Bill Petro

Joined January 2021

0 stories

Bio

Writer, historian, consultant, trainer

https://billpetro.com/bio

Stories (63/0)

Christmas Traditions: Some pre-Christian?
Many of the customs that we commonly associate with Christmas come from previous pagan or pre-Christian European backgrounds. Let’s look at some of these familiar traditions and some connections to other folklore elements with which we may be unfamiliar.
By Bill Petro7 months ago in FYI
History of the Liberation of Auschwitz
January 27, 1945, was the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, one of the most notorious camps of World War II, by the Soviet Red Army. This date is now known by the United Nations and the European Union as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
By Bill Petro10 months ago in FYI
History of Australia Day
Did you know that the history of European Australia has ties to the American Revolutionary War? When the 13 American Colonies were part of the British Commonwealth, it was convenient for England to transport its convicts to the Colonies. Indeed, it was considered more humane to “transport” prisoners than to execute them, and there were getting to be so many convicts.
By Bill Petro10 months ago in FYI
History of Macintosh
The now-famous Macintosh computer turns 39. When Apple President Steve Jobs launched this computer at the Flint Center on the De Anza College campus on January 24, 1984, to the theme from the movie Chariots of Fire, he called it “insanely great!”
By Bill Petro10 months ago in 01
History of Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is China’s oldest, longest, and most important social and economic holiday, beginning on the first day of the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
By Bill Petro10 months ago in FYI
History of Epiphany and Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night is on January 5, the eve of Epiphany. Epiphany occurs in the Christian calendar on January 6, signifying the event of the Magi, or Wise Men, visiting the baby Jesus. It is known in some Latin cultures as the Feast of the Three Kings or Three Kings Day.
By Bill Petro11 months ago in FYI
History of New Year’s Resolutions
As I mentioned previously, New Year’s Day celebrations began in pre-Christian times, beginning with the Babylonians in March, but later changed to January by the Romans.
By Bill Petro11 months ago in FYI
History of Telemachus: the Monk Who Ended the Roman Gladiatorial Games
January 1, A.D. 404 marked the last known gladiatorial games in Rome. What part did an obscure Christian monk from the East play in this epic change in Roman entertainment?
By Bill Petro11 months ago in FYI
History of New Year’s Day
We have the ancient Romans to thank for celebrating New Year’s Day on January 1. It wasn’t always that way. Previous civilizations celebrated it in March to observe the “new year” of growth and fertility.
By Bill Petro11 months ago in FYI
History of New Year’s Ev
New Year’s Eve is the last day of the year, according to the Gregorian Calendar, and is known as Old Year’s Day or St. Sylvester’s Day. You may remember reading that Emperor Constantine was considered the first “Christian” Roman Emperor. St. Sylvester is responsible for Constantine’s conversion in the 4th century.
By Bill Petro11 months ago in FYI
History of Auld Lang Syne
Why do we sing “Auld Lang Syne” each New Year’s Eve, but do we know what it means? The song contains words from a language that few are familiar with, in a syntax that is confusing to most, and is from a poem about friends recalling adventures they had long ago but had nothing to do with New Year’s Eve.
By Bill Petro11 months ago in FYI
Is Die Hard Really A Christmas Movie?
Scholars and historians have debated for centuries the question “Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?” Or at least during the last three decades since the movie was released. This is why readers have turned to me, your friendly neighborhood historian, to wrestle with this age-old question and help them resolve this dilemma.
By Bill Petroabout a year ago in FYI