Visitors to the inaugural Christmas at Cantigny celebration will be in for a special holiday treat, including McCormick House walk-throughs, ice skating, and dazzling light installations. The festive fun will begin December 1. The newly-renovated McCormick House in Wheaton will be open to the public for the first time since...
Cantigny Park presents something familiar, but new for the holidays, an adaptation of A Christmas Carol, performed as a 1940s radio play in front of a live audience. Tickets ($2) are on sale at Cantigny.org for two performances: Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 11...
By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead It feels as if government Grinches, corporate Scrooges, and cancel culture humbugs, have been working overtime to drain every last drop of joy, kindness, and liberty from the world. After endless months of gloom and doom, it can be hard to feel the...
The season of Christmas arrives once again. Just as it always has. Just as it always will. Many centuries ago, the Germany people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-Winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden because they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his...
Christmas arrived once again and with it, just like a recurring case of diarrhea, the gift-giving season. Yes, it was the time to give gifts to loving family members and valued friends, the majority of which were things they’ll never use and will end up at Goodwill where someone else...
In celebration of Christmas and Hanukkah, I’m presenting the tale of this heartwarming event from my past, the days when I was a musician, traveling throughout the Midwest as part of a troupe of magicians and clowns presenting 90-minute Christmas magic shows twice daily to benefit charitable organizations. I was...
The United Methodist Church of Plano, 219 N. Hale Street in Plano, will have the following events in December: • Hat & Mitten Tree Donations, Sunday, Nov. 21 – Sunday, Dec. 12; • Cookie Walk, Saturday, Dec. 11, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., downstairs kitchen, enter door to education building...
December 21, 2020Dear editor; Speaking of Christmas, who is? It is not the media as a limited fact. Christmas has been hijacked, replaced, by happy holidays. Why? Christmas is not spelled in the plural. It is one day to honor the birth of Jesus Christ. The actual date is still...
The tradition of a White House Christmas tree in Washington, D.C. was started by Benjamin Harrison in 1889. Theodore Roosevelt banned Christmas trees from the house because he believed that chopping down healthy evergreens for the holiday was at adds with his commitment to conservation. Of course, that didn’t stop...
Because this is my close-to-Christmas column, each year I endeavor to squeeze out something Christmas-related. Someone online told of a most memorable Christmas. I couldn’t think of any, except for those where girl friends dumped me. Other than those holiday dumpster specials, I’d have to say my most memorable Christmas...
The community and visitors look forward to Geneva festivals each year. Knowing that our first thought, during these uncertain times, is the health and safety of those who may attend a festival, the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Geneva of Commerce Board has made the difficult decision to cancel the...
December 23, 2019Dear editor; Here is the debate on Christmas Holy Day vs. holiday proceeds, we need to analyze the benefits derived from it that all share. If the Pope were to mandate a change in the recognition of the birth of Jesus Christ to September based on new evidence...
Editor’s note: A Christmas greeting recalls the past: During this wonderful time of year, we spend many hours reminiscing about our early schooling, with Cathy attending classes in a newer brick building, while I attended classes in a two-story wooden structure. The ground floor was for first and second grades...
By John W. Whitehead “A very Merry ChristmasAnd a happy new yearLet’s hope it’s a good oneWithout any fear.War is over, if you want itWar is over now.”—John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) What a year. It feels as if government Grinches and corporate Scrooges have...
Are you getting into the holiday spirit? One of the merriest of our events at the Aurora Public Library, our West Branch Holiday Open House, will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8. There will be refreshments, crafts, music, and a special visit from Santa! This event...
