presented to Parliament. Many opposed the plans, so it was never put into effect while Willett was alive. DST was first put into effect during WWI to help conserve energy in Germany at 11:00 p.m. on April 30, 1916. May countries followed. Many countries reverted back after the war, and DST didn’t return until WWII. Even then, it wasn’t until the Energy crisis in the 1970s that made DST a common act in the United States.

And so you have it, the history of a practice we have twice a year. Now, I need to go catch up on my sleep I missed this weekend due to DTS. Happy History!

Lapis Lazuli

Two weeks ago I traveled to Tucson, Arizona for the 2014 Tucson Show. Every February the jewelry world travels to Tucson to participate in the 40+ shows that simultaneously go on during the same time period. It’s probably the biggest event of the year for anyone in the jewelry world, and that means artists, designers, vendors, and anyone in this realm can be found in Tucson during this time.

Now, I know my last post was about jewelry, and I try to keep my interests separate, but I had an eye opening moment while I was at the show. Ok, I actually had several eye opening moments, but I’ll only bore you with one. It was during my last day at the show, and I was walking the strip with one of my co-workers.

We were at the Tucson Showplace, and I saw that there was a giant pile of lapis rough (large lapis stones uncut and unpolished) in the parking lot surrounded by chicken wire. Now this wasn’t the first time I had seen a pile of rough during my week, but what really shocked me was knowing the value of the stone, knowing it has had a history since the ancient world, knowing this stone has been prized for centuries. And there it was, surrounded by chicken wire, next to a parked car. And that made me wonder, what is the full history of lapis lazuli?

Lapis has been cherished for over 5,000 years, and the stone played a crucial role in the Middle East where it was thought to have magical powers. The ancient Egyptians used it in statues, signent rings, and figures. In fact, the funeral mask for ‘King Tut’ was decorated with Lapis. It is my understanding that Alexander the Great brought the stone to Europe.

The stone’s name is closely associated with its intense color. The name was derived from the Latin word “lapis” meaning “stone”, and the Persian word “lazaward” which was the Persian name for lapis as well as the name of its mining location. Another source listed the Arabic word “Azula”, meaning blue, as a source of the name.

As it was 5,000 years ago, the best raw stones come from Hindu Kush in north-east Afghanistan. In fact, some of the areas originally mined in the ancient world are still mined today. The stone can also be found in Russia, and in the Chilean Andes.

So there you have it, the history of a stone (or what I could find of it), definitely worthy of more than a spot in the parking lot. Happy History!

Edwardian Jewelry

History is a personal interest, pure and simple. But it isn’t my only interest – jewelry takes a close (and sometimes surpassing) second. Luckily for me, I have a job that revolves around jewelry. I work for a company that creates enthusiast products, and during my year and a half with the company have learned countless new techniques.

When my two passions converge, it is definitely a good day in my camp. Fortunately, my wonderful editors recently created a project eBook that pulls from the Downton Abbey period (Edwardian, WWI, and soon to be depression) to create inspired jewelry designs. Then, another editor decided to issue a challenge to create a fashionable necklace that fits the time period to feature on her blog. Since I super big fan of the show, and I was itching to create my own Edwardian trend, I decided to bust out my pliers and create my own necklace design.

But in true fashion, I also wanted to research the time period and see what history had to say about the jewelry during the Edwardian era. The Edwardian era got it’s name from the English King Edward VII who reigned from 1901-1910. I found it interesting to learn that this was the last period that was named after a British monarch.

Unlike Art Nouveau, Victorian, or the Arts and Craft movement, the design of Edwardian jewelry was understated, and very feminine in style. Almost overnight, jewelry went from being large and ornate to light and airy in design. Pearls, diamonds, gold, and other precious metals were favored in use.

But I learned that the hallmark of Edwardian jewelry was the use of platinum. Unlike before, this was one of the first times this metal was used widely, and the strength and durability of the metal allowed jewelers to create light, intricate designs with lace-like appearances. Circa 1910, the changing necklines that were fashionable left little room for brooches, giving way to necklace’s popularity. And as white became a more popular color in fashion, pearls gained popularity.

Earrings also had a special place during the Edwardian period. While they started the century as studs, longer light earrings began to be favored.

Honestly, I found a great website that details the styles and trends of jewelry during the Edwardian period, including rings, tiaras, and other hot jewelry styles in detail. If you want to learn more check it out!

I had so much fun researching the trends and being inspired to create my own lightweight necklace design. With pearls, sparkling crystals, and filigree flower, any stylish lady could wear the long necklace I created.

The Man Behind the Plan

Before we begin our through WWI we need to understand the information that was behind the scenes. For a part of this year, I’ll be laying the foundation of understanding, hopefully through important dates. Incidentally, today is one such date: 101 anniversary of the German general Alfred von Schlieffen’s death. If you recognize the name, it is because it was his plan that was set in motion and started WWI.

But first, a little information about the man behind the plan: Schlieffen was born on February 28, 1833 to a Prussian noble family. It is said during his early life he showed no interest in joining the military, and instead went to school in Berlin to study law. It was after his mandatory one year of service that Schlieffen was chosen as an officer candidate, and thus began his long military career.

Schlieffen served in both the Seven Week’s War in 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. Over time he was able to rise through the ranks of the Great General Staff (which was an elite corps of about 650 officers) before becoming its chief in 1891.

In the years since the Franco-Prussian War and the German alliance with Austrio-Hungary in 1879, Schlieffen’s predecessors had been working on a strategy to fight a future two-front war against France and Russia. When Schlieffen took over, he continued these efforts seeing such a two-front war as a distinct possibility. Schlieffen believed that Germany’s best bet was to engage France first, attacking through Belgium and Holland and enveloping western France before finally taking Paris.

Meanwhile, a smaller German force would hold off Russia in the east, since fully mobilizing the Russian army would take more time. This strategy came to be known as the Schlieffen plan.

Less than two years after Schlieffen’s death, the plan was put in motion by the German army. While I’m tempted to go into full detail about this now, I think it would make more sense to wait. Yes, it’s well known that the German’s plan did not work, and ultimately led to a stalemate that resulted in the 4-year trench war. But, I’m going to wait and give my full commentary later this year. So instead, today you’re left with the facts of the matter and the interesting beginning to our 2014.

Until next time, happy history all!

2013 wrap-up

I started this blog 3 years ago as a New Years resolution for myself. I resolved that I would regularly post about something I loved (history) in order to really learn about blogging. The ultimate goal was to have a record of something as I went on my future job hunts, but this blog became something more to me: it became a place where I could find something interesting, research it, and add to my knowledge base.

And since starting this blog so many years ago, things have changed: I graduated from college, and ultimately found a job. A job takes a lot of time out of my day, and things slowly fell threw the cracks, this blog being one of them. I had some great topics I wanted to post on this year, that I just missed pure and simple. And as I look back on 2013, I see the 7 (yes, only 7 ... this makes 8) posts and realize that this blog is something I miss. So one of my resolutions for 2014 is to pick blogging back up. Maybe not every week like I intended initially, but at least twice a month.

2014 promises to be a good year, and also a historic one. We will be celebrating 100 years since the start of WW1, a monumental landmark in how it changed Europe, and ultimately laid the foundations for the start of WWII. I have a lot of things I want to say about 1914, so I’m looking forward to what is yet to come.

But before I sign off, I want to do my 2013 wrap-up. I missed this last year, and it may be one of my favorite posts of the year. So, here are some historic moments from 2013 that I think will go down in history.


- 2/10/13 Pope Benedict XVI resigns, the first to do so since Gregory XII in 1415
- 3/13/13 Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is elected as the 266 pope, and takes the name Francis
- 4/8/13 Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister, dies.
- 4/16/13 Boston Marathon explosion shakes the city (and the country)
- 7/22/13 Prince Charles is born
- 8/21/13 Reports that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad gasses neighborhoods surrounding Damascus.
- 11/7/13 Super Typhoon Haiyan devastates the Phillippines leaving over 6,000 dead.
- 12/4/13 Nelson Mandela, former South African president, dies.

Market Garden

My favorite posts are the ones that have me digging to find my old college notes. No joke; I will literally get out the huge box that hosts my college supplies and look for the right spiral that hosts my notes from that particular class. It’s always fun visiting memory lane, and remembering those little things I choose to jot down during class (and even more fun when I have to pull from my memory to fill in what I didn’t write down!).

Today across my twitter feed I saw that it was the anniversary of the launch of Market Garden during WWII. So off I went to dig down and find these notes.

Market Garden was a strategy masterminded by General Montgomery. The advance consisted of two different advances. Market would consist of several airborne divisions being launched behind lines to secure the bridges. Operation Garden was then for ground support to charge north and cross the Rhine River, giving the Allies easy access east to Berlin.

However well thought out this plan was, there were many issues with it. First, the air troops were expected to hold the bridges for 48 hours after they were dropped. Second, the ground support was going to charging north on a two-lane highway, surrounded by low-lands that were impassible otherwise.

I decided to study the Battle of the Bulge on my own time, and I learned that during this time in 1944 Hitler was already planning on his operation. He pulled some of his most lethal and effective troops and retired them to one of the least volatile areas: Holland. So the US and British troops were up against some of the best German SS Soldiers. That coupled with the logistical problems, lack of support, a stretched supply line, and a really weird plan led to an unfulfilled operation.

While not an outstanding victory for the Allies, 1944 was a good year that saw good movement and serious strides forward against the Germans.