Hey gang! 🎒🔥 We hope your Christmas was amazing! Did you get lot’s of gifts? Or were you the one playing Santa this year? This week we went deep into the origins of Christmas. We explored the ancient traditions that help shape our Christmas traditions and the celebrations surrounding the Winter Solstice. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check it out here. Now let’s take a look back at what we explored! 🎄🎅🏻
But first… Today In History
Crime: On December 27, 1985, in a coordinated assault, seven Arab terrorists launched attacks on two international airports: Rome, Italy, and Vienna, Austria. The assailants used assault rifles and hand grenades in their operation. The response from El Al security personnel and the local law enforcement, resulted in the deaths of four terrorists, while the remaining three were captured. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 19 individuals, including a child, and approximately 140 others sustained injuries. Contemporary reports suggested that their initial plan was to hijack El Al aircraft and detonate them over Tel Aviv, while others posited that the primary objective was to target passengers waiting at the airports, with an additional attack planned for Frankfurt airport. These incidents occurred despite heightened security measures implemented in response to recent hijackings and official warnings from Interpol about potential terrorist threats to airports during the holiday season.
War: On December 27, 2005, Iraq's army announced a significant victory over Islamic State fighters in a provincial capital located to the west of Baghdad. This victory marked the first major triumph for the U.S.-trained Iraqi forces since they had previously collapsed under the pressure of an assault by the militants. The successful capture of Ramadi, which serves as the capital of the predominantly Sunni-Muslim Anbar province situated in the west of Baghdad, represented a crucial turning point. This achievement effectively deprived the Islamic State militants of their most significant territorial gain of 2015.
Religion: On December 27, 1784, Francis Asbury was ordained as superintendent of the Methodist Church in America. Despite John Wesley's objections, he later took the title "bishop." However, over 45 years, Asbury traveled thousands of miles on horseback and by carriage, preaching daily in various locations. Under his leadership, the church expanded from 1,200 to 214,000 members and 700 ordained preachers.
War: On December 27, 1918, just after the armistice between Germany and the Allies in November, the Polish military organization, along with a group of eager volunteers decided to stand up against the German army occupying the bustling industrial city of Poznan. At the start of World War I, nearly three-quarters of Poland was under Russian control, while the rest was governed by Germany and Austria. This meant that when war broke out between Russia and the Central Powers, Poles found themselves fighting on both sides. After the Central Powers were defeated, the path to Polish independence seemed to be opening up. A Polish republic was declared shortly after the armistice, but the new state's borders were still undecided by the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was reluctant to give up any territory, still viewing much of the region, including Poznan and its surroundings, as its own.
The DARK ORIGINS of Christmas: Santa, Drugs, Pagans🎄🍄
In this episode we took a deep dive into the origins and the traditions surrounding everyones favorite holiday…Christmas. We explored everything from how the ancient Egyptians used evergreen plants, the origins of the mistletoe, and even the history of the Yule cat! And if your more into the “magic” of Christmas, we broke down the connection between the amanita muscaria mushroom and how it may have helped shape how we see Christmas today! We hope your week was full of good vibes, good gifts, and CAMP!!!
If you missed this captivating journey into the crazy history of Christmas and the myths surrounding it, now’s the perfect time to catch up. Be sure to check it out before another week of wild stories take place!⛺️
What did you think of this week’s episode? 💭Drop us a RELPY—we LOVE hearing from you! If you haven’t caught it yet, head over to the channel and check it out. Let’s GOOOOOO!!!! 🔥👊🚀
- Jaime