Library of Congress

I have to start our new guide training in January, so as a review to myself, I"ll be covering some important places we will be visiting on this training.

Since I met someone who works at the LoC yesterday, I figured I should begin with this, my favourite building in DC. The LoC is actually three buildings but the only one worth visiting is the Jefferson. And when anyone says LoC they mean Jefferson anyways.

The LoC outdates this building.The Library of Congress started out as just that, the Library. Of Congress. When John Adams signed into law that DC was the Capitol, he also appropriated $5000 for books that Congress might need. Then 14 years later, the British popped by and burnt down our Capitol and with it the books.

Conveniently, Thomas Jefferson was broke and in possession of a lot of books. A library comprised of books that Congress needs should not have books on sheepkeeping and a Arabic translations of Euclids Geometery, but being the shifty person we all know him to be Jefferson convinced everyone that there may not be a subject that Congress at some time will not need to consult. So he sold his collection of $6,497 books for about $23,000. What amounts in today's money as about $30 a book.

Of course there was then another fire... they really need to fire proof the Library by now.

Each time the LoC needed more books, it had to ask Congress.

St. Nick's Night!

Growing up, my family was the only family I knew who did this. I always just shrugged it off ... 'it's a German thing' but apparently, it's quite popular, except in America.

I tried to justify it to my friends. There is no way that Santa could send his elves to every child's house on Christmas Eve, grab the list, make the toys and deliver them that same night! So my sister and I gave him a heads up a few weeks before, on Dec 5th and left our letters in our stockings. The next morning, the letters were gone and a few small gifts and candies remained.

While I may be 27, I still celebrate this and will have my stocking out tonight. My mom fully versed Manny in how to fill my stocking (with Santa's help of course)

St. Nick is the pre-Coca Cola Santa Claus. The actual person who inspired the jolly red giant-bellied man. In the 300s CE, Nikolas of Myra was a Greek Orthodox Bishop who was said to leave little gold coins in the shoes that had been left out. He also apparently ressurected people from the dead and increase the wheat supply, but I'll stick with gift-giving.

St. Nikolas became Sinterklauss in Dutch which became Santa Claus in the States. (and randomly Father Christmas in the UK, which sound nothing like St. Nick!)

There are different traditions all over the world for St. Nick's Night ... though apparently my family is the only ones that call is St. Nick's Night as it is technically St. Nick's Day on his feast day December 6th. But since Santa's elves come that night - that is the more exciting part for a 5 year old. Our North Carolinian tradition is stockings, but I've met people who leave out shoes and get oranges or money.

Kelsey lived in Lieden, Netherlands for a while and we spent Christmas holidays in the area. While they have Sinterklauss, the more alarming feature of their celebration are the Black Petes. ( Zwarte Pieten ) Apparently, Kels says the Dutch claim they are chimney sweeps which is why they are covered in black soot; though she points out they are just being PC, the tradition started because they were slaves. Zwarte Pieten steal bad children and send the Spain (I'd be okay with that) or today, pelt passerbys with hard candy.

As a historian, I favor celebrating a great man of a real historical nature who probably did leave little gifts for those in need. Probably didn't resurrect the dead, but at least we aren't saying he flew through the skies with magical reindeer. So Coca-Cola can have their Santa Claus, I want my St. Nick... until Christmas when I fully except to have gifts from "Santa" :)

The Most Photographed Thing in Washington, DC:

Squirrels.

I'm not kidding. Ask any tour guide. We lose time to members stopping to take pictures of the furry little things, sometimes we just lose the group altogether.

For residents of countries with no squirrels, I'll let it slide. For those from Georgia, you have them.

So what makes DC squirrels so spectactular?

First of all, we have a multi-ethnic squirrel populations: black, white and grey.

Ours are also not camera-shy and about 10 lbs. heavier than regular squirrels. These are tourist squirrels. I have see one, no lie, run up to a concession cart, steal a bag of peanut M&Ms and run away. How did he know they were peanuts?!

A Secret Service guard at the White House has trained a squirrel to climb his arm to snatch a treat off his shoulder. 'Cause they shouldn't be guarding the White House or anything like that.

They seem a little like pets, don't they? Well, in a way they are. East Coast grey squrriels are native to the area, but much like myself, residents had a penchant for wild game and most were hunted away. But what is a summer afternoon in a park without some squirrels. So we bought some. Our new little pets were released on the Mall, Capitol grounds and Lafayette Park in the early 1900s. We built them houses and water receptacles. I have yet to see a picture of the latter but I hope it looks like a hamster's water bottle.

Like any pet, we worried for their safety. Once realising that the large number of stray cats were wreaking havoc on our furry friends, in 1912, a public commission to establish a "cat police" was set up - but never formally organised.

We must feed our pets. In 1929, and who knows what other years, 2000lbs of peanuts were purchased and "distributed" throughout the Parks.

Our neighbours do not always enjoy our pets. In the 1950s under Eisenhower, a few of the Lafayette Park squirrels made their way into the White House garden, particularly where the putting green is. Commence "Operation Squirrel" - their name, not mine - to remove the intruders. So loud were the outcries from squirrel supporters that Operation Squirrel was cancelled after a few days.

Black Squirrels are no different from grey ones, except ... they are black. It may have taken mankind a while to realise this, but to squirrels it doesn't matter. Two grey squirrels can have a black squirrel - recessive gene, that's all. Despite this, there are myths that the National Zoo lost 18 Canadian black squirrels back in 1902 to start the uprising. It may have been that black squirrels were the norm in the States when the settlers moved here, because their darker colour blended well with the underbrush of the forest. People clear the land, black squirrels got eaten. In short, settlers came to a country where the native population (of squirrels) were of colour, and through the settlers efforts the black (squirrels) were displaced by the lighter colored (squirrels). Interesting. History, told through (squirrels).

 Many places throughout the States claim to be special because of their black squirrel population - Alabama being one of them, I find that ironic.

We also have white squirrels here, though officially we do not have a colony. Because the White Squirrel Institute in Brevard, NC (who else would have a White Squirrel Institute?) says we don't. Or rather, doesn't say we do. Perhaps ours are albino?

So that is the history of our squirrels. Love them or hate them, we have an over-abundance. The largest concentration of squirrels ever recorded - in history - in any one location - ever - is Lafayette Park, right in front of the White House.... well, there are a lot of nuts around there!

In the Spirit of the Holidays...

Thursday was the lighting of the National Christmas tree. Presided over by Kermit the Frog and Carson Daly, among others.

There are a lot of Christmas trees in DC - the One City Tree at City Hall, the Capitol Christmas tree, the one in my living room - but only one National Christmas tree that sells out lottery tickets to watch the event, I'm sorry, to get a chance to maybe watch the event, in a matter of hours.

In Feb 2011, the Christmas tree was felled but a blustery day. It had been planted in 1978. Not only are our Christmas trees real, they are actual, real life, planted trees. In March, they replanted another Colorado Blue Spruce. But how/why did this all get started?

Why is anything "holiday" related started? Corporations. General Electric, in this case, wanted more people to use Christmas Lights and thus electricity during the holiday season. It was all arranged by an employee of GE. School children were gathered to sing carols while accompanied by the Marine Band. President Calvin Coolidge would flip the switch himself, to add prestige to the event. A 48' tall tree was donated by Middlebury College in Vermont with patriotic lights of red, white and blue and the annual tradition has been held since. Though some things have changed.

The first ceremony was religious, back then you were allowed to have faith in public. There was a Christian mass and service and a large cross was illuminated on the White House while shepards walked to the tree. Now, we pop stars sing instead. For some years, it was the tree that sang! Speakers were hidden in the branches and carols were played from 6pm-10pm until NYE.

At first the tree was placed in Sherman Park, then Lafayette Park, Ellipse, South Lawn of the White House, and back to remain to this day at the Ellipse. For those of you not familiar with DC, these are all places that surround the White House.

It alternated homes and types of trees: Balsam Firs, Blue Spruces, trees that had been replanted and some that stood just for one year.

It was 1954 that gave it the permanent location but also the new name: Christmas Pageant of Peace.  Christmas may have it's origins (somewhat) in Christiniaty, but this is a secular event to celebration the peace of the District and countries community in way that many persons, regardless of faith, recognise as a way to celebrate the "holiday season" - a massive tree with a big star on top.

During WWII, the tree was lit a few weeks after Pearl Harbour in December 1941 and not again until 1945. A time when the country could have really used a Pageant of Peace, there was none to be found. It was not lit for economical reasons - save power, resources - but also security - would definitely help the Nazi's located FDR. There were still trees, still decorations (these years made by local school children to honor the fallen) but no lights.

The Hargrove Company has been in charge of decorating the tree since 1954, when Eric Hargrove first began the tradition. This was prior to what we all recognise now as a string of lights, back then, each was manually installed. And when they broke? Well, Santa (or Hargrove in a Santa suit, whichever you choose to believe) would climb up to fix them!

Today we have our 26 foot fall Colorado Blue Spruce, lit with LED lights designed by GE, at the end of the Pathway of Peace. A walkway lined with smaller trees to represent the other states and terrorities with daily performances of music.

I'm sure it's lovely, but I do prefer my own little Christmas tree, myself.