Welcome to AirNenky's Cabinet of Curiosity's, a production of I Heart Radio and Grimm

and Mild.

Our world is full of the unexplainable.

And if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display,

just waiting for us to explore.

Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosity's.

Holidays tend to evolve the longer they are celebrated.

What we know as Christmas today started centuries ago as other separate holidays.

Europeans celebrated the Winter Solstice, while the Germanic people celebrated Yule, a pagan

festival held toward the end of December.

In the ancient Romans honored Saturn, the God of Agriculture, every December, with their

Saturnalia festival.

Eventually aspects of these winter celebrations were borrowed and blended into one holiday,

celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25th, as times change, so too do our traditions.

But even some newer holidays have undergone significant shifts over the years.

In fact, in America, one of the most important days of the year for getting together with

friends and family also used to be the most mischievous.

It originated in New York City around 1863.

A new national holiday had just been established by President Abraham Lincoln, and it gave

children all over the country some much needed time off from school.

In New York, where impoverished immigrant children were often left to their own devices,

that meant time to goof around.

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