…Heroes of the Faith (Online Resources) FAMOUS BOOKS ABOUT SAINTS AND MARTYRS 1. Butler’s Lives of Saints: One of the most famous and comprehensive records of the lives of saints as recorded by Alban Butler (1710-1773), a Roman Catholic priest. Lives of the saints are recorded by each day of the calendar year. 2. Baring-Gould’s Lives of Saints (16 volume): Arguably the Read more . . …. Read more . . .

…Uncle Sam Tradition holds that the name “Uncle Sam” is connected to a real person by the name of Sam Wilson. Born in Arlington, Massachusetts, in 1768, most of Sam’s childhood would have been during the Revolutionary War. Around 1789, Sam moved to Troy and became a prominent business Read more . . …. Read more . . .

…History of the Advent Wreath Though there is evidence to suggest that Christians in the Middle Ages may have used lighted wreaths as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas, the first clear association with Advent is generally attributed to German Lutherans in the 16th century. Read more . . …. Read more . . .

…Journey Through the Nativity Study I am always looking for ways to make the Advent season more meaningful, and I am thrilled to share this family Advent study with you. It is called “Journey Through the Nativity.” The study takes you through 20 elements of the traditional Nativity scene (people, animals, Read more . . …. Read more . . .

…Halloween History Many sources mistakenly claim that Halloween has its origin in a pagan celebration called Samhain (pronounced sow-in). Though pagan ideas and various superstitions have certainly made their way into Halloween celebrations, the origin of the holiday is distinctly Christian. History of Halloween The name Read more . . …. Read more . . .

…Candy Canes The following text is drawn from our featured Christmas book and is also available for free as audio. Also, as a teaching tool, you can download our handout on the symbolism of candy canes. The traditional Christmas candy cane is white with red stripes and flavored with Read more . . …. Read more . . .

…Liberty Bell Most people have grown up believing that immediately following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, news of freedom was proclaimed by the ringing of the Liberty Bell in the steeple of the Philadelphia State House. This legend has been traced back to a 1847 Read more . . …. Read more . . .

…Bald Eagle The Bald Eagle became a national emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, the day the design was chosen for the Great Seal of our country. The magnificent creature can now be found with outstretched wings on coins, bills, and stamps. Eagles have long been a symbol of Read more . . …. Read more . . .

…‘Twas the Night Before Christmas A Visit from St. Nicholas Author: Clement Clarke Moore, 1779-1863 or Henry Livingston, Jr., 1748-1828 Genre: Classic Poem, 19th Century Reading Time (for story text): approx. 4 minutes Audio Recording: This audio is part of the Christmas Short Works Collection 2007 on Librivox. To download this audio from Librivox, click right on the link: Read more . . …. Read more . . .