latest
CHRISTMAS DÉCOR The holidays are a colourful, delicious, and busy time of year. From holiday feasts to stockings hung with care and presents under the tree, Christmas is all about celebration, spending time with friends and family, and eating way too much shortbread. Part of what makes the holidays so festive are the decorations and lighting that adorn our homes and businesses throughout the holiday season. But why do we decorate for the holiday season? Just where exactly did these traditions begin? Read on to find out!
Read moreGOOD HOUSEKEEPING - Nothing gets us more into the Christmas spirit than Christmas music. Listening to songs about decking the halls and jingling bells put an extra pep in our step. Whether you’re someone who listens to Christmas music the minute Halloween ends or likes to wait until Thanksgiving has passed, there’s no denying that the best way to enjoy these festive tunes is by playing a mix of old-school classics with modern Christmas songs to create the perfect playlist.
Read more
Many years ago, near the height of the Cold War, Col. Harry W. Shoup, the new chief of the combat operations center of the Continental Air Defense Command, or Conad, unwittingly started a Christmas tradition that continues to this day.
Read more
TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma’s history is incredibly unique, and that doesn’t change around Christmas time.
Read moreWESTERN AMERICANA - Nothing can be lonelier than being away from family and friends during the Christmas season. This was especially true of those who left the sanctuary of their eastern homes to settle in the remote territory of Oklahoma in the nineteenth century. Like many of the people who immigrated to the American West, pioneers who settled in Oklahoma and Indian Territory (Twin Territories) brought with them cultural traditions long practiced in the communities they left behind. But, the frontier environment often altered many of the ways in which pioneers observed the holidays. In their new communities, families came together to celebrate their first Christmases by sharing traditions and inventing new practices, which created many of the Christmas customs we enjoy in Oklahoma today.
Read moreOn Christmas Eve, 1975, my twin sister and I, along with one of my younger brothers, accompanied my father to help him feed his cattle. The cattle were kept on the “old home place,” land owned in common with grandmother and my father’s sister.
Read more
As the holiday season approaches, there’s an ironic sense of dread that hangs in the air. For Christians and non-Christians alike, Christmas has long been characterized by relentless commercialism and stress. The endless shopping lists and the pressure to find the “perfect” gift — ideally, as part of the equally perfect Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal — are largely to blame for this.
Read moreWhile the holiday season brings joy and celebration for many, it can also present significant challenges for Oklahomans. Stress, isolation, and seasonal depression, often referred to as the “holiday blues,” can intensify as individuals navigate financial pressures, family expectations, and disrupted routines. Unlike clinical depression, which can be long-lasting, the holiday blues are temporary and often subside once the season ends. However, their emotional impact can still be profound, manifesting as sadness, fatigue, tension, and hopelessness. Many individuals suffer in silence, unaware that help is just a call or text away.
Read more