Lectures on Tap - "Modern Christmas: Born in NYC"

Welcome to Lectures on Tap!

Join us for an engaging evening where professors, experts, and storytellers bring their thought-provoking lectures to your favorite bar in Madison Square, Manhattan NY.

Hosted by .

Date: Tuesday Dec 17th, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Madison Square (exact address given in confirmation email)

Lecture: "Why Modern Christmas Started in New York"
Speaker: Professor Timothy Keogh

Join us for an enlightening and festive evening as Professor Timothy Keogh takes us on a journey into the origins of modern Christmas, right here in New York City.

Today, New York City is synonymous with the holiday season, from Santa at the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rockefeller Tree Lighting, to Times Square on New Year's Eve. But New York played a surprising role in creating our modern Christmas traditions. Join us as we explore how New York's nineteenth century literary elite invented the jolly red-coated Santa Claus and his journey down the chimney, how an entrepreneur started the yearly Santa letter-writing campaign from children around the world, and how upstate New York farmers created the Christmas tree craze that decorates homes and businesses ever since.

Tim Keogh, an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Queensborough Community College and recipient of the Dixon Ryan Fox Prize for New York History, brings his expertise in urban history to this festive exploration.

Don’t miss this chance to dive into the rich history of Christmas traditions with Professor Timothy Keogh.

Get a drink, connect, and learn at Lectures on Tap! 🙌