Smithsonian Institution

Bah humbug. During the Great Depression, the Pinero family sprinkled a little dark humor into their season’s greetings. Recycling a brown paper bag in 1933, they illustrated themselves in front of a pile of bills with the cheeky message: "Oh, well—in spite of it all—here's a Merry Christmas from the Pineros." In 1933, many people struggled to make ends meet as one in four American workers were unemployed. Though President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched New Deal programs that year, their effects would not be felt by some struggling families until later in the decade. The Pineros continued to poke fun at their circumstances on the back of the card with a witty poem. "In days gone by when we were broke We hated to reveal it. In fact our pride demanded that We struggle to conceal it. But now at last we’re right in style And need not fear confession. We shrug and smile and say 'Oh, well It’s merely this depression.' And so this card which once we'd scorn Now seems within all reason. It’s cheap—and yet it brings to you Best wishes of the season!" The family mailed this card, now in the collection of our Smithsonian National Museum of American History, to friends in Massachusetts, using a one-and-a-half-cent stamp.

Did you know the Christmas gnome has its roots in Scandinavian folklore? In Sweden, the Tomte, a character often donning a gray robe and red hat, is associated with the winter solstice and serves as a guardian of the home and farm. It is said that the Tomte embodies good spirit and goodwill, bestowing gifts to those who honor them during the dark season. Fun fact: The Tomte don’t like to be seen! Much like the gnomes in Smithsonian Gardens Mary Livingston Ripley Garden who take their form from beautiful evergreens, the Tomte likes to blend into its surroundings. What folklore traditions do you incorporate into your holiday celebrations?

Pandas are pickier than you might expect about which bamboo (and parts of bamboo) they chomp each day at our Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. #DCPandas

Think two-day delivery is mind-blowing? You could technically mail *your children* in the early days of the U.S. parcel post service in the 1910s. Mr. and Mrs. Beauge of Ohio were the first parents to mail their child when they paid 15 cents in stamps, plus $50 in insurance, to send their nearly 11-pound baby to his grandmother’s home about a mile away in 1913. Unlike the scene that’s illustrated in this staged photo from our National Postal Museum, children traveled with trusted postal workers, not in mailbags. The U.S. Postmaster General soon barred the practice of mailing all humans, and the last children were “delivered” in 1915. Hear more about parents sending their children in the mail through our podcast Sidedoor. 🎧: https://s.si.edu/3BndD8p

Do you recognize this seasonal object from our Smithsonian National Museum of American History collection?

We promise you know who this man is—keep reading! 🎶 ❄️ Composer and songwriter Irving Berlin wrote a large chunk of what is now known as the “Great American Songbook,” including the hits “God Bless America,” “White Christmas,” “Happy Holiday,” and “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” Born in a Jewish enclave in present-day Belarus, Berlin and his family were some of the thousands of immigrants who arrived in New York City in 1893. Years later, as a young adult, he began his writing career. He eventually amassed a catalogue of over 1,500 songs including scores for 20 stage productions and 15 movie musicals. Among his many accomplishments, Berlin won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1943 for “White Christmas,” the Tony Award for Best Score in 1951, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1968. Berlin lived a long life with his wife of 63 years, author Ellin Mackay, and their children before passing away at 101 years old. This portrait from our National Portrait Gallery was taken at Pach Brothers Studio in 1907 when Berlin was 19. What’s your favorite song by Irving Berlin?

When the Smithsonian was founded, there was no good way to predict the weather. Our first Secretary was quick to change that. https://s.si.edu/4izStVe

MORDOR 🔥💍 Just kidding, this is a volcano in Mexico. In 1943, the Parícutin volcano emerged out of a cornfield in Mexico and skyrocketed to a height of more than 150 meters within the first week of its appearance. Active until 1952, the volcano’s ash fall and lava flow displaced thousands of people in surrounding communities. Volcanologists, including Smithsonian geologist William Foshag, flocked to the area. The emergence of the Parícutin marked the first time that scientists were able to fully document the entire life cycle of a volcano. Swipe to see a photo of the site (in the collection of our Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA)) by Foshag, who spent more than two years studying the volcano's growth. Did you know the Smithsonian continues to archive, research, and report on Earth’s active volcanoes? Relying on an international network of individuals and organizations, our Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's Global Volcanism Program monitors and shares volcanic activity around the world. Explore the database and, please, do report any Sauron sightings. 👀 https://volcano.si.edu/

Today, we remember the great Haitian guitarist and composer Frantz Casséus, born on this day in 1915. Raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Casséus spent most of his adult life in the United States, where he set out to create a distinctly Haitian classical guitar music by blending Haitian folk traditions with European classical styles. He recorded two albums on Folkways Records: 'Haitian Folk Songs' (1953) with vocalist Lolita Cuevas and his solo guitar collection 'Haitian Dances' (1954). His final album, 'Haitiana,' made in the late 1960s with soprano Barbara Perlow, was originally released on Afro-Carib Records and is now available on Smithsonian Folkways. Casséus’ brilliant body of work remains unparalleled in its lyrical beauty. You can listen on our website and read more about Casséus in the album liner notes: s.si.edu/4grztqc

Our first international traveling exhibition, "In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World," is now open! "In Slavery's Wake" reckons with the impact of slavery and colonialism on present-day societies around the world and explores the often-overlooked efforts of the enslaved to force the end of slavery with legal emancipation and abolition. It provides a wellspring for descendants to draw upon to help create a better world for themselves and their communities through art, storytelling, music, protest, and communal healing. You can view it on the concourse level of our museum's Bank of America Special Exhibitions Gallery until June 8, 2025. The exhibition will travel internationally thereafter. #InSlaverysWake Get passes to explore today: https://s.si.edu/3VHimJo 📸 Mignonette Dooley Johnson/NMAAHC