1 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: You're listening to part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 2: Guess what, Mary? 4 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 3: What's that? Gabe? 5 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 2: Did you know? The kids didn't get Christmas presents until 6 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: the eighteen hundreds. Before then, and we're talking specifically England here, 7 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 2: Christmas was more of an adult holiday where wealthy patrons 8 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 2: gave servants gifts to celebrate the end of the harvest, 9 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 2: which workers celebrated with raucous parties. But by the early 10 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 2: nineteenth century, as more people moved into factory jobs, the 11 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 2: wild celebrations came to an end and Christmas became more 12 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 2: of a family celebration. And of course families often have children, 13 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 2: so the gifts went to them. 14 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 3: So it was basically like all crazy office parties before 15 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 3: this if your office was a farm, I guess. And 16 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 3: then it just became a much teamer and sweeter holiday 17 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 3: like the one we know now. 18 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you can actually see this change happening in advertisements. 19 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 2: A historian named Joseph Wachelder discovered this while searching winter 20 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: issues of a London daily newspaper in eighteen hundred and 21 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 2: eighteen oh one. There was not a single ad for 22 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 2: children's presence, but by eighteen sixteen there were dozens. 23 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 3: Okay, so what kind of toys were popular back then? 24 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 2: Actually a few things that sound pretty fun. Chemistry sets, kaleidoscopes, 25 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 2: little toy theaters, and something called a quote genealogical and 26 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 2: chronological Game of England, which, if I'm going to be honest, 27 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: seems more like a homework assignment than a game. 28 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 3: But you know, feels like Shoots and Ladders meets Cold 29 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 3: Case Files. And now that I'm saying that out loud, 30 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 3: it sounds awesome, right. 31 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, too bad you can't buy it anymore, but 32 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 2: you can, of course buy lots of other things, toys included. 33 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 2: And with the holiday shopping season kicking off, we're going 34 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 2: to explore this very specific intersection between festivity and commerce. 35 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 2: It's a story with deep roots going all the way 36 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 2: back to ancient Rome, through medieval Germany, and even up 37 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 2: to modern day Philadelphia. So let's dive in. Hey there, 38 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 2: podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Gabe bluesy A, 39 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: and I'm here with Mary, Philip, Sandy Will and Mango 40 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 2: couldn't be with us today because they got lost at 41 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 2: the mall and over there in the booth dressed like 42 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 2: the Christmas tree from a Charlie Brown Christmas. That's our 43 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 2: friend and producer, Dylan Fagan. Way to get into the 44 00:02:57,639 --> 00:02:58,959 Speaker 2: holiday spirit there, Dylan. 45 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, I like how statuesque Dylan looks right like 46 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 3: he's just kind of leaning over with a single ornament 47 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 3: holding a few bunches of pine needles. It's very impressive, 48 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 3: you know, I almost feel like he belongs in a 49 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 3: department store window. 50 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. 51 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 2: And actually, if anyone from Macy's happens to be listening, 52 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 2: we'd be happy to rent you, Dylan for the holiday season, 53 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 2: just you know, get in touch. 54 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, what five hundred dollars a day? 55 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 2: That seems fair well. 56 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 3: Speaking of which, let's talk about holiday window displays. Now, 57 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 3: I did not know this before, but the holiday window 58 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 3: display is an all American creation that dates back to 59 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 3: the eighteen seventies. Window shopping itself had been a thing 60 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 3: for a while, and you know, it hadn't occurred to 61 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 3: me that there was a time when window shopping was 62 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 3: not a thing. But it was. And it's all because 63 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 3: of the inventions of plate glass and gas powered lamps. 64 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 3: So plate glass meant that shop owners could have these 65 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 3: huge windows that went the entire length of their store, 66 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 3: so they had a ton of space to show off 67 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 3: their goods, and the gas lighting made it all visible 68 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 3: even at night. So in late nineteenth century New York 69 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 3: window shopping was pretty competitive. Eye catching displays were a must, 70 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 3: and in eighteen seventy four Macy's, which back then just 71 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 3: had the one location in Manhattan, they claimed to have 72 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 3: introduced the holiday specific window display to entice those winter shoppers. 73 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 2: Do we know what this first display was. 74 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 3: Gabe, of course we do. 75 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: Nice. 76 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 3: One window had a collection of dolls from Europe. Nice. 77 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 3: Another one recreated scenes from Uncle Tom's cabin. Okay, yeah, 78 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 3: I don't know how that was Christmas related, but apparently 79 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 3: it was. And other department stores followed suit, and they 80 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 3: actually kept adding to this idea with high tech extras 81 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 3: like Santa cruising along in a steam powered sleigh, which 82 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,480 Speaker 3: sounds kind of amazing. But one of my favorite innovations 83 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 3: came from Lord and Taylor. In nineteen thirty eight. It 84 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 3: was an unseasonably warm November in New York and the 85 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 3: Lord and Taylor folks they wanted to get people into 86 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 3: the holiday spirit, so they emptied out the storefront windows 87 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 3: of merchandise, frosted the glass and blue bleached white cornflakes 88 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 3: so it looked like a blizzard. Love it, and they 89 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 3: piped the sound of howling winds out through speakers. I 90 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 3: love this so much because it's so creative, but also 91 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 3: it was the first time that merchandise wasn't featured in 92 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 3: a window. It was just about creating a mood in 93 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 3: order to increase sales. Well. 94 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 2: Another thing that department stores deserve credit for is the 95 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 2: man himself, Santa Claus. The Santa we know today is 96 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 2: a mashup of Nordic folklore about a man who punished 97 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 2: naughty kids and rewarded nice ones, plus Nicholas of Myra, 98 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 2: a saint non for being generous. As for the red 99 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 2: suit and beard, we have the eighteen twenty three poem 100 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 2: Twas the Night before Christmas to thank for that. Clement 101 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 2: Moore's poem described Santa as a quote jolly old elf 102 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 2: with a round belly, twinkling eyes and dimples, and that 103 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 2: image has stuck all this time, so, perhaps unsurprisingly, it's 104 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 2: not too long after that poem that Santa started showing 105 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 2: up during the shopping season. A lot of stores have 106 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 2: claimed to have the first live Santa. But one of 107 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 2: the earliest was from eighteen forty one at a dry 108 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 2: goods store in Philadelphia, and within five years there were 109 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 2: at least three other stores in Philly with their own 110 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: Saint Nick's. 111 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 3: I did not realize that Santa was in Philadelphia stores 112 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 3: before New York. I just always associate him with Mazie's 113 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 3: right from Miracle on thirty fourth Street, which we watch 114 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 3: every year at Christmas. 115 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, of course, as you should. And you know that 116 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 2: movie really solidified the connection between Santa and the Christmas 117 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 2: shopping season. But not every department store Santa was up 118 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 2: to snuff in those days. Many wore suits and beards 119 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 2: that were frayed and ill fitting. Others returned from their 120 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 2: breaks wreaking of cigarettes or alcohol, and some were incredibly 121 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 2: rude to the children who came to see them. And 122 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: that sort of behavior didn't sit right with a man 123 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 2: named Charles Howard. He was a farmer by trade, but 124 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 2: his true passion was his yearly role as a department 125 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 2: store Santa. Charles believed that kids deserved a better class 126 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: of Santa, so with his wife's blessing, he converted their 127 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 2: farmhouse near Rochester, New York into the world's first Santa 128 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 2: Claus training school. His first crop of students in nineteen 129 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 2: thirty seven consisted of just three hopeful Santas, but enrollments 130 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 2: steadily grew over time, and so did Charles's reputation as 131 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 2: a top tier Santa. For example, he actually served as 132 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 2: a Santa consultant during the filming of Miracle on thirty 133 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,239 Speaker 2: Fourth Street, and in nineteen forty eight he was called 134 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 2: up to the big leagues to appear as Santa in 135 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 2: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That was and still is 136 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: the most high profile Santa gig in the country, and 137 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 2: it's one that Charles Howard proudly filled all the way 138 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 2: until nineteen sixty five, and even though he died a 139 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 2: year later, his name lives on The Charles W. Howard 140 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 2: Santa Claus School moved from New York to Michigan in 141 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 2: the nineteen eighties, and according to its website, they still 142 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 2: teach about three hundred aspiring Santas each year. The intensive 143 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 2: three day curriculum includes a crash course in Santa history 144 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 2: and tradition, as well as public relations and child SiGe ecology. 145 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 2: Hands on tutorial for maintaining a Santa suit and applying 146 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 2: the makeup, and even instruction on how to care for reindeer, 147 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 2: just in case a kid should ever ask. 148 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, you're never going to be a great Scanta if 149 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 3: you don't have your LinkedIn all polished up. Okay, Well, 150 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 3: so looking beyond the United States for a moment. Another 151 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 3: legendary holiday shopping tradition is the German Christmas market. If 152 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 3: you've ever seen a photo, you will know. They feature 153 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 3: twinkly lights, hand carved ornaments, these big hot mugs of 154 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,959 Speaker 3: mould wine. It's cozy, it's fun, but they do have 155 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 3: a dark side as well. So German holiday markets date 156 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 3: back to the fifteenth century. The oldest one that's still 157 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 3: around today is in Dresden. It started in fourteen thirty four, 158 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 3: which is just incredible to think about that it's been 159 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 3: going that long. Series and over the centuries, these markets 160 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 3: spread all across Europe and they grew in size. But 161 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 3: as the nineteenth century rolled along, the markets began facing 162 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 3: competition from department stores, which sold mass produced toys and 163 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 3: other Christmas items at much lower prices. The department stores 164 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:04,959 Speaker 3: actually forced a lot of markets out to the city 165 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 3: outskirts in the suburbs, and by the nineteen thirties, these 166 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 3: traditional markets were in severe decline. 167 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 2: And you said, this is Germany in the nineteen thirties, right, 168 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 2: So I imagine this is when the dark part comes in. 169 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's when it gets dark. When 170 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 3: the Nazis seized power, they were fixated on this idea 171 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 3: of German greatness, and they wanted to change Christmas from 172 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:29,319 Speaker 3: a religious holiday to one that just celebrated German heritage 173 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 3: as not Geo writes quote. When Adolf Hitler became Chancellor 174 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 3: in nineteen thirty three, his newly empowered political party wasted 175 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 3: no time in transforming Christmas from a religious holiday devoted 176 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 3: to peace on Earth to a nationalist one that extolled 177 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 3: German heritage. Party officials inserted Nazi imagery into Nativity scenes, 178 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 3: filled advent calendars with party propaganda, and even rewrote Christmas 179 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 3: carols like Silent Night to de emphasize its Christian connotations. 180 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 3: So basically, reviving the Christmas market to showcase craftsmanship and 181 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 3: German tradition was a way to accomplish these goals. So 182 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 3: the Nazis moved to the Christmas markets from the suburbs 183 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 3: back to the city centers like to the heart of Berlin, 184 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 3: and they set really strict rules on what could be sold. 185 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 3: Everything had to be holiday related and German made, including ornaments, 186 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,679 Speaker 3: gingerbread and toys. The stalls were also allowed to sell 187 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 3: very German things like brought worst and nothing like a 188 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 3: brought worst at Christmas? Am I right? And of course 189 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:31,959 Speaker 3: because these were such popular gathering places, it was a 190 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,839 Speaker 3: convenient place to feature speeches from Nazi leaders like Joseph Gerbels. 191 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 3: So the holiday market slowed down during World War Two, 192 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 3: but after the war, as European economies rebounded, the markets 193 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 3: did too, and while they kept the spirit of community 194 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 3: and Christmas, they got rid of that Nazi veneer that 195 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 3: had been tacked on. And today there are over three 196 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 3: thousand of them in Germany. And what's really great is 197 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 3: that people of German descent have brought these markets to 198 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 3: places all over the world, and so despite that dark 199 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 3: time in their past, they're really and they're a great 200 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 3: way to support independent businesses, artists and crafts people. 201 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 2: Which of course is you know, a great thing to 202 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: do during the holidays and at any time. Really, but 203 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 2: all right, we have to take a quick break. But 204 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 2: when we come back ancient Roman traditions and the origins 205 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 2: of the slinky, the walking spring toy that almost wasn't 206 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 2: welcome back to part time genius. Okay, Mary, question for you? 207 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 2: Are you a last minute shopper or do you make 208 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 2: a list, check it twice, and get everything taken care 209 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 2: of long before mid December. 210 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,040 Speaker 3: I don't think I've ever purchased a Christmas gift before 211 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 3: December fifteenth, That, ever. 212 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 2: Is shocking to meet. 213 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 3: Wow. Yeah, well, part of it is that my mom's 214 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 3: birthday is December tenth, and so growing up, we weren't 215 00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 3: allowed to even think about Christmas until after her birthday. 216 00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 3: And that's just stayed with me. Last year, I spent 217 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 3: to Umber twenty third in Macy's. No, I think I 218 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 3: deserve some sort of metal of valor for surviving that. 219 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 3: It was insane, but it was also kind of fun, 220 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 3: you know. It was just like there are so many 221 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 3: people and tourists. There was something kind of great. I 222 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 3: felt good about having procrastinated. How about you. 223 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I can imagine the energy that of the late 224 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 2: season shoppers there. But yeah, you know, I like to 225 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:23,839 Speaker 2: thrift shop a lot. I'll go to flea markets, I'll 226 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,559 Speaker 2: go to antique stores. So I'm kind of picking stuff 227 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 2: up throughout the year. You know, if I see something, 228 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 2: I just have to have it. I don't know if 229 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 2: I really have room for it, but maybe I can 230 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 2: pawn it off on someone else later in the year. 231 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:40,559 Speaker 3: Wait, is that technically regifting if you we've sort of 232 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 3: lot of yourself, You're not sure. 233 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, if you buy it without the intention to 234 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 2: keep it, I don't know. 235 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 3: I don't know. 236 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 2: But yeah, it's a great area. 237 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 3: It's a very ethically gray area. No, you know what 238 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,479 Speaker 3: it is. It's like it's curatorial acquisition. 239 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, there we go. We'll go with that. That sounds 240 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 2: much nicer. Okay, all right, So we talked about the 241 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 2: origin of giving children gifts at Christmas time, which is 242 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 2: surprisingly recent, but the idea of winter holidays themselves actually 243 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 2: goes back millennia. Many ancient civilizations, including the Babylonians, Mesopotamians, 244 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 2: and Egyptians, had a festival celebrating the winter solstice, but 245 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,959 Speaker 2: it was the Romans who cemented the idea of putting 246 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 2: up holiday decorations and exchanging presents. This was done during 247 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 2: the Saturnalia festival, which was held every year in mid 248 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 2: December as a way to honor Saturn, the god of 249 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 2: agriculture and the harvest. It was the most popular holiday 250 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 2: in ancient Rome, and it honestly sounds like a lot 251 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 2: of fun. Folks decorated their houses with wreaths made of 252 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 2: holly and ivy, and there was music and singing, eating, drinking, 253 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 2: gift giving, and best of all, no one worked during Saturnalia, 254 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 2: not even the people. The Romans had enslaved. 255 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 3: Wow, no work presence, NonStop partying. I'm in right, sign 256 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 3: me up. 257 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 2: But the best part is initially it was just that's 258 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 2: a one day affair, but over time it became a 259 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,680 Speaker 2: whole week long event. On the last day of Saturnalia, 260 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 2: Romans would give each other small figures made of wax 261 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 2: wood or terra cotta called sigilla. It's widely believed this 262 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 2: is why we still give gifts during our holiday season. 263 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 3: Oh so it was like little terracotta figures, but they 264 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 3: were the ticklemielmo of ancient Roma. 265 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 2: Right. 266 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 3: Well, speaking of holiday, it toys, my all time favorite, 267 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 3: mostly for the story behind it has got to be 268 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 3: the Slinky. It was a runaway or slink away hit 269 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 3: in nineteen forty five, but it almost didn't happen. So 270 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 3: in nineteen forty three, a mechanical engineer named Richard James 271 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 3: was at work in a Philadelphia shipyard. He accidentally knocks 272 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 3: the spring off a shelf, and instead of crashing to 273 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 3: the ground, the spring looked like it was walking, first 274 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 3: down to a stack of books, then to a table, 275 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 3: then to the floor, where it finally landed. That night, 276 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 3: Richard went home and told his wife Betty about it, 277 00:14:57,800 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 3: and he was like, I think this could be a 278 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 3: to I would have loved to have heard that conversation 279 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 3: with Betty. You would not believe what happened at work today. 280 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 3: I knocked a spring over and Betty was like, okay, honey. Anyway, 281 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 3: he was really excited and he thought this could be 282 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 3: a toy. Betty was actually the one who came up 283 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 3: with the name slinky later, and so Richard was so 284 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 3: excited about this. He built a machine that coiled wire 285 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 3: into a spiral, borrowed five hundred dollars, started a company, 286 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 3: and woila, this slinky was born. 287 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 2: Wow, and the rest is a toy history, right. 288 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 3: Well almost, except no one was buying it. I mean, 289 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 3: if you had never seen a slinky before, and you 290 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 3: didn't know what it does, it doesn't necessarily catch her attention. 291 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 3: So in nineteen forty five, Richard went around to department 292 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 3: stores in Philadelphia trying to persuade them to stock his toy, 293 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 3: but no one was interested. Finally, he managed to convince 294 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 3: one department store, Gimbals, to include a slinky in their 295 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 3: holiday display. They priced them at one dollar, which is 296 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 3: around seventeen dollars today, which is a lot. 297 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 2: That seems like a lot for a coiled a medal. Yeah, 298 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 2: but I mean I'm guessing the display at Gimbal's that's 299 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 2: when sales took off. 300 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 3: That would be great. But no, no, still, no. Richard 301 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 3: may have been a great inventor if you consider a 302 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 3: marketing a spring inventing it Okay, The problem was he 303 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 3: wasn't really great at package design. The slinky just came 304 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 3: wrapped in plain parchment paper, so it just sat there 305 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 3: looking honestly, really boring among all these brightly colored holiday toys. 306 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 3: But Richard wasn't ready to give up. He believed in 307 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 3: his idea, so he asked Gimbals if he could do 308 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 3: a demonstration of how it worked. They agreed, and so 309 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 3: the week after Thanksgiving, he set up a ramp in 310 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 3: the store, put some slinkies up at the top, and 311 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 3: let them walk down, basically showing the thing that had 312 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 3: gotten him so excited in the first place. And that's 313 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 3: what worked. Within ninety minutes, Gimbals sold all four hundred 314 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 3: slinkies it had, and by the end of the holiday season, 315 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 3: Richard had sold twenty thousand slinkies across the United States. 316 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 3: One year later, he'd sold two hundred and fifty thousand 317 00:16:59,640 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 3: of them. 318 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 2: While So, I mean, you know, you got to give 319 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 2: the guy credit for persevering if nothing else right. Maybe 320 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 2: he didn't invent it, but he noticed. 321 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,360 Speaker 3: It the great noticer. 322 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, there we go. Well, you know, as long as 323 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 2: we're in the nineteen forties, my next fact is about 324 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 2: Christmas Club savings accounts, which some people probably used back 325 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 2: then to buy their slinkies. Are you familiar with these? Mary, 326 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 2: have you heard of this? 327 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:23,479 Speaker 3: I am not. 328 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 2: I am not tell me, Okay, So Christmas Club started 329 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 2: in December nineteen oh nine when three shoe factory workers 330 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 2: walked into the Carlisle Trust Company in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. 331 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 3: That does I have to say, that does sound like 332 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 3: the setup to a joke. 333 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 2: Well, in this case, it was a business plan. Because 334 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 2: what these guys did is they pitched an idea to 335 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 2: the bank's treasurer, a guy named Merkle Landis. So they 336 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 2: wanted to open a joint bank account. And here's the 337 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 2: innovative part. Each week they planned to deposit money that 338 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 2: they had collected from themselves and from their fellow shoe 339 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 2: factory of friends. This account would earn in and then 340 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:03,680 Speaker 2: right before Christmas the next year, they planned to withdraw 341 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 2: the money and split the interest with everyone who had contributed. 342 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,479 Speaker 2: So Landis thought this was an interesting idea, not just 343 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 2: for shoe factory workers, but for everybody. So he placed 344 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 2: an ad in the local newspaper for something he called 345 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 2: a Christmas Savings Club, offering three percent interest to anyone 346 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 2: who made steady deposits all year long. So the idea 347 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 2: was simple and familiar. In December, you would open an 348 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 2: account with a small deposit, and then over the next 349 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 2: fifty weeks you would add more money. In November you 350 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 2: could withdraw the money and the interest, but if you 351 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 2: take it out earlier you had to pay a fee. 352 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 3: Well, so, besides the guys from the shoe factory did 353 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 3: anyone sign up? 354 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, actually, three hundred and fifty people signed up that 355 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 2: first year, and they saved an average of twenty eight 356 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:53,160 Speaker 2: dollars each, which is around nine hundred and fifty dollars 357 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 2: in today's money. 358 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 3: And wow. 359 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 2: Yeah. The program was so well received that the Carlisle 360 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 2: Trust kept it going the next year, and soon other 361 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 2: banks started doing the same thing, though not all of 362 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 2: them offered better interest rates or even interest at all. 363 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:11,159 Speaker 2: Maintaining these special accounts cost the bank's money, but in 364 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 2: the long term they were a great way to reach 365 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 2: new customers. Early advertisements for Christmas clubs targeted families and 366 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 2: young professionals, you know, the most likely future customers for 367 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 2: car loans and mortgages, so it was a smart play 368 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 2: on the bank's part, and parents were also encouraged to 369 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 2: enroll their children in the clubs as a way to 370 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 2: teach them financial responsibility. The best part, though, is that 371 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 2: some banks even offered incentives for opening a Christmas savings account, 372 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 2: like membership cards or a free porcelain Christmas bill. 373 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 3: Woo Yeah right. 374 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 2: These gimmicks worked really well though, because in nineteen thirty five, 375 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 2: money taken from these accounts made up about ten percent 376 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 2: of all holidays spending, and by nineteen sixty five, approximately 377 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:00,440 Speaker 2: fifteen million Americans were members of a local Christmas club. 378 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 2: Of course, these days, credit cards are a far more 379 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 2: popular way to facilitate holiday spending and overspending, but believe 380 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 2: it or not, some banks and credit unions do still 381 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 2: offer holiday savings accounts. 382 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 3: And I'd have to imagine that a lot of those 383 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,679 Speaker 3: club cards were used on Black Friday, right, the biggest 384 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 3: shopping day of the year. And to unpack that origin, 385 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 3: we are going back to Philadelphia. 386 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 2: Wow, it is I think that's a third time now, right, 387 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 2: It's wild how much Philadelphia has influenced holiday shopping. 388 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,360 Speaker 3: I know they call it the City of Brotherly Love. 389 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:37,439 Speaker 3: It's more like the City of Holiday Shopping. Okay, so 390 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 3: new slogan. If anyone from Philly is listening. 391 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 2: You can have that for free. 392 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right. So let's go back to the nineteen fifties. 393 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 3: It's after World War Two, people have a little money, 394 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 3: and the day is after Thanksgiving. Are big holiday shopping days, 395 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 3: but they are also big for college football, and one 396 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:57,640 Speaker 3: of the biggest games in the country is the annual 397 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 3: Army Navy Rivalry, which for many ye was played this 398 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 3: Saturday after Thanksgiving, right and that. 399 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 2: Game it's often held in Philly because that's halfway between 400 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,440 Speaker 2: West Point and Annapolis exactly. 401 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 3: It's neutral territory. So in those days after Thanksgiving, suburbanites 402 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 3: and out of town football fans would flood the city 403 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 3: for the game, and stores took advantage of this extra 404 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 3: foot traffic by having sales, which the city promoted. It 405 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 3: became a big enough thing that eventually people began coming 406 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 3: to Philly just for the sales, not even for the football. 407 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 3: And the thing is, the local cops hated it because 408 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 3: the huge crowds meant they had to work twelve hour shifts, 409 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 3: So the police started calling it Black Friday, and in 410 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty one some more marketing minded folks tried to 411 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,120 Speaker 3: change it to Big Friday, but it was too late. 412 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 3: Black Friday was the name and it was here to stay. 413 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 3: It's still the most profitable shopping day of the year, 414 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 3: and it spawned these spinoffs like Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, 415 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 3: and Giving Tuesday. Here is a crazy statistic. Last year, 416 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 3: one hundred and ninety seven million customers shopped either online 417 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 3: or in person on that handful of days. From Thanksgiving 418 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 3: to Cyber Monday. 419 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 2: Oh wow, and I was one of them. Well, speaking 420 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,360 Speaker 2: of Thanksgiving Day, have you ever noticed that it never 421 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,160 Speaker 2: falls on November twenty ninth or November thirtieth. 422 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 3: I don't know that I've noticed that. I just know 423 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 3: that Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November. Right, 424 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 3: That's right. 425 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,120 Speaker 2: But that wasn't always the case. Although Thanksgiving had been 426 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 2: celebrated since George Washington's time, it wasn't until eighteen seventy 427 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 2: that Congress declared it a recurring national holiday. The thing is, 428 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 2: it didn't have a fixed date. Presidents were technically allowed 429 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:45,720 Speaker 2: to set the date each year, but in practice, almost 430 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 2: all of them followed the tradition set by Abraham Lincoln, 431 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:52,680 Speaker 2: which was that Thanksgiving fell on the last Thursday of November. 432 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 2: But I said almost all the presidents, because in nineteen 433 00:22:56,080 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 2: thirty nine, Franklin D. Roosevelt broke precedent by moving holiday 434 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,919 Speaker 2: up by one week, setting off a huge controversy in 435 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 2: the process. Now, the reason he did this is because 436 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 2: Thanksgiving was set to fall late that year on November thirtieth, 437 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 2: and retailers were like, hey, this shortens the holiday shopping 438 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,919 Speaker 2: season and that's gonna hurt our bottom line. So they 439 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 2: asked Roosevelt to move the holiday up a week now. 440 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,959 Speaker 2: FDR was sympathetic to this because he knew sales had 441 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,920 Speaker 2: been in a decade long slump following the Great Depression, 442 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 2: so in August of thirty nine, he issued a proclamation 443 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 2: moving Thanksgiving from the last Thursday to the second to 444 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 2: last Thursday. 445 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,959 Speaker 3: Okay, so, and then the retailers were happy. Everyone was happy. 446 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 3: No more problems, Mary. 447 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 2: If there were no problems, would I be telling you 448 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:47,920 Speaker 2: this story. There were lots of problems. People hated this change. 449 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 2: A poll showed that sixty two percent of voters opposed it, 450 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 2: so thousands of people showed up at the White House 451 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 2: in protests that year. 452 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 3: What why were they so angry? 453 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 2: Some people argued that it was a latent abuse of 454 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,919 Speaker 2: power by FDR, But also this last minute change was 455 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 2: super inconvenient. School breaks and college football games were timed 456 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 2: around Thanksgiving and already scheduled for the thirtieth and many 457 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 2: folks had already made travel plans to visit relatives for 458 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 2: the holiday. So in the end, only twenty three states 459 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,679 Speaker 2: agreed to move the date. One of those states was 460 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 2: New Jersey. However, the mayor of Atlantic City was a 461 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 2: guy named Charles White, and he was not a fan 462 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 2: of the President's so he said, okay, you can move 463 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 2: Thanksgiving up a week, but that's not the real Thanksgiving, 464 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 2: that's Frank'sgiving. And the name was of course a little 465 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 2: dig at FDR, but it caught on. 466 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 3: What happened the next year when Thanksgiving roles around. 467 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:50,160 Speaker 2: Well, thirty two states decided to celebrate on the Franksgiving date, 468 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 2: that is, the second to last Thursday in November, but 469 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 2: there was still a lot of confusion. For instance, have 470 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 2: you seen Holiday in the Bing Crosby movie where he 471 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 2: sings White Christmas? 472 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 1: Oh? 473 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:03,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, of course, it's a great movie, aside from you know, 474 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:04,880 Speaker 3: the blackface of course. 475 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. But if you remember, it takes place in nineteen 476 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 2: forty one, and there's a little scene where they show 477 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 2: a calendar with a cartoon turkey jumping back and forth 478 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 2: between the two thursdays, not really knowing when to land. 479 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 2: He actually gives up altogether and just kind of shrugs. 480 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:24,399 Speaker 2: So the whole thing became this national headache slash joke, 481 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 2: and perhaps more importantly, the expected increase in sales never happened, 482 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,639 Speaker 2: So in the spring of nineteen forty one, FDR admitted 483 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 2: he had made a mistake and promised that Thanksgiving would 484 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 2: go back to normal the following year. But there still 485 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:43,119 Speaker 2: must have been some concern over shopping days, because that 486 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 2: same year, Congress passed a law officially making Thanksgiving the 487 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 2: fourth Thursday of November, meaning that, depending on the year, 488 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 2: the holiday is observed either on the last Thursday, as 489 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 2: Lincoln intended, or the second to last Thursday, as retailers wanted. 490 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 2: But in either case, the latest it can ever be 491 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:03,080 Speaker 2: is November twenty eighth. 492 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 3: Huh wow, I'm looking at a calendar right now, Gabe, 493 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 3: and you know what it looks like. In twenty thirty, 494 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:13,439 Speaker 3: Thanksgiving will be on November twenty eighth, So everyone filed 495 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 3: us away, and several years from now you can think 496 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 3: of us. Well, I'm glad that we have that worked out. 497 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 3: But Gabe, before we go, how about we head down 498 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 3: to the rec center and help any listeners who might 499 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 3: still be looking for that perfect holiday gift. 500 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 2: Sounds great, let's do it. 501 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 3: So here's the gift I'm going to recommend for everyone 502 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 3: on your Christmas list. It is a trash picker. Do 503 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:46,879 Speaker 3: you know what that is, Gabe. 504 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 2: Uh, It's like a grabber claw right, correct. 505 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 3: It's a long grabber with a handle, and you can 506 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:53,919 Speaker 3: use it to pick up small objects from the ground, 507 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 3: including trash. And the reason I think this is such 508 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 3: a great gift as well. First of all, it's very affordable. 509 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 3: You can get it at any home improvement store. You 510 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 3: can get it at your local hardware store, which is 511 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:05,959 Speaker 3: where I got mine a couple of years ago. But 512 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 3: it's also a great way to start doing fun activities 513 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 3: with your friends and family. Everyone get your trash pickers, 514 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:14,639 Speaker 3: go out and do a little impromptu cleanup of your 515 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:16,920 Speaker 3: local park. You don't have to wait for someone to 516 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,159 Speaker 3: organize it. You can just do it yourself or go 517 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,199 Speaker 3: down your block. There's always trash. There's trash everywhere you 518 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,159 Speaker 3: guys know, I'm really passionate about garbology. But it's a 519 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 3: lot of fun. You can do it with kids, you 520 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,040 Speaker 3: can do it with friends. It would be a great 521 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 3: first date, I think, and you may end up learning 522 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 3: a lot about the world around you inadvertently. Like my 523 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 3: kid and I were out picking up trash in the 524 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,119 Speaker 3: park a few weeks ago and we realized that in 525 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 3: our neighborhood, Corona is the beer of choice. We could 526 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:44,840 Speaker 3: tell that from the bottle caps. Do I need to 527 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 3: know that? No, but I do know it, and I'm 528 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:48,920 Speaker 3: glad that I do. So, if there's someone in your 529 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 3: life who enjoys a clean environment and learning obscure things 530 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 3: about the world around them, a trash picker, put a 531 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 3: big bow on it. They're gonna love it. So gay, 532 00:27:57,920 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 3: what do you recommend. 533 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 2: Your recommendation was a way to pick up trash, and 534 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 2: my recommendation is actual trash. I recommend that you give 535 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 2: an old wall calendar to someone that you love this year. 536 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 2: The thing is because of leap years, and because time 537 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 2: is a flat circle, those dates on the calendar, they 538 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,399 Speaker 2: eventually match up again. So it might take you know, 539 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 2: eleven years or so, but those old one time use 540 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 2: wall calendars will come around again. So, for example, in 541 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:34,159 Speaker 2: twenty twenty six, you can reuse any calendar from just 542 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 2: for example nineteen seventy, nineteen eighty one, nineteen eighty seven, 543 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety eight. It'll be just as useful as a 544 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 2: twenty twenty six calendar, but with a much funnier, more 545 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 2: outdated design and branding. 546 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: On it. 547 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 2: If there's an Alf fan in your life, for instance, 548 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 2: or maybe a Beanie Baby lover, you know from the nineties, 549 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 2: they can relive those glory days with an old Wall calendar. 550 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 3: We actually tried red watching Alf recently. It doesn't. It 551 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:02,800 Speaker 3: doesn't hold up. 552 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 2: I would say, yeah, I'd say it holds up. I 553 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 2: mean as much as it ever did, right, I do 554 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 2: you know I have a soft spot for the time 555 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 2: in American history where you could have a prime time 556 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 2: sitcom about an alien puppet basically starring an alien puppet, 557 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 2: and everybody tuned in, millions of people. 558 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:21,960 Speaker 3: I mean, I'm a cat person, and so Alf is 559 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:23,720 Speaker 3: a little difficult for me just to kind. 560 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 2: Of say that, although to his credit he curbed that, 561 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 2: you know, for for the entire series. I don't believe 562 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 2: he eats a single cat ast. 563 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 3: No, he just threatened. He threatens to. Yeah, yeah, Okay, Well, 564 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 3: so I hope this is helpful to everyone who's been listening. 565 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 3: Of course it is. If you're standing there, if you're 566 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 3: like Will and Mango and you're trapped in a mall 567 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 3: and you don't know what to buy, leave them all, 568 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 3: get out of there and go get an old Wall calendar. 569 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 3: And a trash picker. Yeah there you go. 570 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, use your use your trash picker to pick a 571 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 2: wall calendar out of the trash and gift it to 572 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 2: someone you love. And on that note, there is one 573 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 2: more gift we have to talk about, and that's today's trophy. Mary. 574 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 2: Since you shared the inspiring story of the little slinky 575 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:05,520 Speaker 2: that could, I think you deserve it. 576 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 3: Oh well, thank you, And of course all the credit 577 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 3: really goes to Richard and Betty James, and I guess 578 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 3: the entire city of Philadelphia. Anyway, we are busy working 579 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 3: on episodes for twenty twenty six. If there is a 580 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 3: topic that you're curious about that you would like us 581 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 3: to explore, please drop us a note at high Geniuses 582 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 3: at gmail dot com, or you can give us a 583 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 3: call at three oh two four oh five five nine 584 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 3: two five. You can also get in touch if you'd 585 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 3: like a gift for yourself of an official part time 586 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 3: Genius membership card. You just need to give us your name, 587 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 3: your address, and one fun fact. We will send you 588 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 3: a membership card for free. A lot of people have 589 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 3: been writing in for these. It's really fun to send 590 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,760 Speaker 3: them out, so don't wait. It is a limited edition. Anyway, 591 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 3: that is a wrap for today. This episode was written 592 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 3: by our good pal Marissa Brown. Thank you Marissa, Will 593 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 3: and Mango will be back next week and in the 594 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 3: meantime from Will, Mango, Dylan, Gabe, and myself, thank you 595 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 3: so much for listening. 596 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,840 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius is a production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. 597 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: It is hosted by my good pal Will Pearson, who 598 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: I've known for almost three decades now. That is insane 599 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 1: to me. I'm the Utaco host, Mangeshatikular aka Mango. Our 600 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: producer is Mary Phillips Sandy. She's actually a super producer. 601 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: I'm going to fix that in post. Our writer is 602 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 1: Gabe Lucier, who I've also known for like a decade 603 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: at this point, maybe more. Dylan Fagan is in the booth. 604 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,400 Speaker 1: He is always dressed up, always cheering us on, and 605 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: always ready to hit record and then mix the show 606 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: after he does a great job. I also want to 607 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: shout out the executive producers from iHeart my good pals 608 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 1: Katrina and Norvel and Ali Perry. We have social media 609 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: support from k Rales if you like our videos. That 610 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 1: is all Calypso's handiwork For more podcasts from Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, 611 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or tune in wherever 612 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows. That's it from us 613 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:15,960 Speaker 1: here at Part Time Genius. 614 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for listening.