Saturday, December 1, 2007

I always love a free lecture or two


Here are two free lectures from the Teaching Company

The Teaching Company Free Holiday Lectures:

In 'Christmas in Victorian Britain,' Professor Patrick N. Allitt explores the celebration of Christmas as we know it today, with decorations, music, and lavish gift exchanges, and where it began—Victorian Britain."

Explore "Christmas in 19th-century America." How did different ethnic groups in America celebrate Christmas in the early 19th century? Why did New Englanders often want to avoid all forms of celebration while Pennsylvania Germans dressed up, visited each other, and drank heavily? After the Civil War, Christmas celebrations began to be standardized throughout the nation under the influence of the new department stores, which ran the Christmas-oriented marketing campaigns we are familiar with today.

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