Dakota Datebook

Dec 23, 2024 | wahpetondailynews.com | Dakota Datebook

Christmas Eve in 1935 was memorable because, for some, one of the state’s worst blizzards turned the holiday into a tragedy. The storm began in the northwest corner of the state and soon stretched east, to the New England states, and south to Ohio. By the time it blew itself out, nearly 200 people in 28 states died, either from direct exposure or from storm-related traffic accidents.

Dec 17, 2024 | wahpetondailynews.com | Sarah Walker |Dakota Datebook

The nature of the Christmas gift has changed over time. In the 19th Century novel "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge's clerk Bob Cratchit only wanted some extra coal and food for his family. Another famous story of Christmas gifts first appeared in December 1905, written by William Sidney Porter, better known as O. Henry. In "The Gift of the Magi" a young woman, Della, cuts and sells her long hair to purchase a Christmas gift for her husband, Jim – a chain for his pocket watch.