April 7, 2013 is the 80th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition’s first phase. Finally, beer and a low alcohol version of wine became legal. Upon signing the first phase into law, President Franklin Roosevelt famously said, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” The final repeal of prohibition occurred on [...]
TWS Blogs
More than a few historians believe that Saint Valentine’s Day has pagan origins, namely the Lupercalia, an ancient Roman celebration of fertility and purification. In the ancient world, Immaculate Conception was a foreign concept (a concept any of your catholic friends would be happy to explain.) When the Romans celebrated fertility, they did “it” with [...]
In 16th century England, people typically drank eight pints of beer a day. A gallon per day back then was not as overly intoxicating as you might think because it contained only about 2% alcohol. By adding hops they could brew the beer longer and at least double the alcohol. The addition of hops came [...]
In ancient societies, it was the job of the King to serve as an advocate for their subjects (ie. the regular humans) with the gods who controlled the forces of nature. Essentially, it was the King’s job to ensure that crops were bountiful and also to manage the generated wealth for the benefit of that [...]
Thanksgiving is unique among American holidays. Unlike any other holiday, it weaves together our whole nation on that special day with a tradition of giving thanks for blessings we might otherwise overlook. We all come together to be a part of a group on that day. Somehow we all know that, on that day, no [...]
“Monday’s child is fair of face, Tuesday’s child is full of grace, Wednesday’s child is full of woe, Thursday’s child has far to go, Friday’s child is loving and giving, Saturday’s child works hard for a living, but the child that is born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe and good and gay.” [...]
The sea battle of Trafalgar 200 years ago was a pivotal point in world history. It prevented Napoleon from winning a decisive victory over England and confirmed British naval supremacy for the next 150 years. In those days, the Emperor Napoleon was trying to conquer as much of the civilized world as possible either for [...]
Stock car racing has grown to be the second most popular professional televised sport in the U.S. Only NFL football has higher T.V. ratings. Its fans are considered the most brand-loyal in all of sports. As a result, Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other sport. NASCAR is an acronym for the National [...]
Upon visiting the catacombs of St. Callistus in Rome, one sees the substitution of fish for wine in scenes depicting the last supper. How did fish come to substitute for communion wine in these early artifacts? Before Christianity became the state religion of Rome, they were considered (by the pagans) to be a radical fringe [...]
Tie two pieces together and the two pieces become one. Perhaps this is why the term “tying the knot” has become a popular metaphor for marriage across many cultures. It’s a lovely and romantic notion that two people in love can become one entity. Ancient Celts even practiced a tradition known as “handfasting”, which was [...]
