Manchester Historian Issue 23

ISSUE 22 | NOVEMBER 2015

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Christmas Controversy

History Behind the Headlines

World-Wide Culinary Festivals History in Features Behind every story‌ There is History

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015 Issue 14: May 2014

What’s What’sInside Inside HISTORY BEHIND THE HEADLINES

HISTORY 4...Lost BEHIND THE HEADLINES

4...Death of a statesman A Time forRemembrance in the Aftermath of the Paris Attacks........... 4 5...In the eye of the beholder Covina Massacra: Murdered

by Santa................................................. 4 6...Where are you really from?

Interpretations of Christmas...............................................................

5 7...Everyday racism Christmas Controversy.........................................................................6 of errors The8...Comedy Inspiration of Christmas................................................................7 8...Selfish charity 9...How Britain brought football to the world

HISTORY YOU SHOULD KNOW

Black Friday......................................................................................... 7 HISTORY YOU SHOULD KNOW St Valentine’s Day Massacre...................................................... ..........8 The10...The History of Mayans Santa Claus...................................................................9 11...South African apatheid Roman Triumph..................................................................................10 Thanksgiving.......................................................................................10 A YEAR IN PHOTOS 12...1984

HERO OR VILLAIN?

GuyHISTORY Fawkes........................................................................................11 IN FEATURES: TRAVEL 14...Nothing great is ever easy 15...Opulence on the Orient Express BATTLE OF THE MONTH 15...Pilgrims’ progress Battle of Poona....................................................................................12 16...Seeing what a man should see 17...Planes, trains and automobiles STAFF INTERVIEW 18...When people take flight Interview with Frank Mort..................................................................13 19...Itchy feet: travel films

HISTORY IN 10 PICTURES UNDISCOVERED HEROES OF HISTORY

20...Flora Trsitan Christmas Number 1s..................................................................14-15 HISTORY IN MANCHESTER

HISTORY FEATURES recent discoveries at Chethams 21...Bed IN to bookshelves: Marathon............................................................................................16 22...The Haçienda story Summer Solstice.................................................................................16 22...MHF film review: City Speaks Culinary festivals.................................................................................17 HISTORY UPDATE

WOMEN IN HISTORY 23...History Society farewell

Celebrating Women........................................................................

23...Celebrations and congratulations at the History Society Awards 24...Manchester Historian 2014-15 HISTORY UPDATES What’s Going on in Manchester........................................................ 21 History Society .................................................................................. 22 History Society FC.............................................................................. 22 Careers Column................................................................................. 23 Page 2

Front Cover from Fansshare.com and credit is owed to the Coca Cola Company. Ltd

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Editors

Charlotte Johnson Alice Rigby

Editors Head of Layout

Laura Callard, Thomas Barnett Caroline Hailstone Jamie Brannan

Head of Marketing Head of Design

Michael Cass Laura Sullivan

Web Head of Editor Copy-Editing

Jennifer Ho Natalie Sharpin

Head of Marketing Layout Team

Joseph Barker Keir Forde

Head of Online

Muneera Lulaeb Editor

Design Team

Harriet Price Hebe Thorne Jamie Taylor Vidhur Prashar Lucy Heyderman Jacob Taylor Tom Denman

Head of Copy-Editing Head of Online

Copy-Editing Team

Marketing Team

Kieran Smith Cai Reach

Imogen Gordon Clark Alexander Larkinson

Amelia Fletcher-Jones

Copy - Editing Team Chloe Wright Caroline Bishop Rebecca Hennel-Smith Kathyrn Newton Sarah King

Sophie Brownlee Online Team Sophie SarahDeacon Long Will Davis-Coleman Marketing Team Brogen Campbell

Jospeh Barker

Mattea Bubalo

Stephanie Keyte Online Team Jospeh Casson

Károly Gergely www.manchesterhistorian.com

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

A Note from the Editors First semester has come to an end and the festive season has begun! As Manchester comes alive with the glow of fairy lights and Christmas parties, we at the Historian have embraced the festive season! This issue aims to unwrap the global phenomenon of celebrations and festivals that have dominated history and culture.

‘Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection’ – Winston Churchill.

Maintaining a grasp upon the more topical aspects of recent years, History behind the Headlines aims to provide you with an insight into the different interpretations of Christmas that exists today and an exploration into different events and controversies from an array of alternative perspectives!

that have dominated many lives during times of celebration, from the Convina Massacre to the St Valentine’s Day Massacre.

A source of annual controversy, there is no doubt that the revealing of the Christmas No.1 is a tradition that here in Britain we love to hate. We have provided a flashback through time, resurrecting those joyful hits previously forgotten.

As the party season takes hold, grab your bottle of mulled wine and read our What’s Going On in Manchester page to find out the best places to celebrate Christmas and the New Year in the city we love.

Straying from the norms of modern traditions, this issue delves beneath popularised celebrations and festivals to reveal cultural events that are unknown to many. Our features aim to provide our readers with an insight into different festivals from the winter and summer solstices to the roman triumph, shining light on the vast history of celebrations around the world.

We hope you enjoy this celebratory issue, and have a very Merry Christmas!

At the Manchester Historian, we would like to also remind our readers that the festive period is also a time for remembrance. In the aftermath of the Paris Attacks, we have taken the time to consider tragic events

Laura, Tom and Jamie

If you are interested in writing or working for us, maybe you have some original article ideas of your own, please email manchesterhistorian@ gmail.com or get in touch through our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Manchester Christmas Markets: Image Credit Manchester Evening News. © 2015 latimes.com @TheMcrHistorian

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

HISTORY BEHIND THE HEADLINES A Time for Remembrance in the Aftermath of the Paris Attacks Laura Callard On November 13th 2015, the City of Lights became dark. Awash with grief, shock and terror, the world watched in horror as Paris fell victim to its worst attack since World War II. In a meticulously coordinated serious of terrorist attacks, the capital of France witnessed the death of 130 people at the hands of Islamic State militants. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), commonly referred to as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), claimed responsibly for the attacks. Three suicide bombings shook the city. One explosion erupted outside the Stade de France during a France versus Germany friendly football match. Across the capital, four mass shootings targeted families and friends enjoying an evening of food, wine and laughter. No one could have predicted the ensuing massacre of the innocent.

The Bataclan Theatre served as the arena for the massacre of eighty-nine victims. Terrified fans of the band Eagles of Death Metal ran for their lives, some climbing out of windows, others refusing to abandon their loved ones, as the attackers calmly and brutally opened fire at the audience.

Engaging in a three-hour stand-off with Parisian police, it became clear that force was the only way to suppress the attackers. Whilst seven of the attackers died on the night of the 13th, several accomplices have since lost their lives for the cause they fought so bitterly for.

Islamic State militants orchestrated the series of attacks through a network of terrorist cells situated in Syria and Belgium. Their justification for the onslaught lies in the French involvement in the Syrian and Iraqi Civil Wars. President Hollande has declared the attacks ‘an act of war’ and across the world, countries have raised terror alerts and enforced security measures in an attempt to prevent future attacks.

As France mourned the loss of its loved ones, the outside world united to show their support for the country. Capital cities across the globe shone as their great monuments projected the colours of the French flag. From Rio de Janeiro to the Sydney Opera House, the sign of respect and union was unmissable. Social media erupted in a flash of blue, white and red as millions of citizens across the world responded to the events of just one evening.

As the festive season takes hold it is easy to be swept away in the tide of joyous celebration. We at the Manchester Historian offer our thoughts and wishes to those in Paris and share our support for the people of France. We would like to remind our readers to take a moment to remember those unable to celebrate the festivities with their loved ones in the tragic aftermath of the Paris Attacks.

Covina Massacre: Murdered by Santa It is nearly seven years since Bruce Jeffrey Pardo killed nine members of the same family and injured three others, before taking his own life, in a brutal Christmas Eve massacre.

The mass murder, which took place at a family party in Covina, Los Angeles, featured a series of shootings and a severe arson attack. A particularly sinister part of Pardo’s crime was his choice of outfit. Dressed as Santa, he entered the house of his former in-laws, armed with multiple guns and a makeshift flamethrower disguised as a Christmas present. The gunman had no criminal record or any previous history of violence and was believed to have planned the murderous rampage as a consequence of his failed marriage and bitter divorce.

The Christmas gathering of approximately 25 people, which descended into a bloodbath, was a tradition for the Ortega-Ortiz family.

Thirteen people lost at least one parent in the tragedy, including Leticia Yuzefpolsky, who lost both parents, two brothers, two sisters, two sisters-in-law, and a nephew.

Leticia’s eight-year-old daughter was also wounded; shot in the face as she opened the door to ‘Santa’.

It would be unsurprising to hear that Leticia, the surviving daughter of the family, dreads the festive period year after year. But that is not the case. Instead, she has tried to

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Nyela Asad

maintain her tight-knit family’s traditions, even mastering her mother’s Mexican soup recipe to serve at the Christmas gathering. She has tried to ‘save’ Christmas for her children, explaining that the real Santa was not the one who inflicted the tragedy upon their family. The remaining family members still meet to exchange gifts and share memories. But that doesn’t mean December isn’t accompanied with an overwhelming sense of loss and sadness for Leticia and her relatives. Now their Christmas Day trip to church is followed by a trip to the cemetery.

Shortly after the massacre in 2008, the Los Angeles Times published an article in which the perpetrator, Pardo, was described by former acquaintances as “quirky and different, but a super-nice guy”. It also began to emerge in the press that Pardo had lost his job not long before the rampage, which resulted in substantial financial troubles, made worse by his divorce settlement.

The massacre has been referenced a number of times in popular culture; the 2012 film “Silent Night”, and notably the song “Black Christmas” by British punk-rock singersongwriter Poly Styrene. Perhaps referring to both Pardo as well as the surviving victims, she sings, “all alone drowning in my sorrows, Christmastime always brings my sadness home… oh no, we’re not merry, no.” Set to a reggae beat, the song is an anti-Christmas anthem, and makes for an eerie listen when one knows the background to its lyrics. www.manchesterhistorian.com

ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

Interpretations of Christmas Christmas. Christ’s Mass. For us in Britain, it’s very much a commercialised affair that is bombarded on our TVs, radios and in our wider culture from late October onwards until Christmas itself. For many Britons, it has evolved into an almost secular festival with greater emphasis on its communal festivity than its religious connotations.

Christmas Day in the UK is by far the most anticipated and important day in our calendar, and is a huge economic affair. Christmas is celebrated in Britain even by non-Christian communities. The familiar sights of Christmas trees, stockings and Santa are not seen universally in Christian communities.

Christmas has its origins in many pre-Christian pagan festivals, like the ancient winter solstice tradition, which celebrated by many pagan communities in Europe. The solstice saw animal sacrifices, carnivals and feasting. Christmas has direct origins from this festival, and events the Roman feast of Saturnalia, a festival lasting December 17th to the 23rd and involving gift-giving, partying and a carnival atmosphere. The pre-Roman and Roman-era influences fused into Christmas over time, with the festival’s atmosphere changing over the centuries. It was mostly a drunken, carnival affair in the Middle Ages before becoming to a familyfocused event in the 19th century.

The designation of Christmas on December 25th is believed to have been chosen by Emperor Constantine, who had Christianised the Roman Empire, because December 25th also saw the celebration of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. This festival, the ‘birthday of the Unconquered Sun’, was celebrated in the winter solstice. Jesus was associated with the ‘sun of righteousness’ especially with the belief that he was the son of the Abrahamic God.

Ollie Potter

Christmas in the predominantly Catholic country of Mexico also sees a fusing of the Christian festival with traditional Mexican practices. Over a course of nine days before Christmas, groups of people go door to door, representing the journey Joseph and Mary took to try find shelter. These groups are normally welcomed inside houses to smash candy-filled piñatas.

Mexican festivities begin on December 12th and last until January 6th; this practice of honouring the Epiphany is a tradition not exercised by most Britons because of the generally secular nature of our Christmas celebrations. Another very different practice in Mexico is the traditional belief that it is the Three Wise Men who bring gifts to Mexican children as well as Santa. The Wise Men fill children’s shoes with candles, oranges, tangerines, nuts, sugar cane, and sometimes money or gold, since the Wise Men gave Jesus gold in his manger.

Coptic Christians of the ancient Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, who make up 10% of Egypt’s population have another different interpretative view of Christmas. They share common practices with their Muslim compatriots since some Copts fast forty-three days before Christmas Day, and adhere to a vegan diet, and then consume meat and dairy foods once fasting has ended, much like Muslims do in the festival of Eid el-Adha.

It has become a public holiday for many non-Christian majority countries, such as Egypt and Syria, which have significant Christian minorities.

China’s special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau designate Christmas as a public holiday. This highlights the intrinsic link between colonialism and Christianity, since Hong Kong and Macau were British and Portuguese colonies. Many Chinese people however, practice Christmas-esque customs such as gift exchange, the sending of cards and the hanging of stockings, which are very similar to Western-style celebrations. Pakistan sees its Christian minority decorate their homes with handcrafted stars that signify the Star of Bethlehem, which are hung on rooftops. This represents a different interpretation of Christmas to the West.

The Armenian Lebanese Christian followers represent another localised version of the Christmas holiday. On Christmas Eve, a sheep is butchered for the feast, to honour the birth of Jesus Christ. The head of the household passes a piece of coal representing the sins of Christ around the table at the feast, before it is set on fire. This remaining community of the ancient Armenian Christian tradition celebrate Christmas day itself on January 6th, which is named the Epiphany and represents the visit of the Three Wise Men to Jesus Christ in his manger.

@TheMcrHistorian

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

Christmas Controversy

Madeleine Jones

either cut down on these to a more moderate amount or do away with them altogether. But we seem to now be at a point where an item isn’t considered as much of a ‘gift’ or as exciting if is not wrapped in colourful, shiny paper and placed under a sparkly tree – all of which businesses greatly profit from.

Moreover, companies, especially more dominant ones, like to make full use of advertising in order to boost sales. For example, the Christmas adverts for Coca-Cola and John Lewis began in 1995 and 2007 respectively, and the latter has since become quite a grand event, reported in the media and discussed as if it is a cultural phenomenon.

This year’s John Lewis advert, released on 2nd November 2015, has already had over 16 million views on Youtube. Their adverts tend to send out a message of giving and sharing, yet this is with the aim of more people purchasing their products.

The Christmas Controversy is a media and social talking point every year during the festive season. As a culture which often has an unquestioned excitement about Christmas, the Christmas Controversy provides a counterbalance to the status quo.

One part of the Christmas controversy is its decreasing connection to Christianity and being seen as an increasingly secular holiday. Its widespread disassociation with Christianity comes partly from the development of a more multicultural society. Many Western countries are now full of thousands of religions and cultures. Although Christianity is still seen as the biggest religion of the UK, its declining numbers and rise in other religions has led governments to portray Christmas as a secular holiday in which all can participate in gift-giving and relaxing days off work and school.

However, some would argue that this diminishes the true meaning of Christmas as celebrating the birth of Christ. Having said that, in 2013, church attendance figures throughout the year averaged at roughly 1 million, but that same year, church attendance on Christmas Day was 2.4 million, according to the Church of England. This is a clear sign that a significant amount of people respect what Christmas was originally all about.

The fact of the matter is that economically-speaking, the Christmas spending period is vital. It is a peak selling season for many retailers.

Many businesses who fail to reach their targeted sales may face losses and even closure. Many major stores begin advertising and supplying Christmas goods as early as October, before Hallowe’en is even over.

According to Learning English, in 2003 Christmas shopping counted for a quarter of all spending in the USA, much of which can be attributed to their Black Friday after Thanksgiving. To consider things on a smaller scale, Christmas markets up and down the country offer local and independent businesses and traders a bigger market exposure than they would have perhaps had all year.

The meaning of Christmas may now have no religious bearing to most who celebrate it, yet church-attendance figures are high enough to see the respect is still there. Christmas has taken on a new meaning, and the consumerist element of it may be very over-the-top, but it’s showing no signs of disappearing. However it does not necessarily have to be something we are forced to put up with as a piece of mainstream Western culture – there is still a choice in participation.

This leads to one of the other main debates regarding the Christmas Controversy; its materialistic nature. Perhaps the increasing disassociation from religion and holiness creates the opportunity for businesses and marketers to seize this festival as a hotbed for consumerist activity, since the whole nation can be the target market.

That’s not to undermine the fact that Christmas is great time for the wider family to get together after periods of being apart from one another. Everyone gathered round, appreciating each other’s gifts, joking and laughing (and probably a good dose of arguing too). However, the consumerist lengths we go to in order to celebrate Christmas is astonishing.

Giving gifts is not usually seen in a negative light. It tends to be things like decorations, trees, cards and wrapping paper that hold an unnecessary position. It would be more simple and cost effective to

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The Coca Cola Christmas Truck: www.fanshare.com

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

The Inspiration of Christmas Despite the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus altering dramatically throughout history, the ideas underpinning the annual Christmas festival have persistently provided a source of human inspiration.

Although the eating, dancing and gift-giving which epitomized Christmas celebrations throughout the High Middle Ages closely resembles our current festivities, Christian understandings of how Christmas should be celebrated has changed continuously over time. The ban of Christmas imposed by the protestant Parliament of Scotland in 1640, which resulted in Christmas only becoming a Scottish public holiday in 1958, exemplifies how Christmas has been a religiously contentious issue in the British Isles for centuries.

Moreover, statistics compiled by the Centre for Economics & Business Research have emphasized the importance of the modern commercial Christmas to the British economy: they estimated that the Yuletide economy generated an enormous £12.5 billion in 2000, a figure which accounts for 2.1% of total annual consumer spending. Whilst religious and commercial interpretations of Christmas can provide conflicting versions of the true meaning of the festival, both rely upon the enduring inspirational quality of Christmas. This leads us to the question of why does the celebration of Jesus’ birth have such an inspirational quality?

Joseph Barker

Rather unexpectedly, I found my answer to this question whilst completing last year’s annual viewing of Richard Curtis’ holiday staple Love Actually. Just before I moved to make yet another cup of tea during the advert break, the striking image of a young, entrenched World War 1 soldier flashed across the screen. The Sainsbury’s ad proceeded to depict the extraordinary events of the Christmas Truce of 1914, when during the festive period a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires occurred across the Western Front. Forgetting their differences, Allied and German soldiers entered no-man’s land to meet, exchange gifts and play football. Captain Bruce Bairnsfather’s explanation that “I wouldn’t have missed that unique and weird Christmas Day for anything…” perfectly summarizes the emotive effect the common bond of Christmas had upon both sides of the trenches in the Great War. This incredible event provides insight into why Christmas has consistently proved such an inspirational topic. Irrespective of religious debates and material gifts, throughout history Christmas has symbolized a period of time when people should demonstrate their goodwill to their fellow man. Therefore, the inspirational quality of Christmas results from its fundamental appeal to the best of qualities in human nature.

HISTORY YOU SHOULD KNOW

Black Friday: A Festive Controversy Black Friday is the day following thanksgiving, which, for years, has been associated with a shopping frenzy due to the promotion of goods with huge discounts all over the country. It is primarily an American tradition, but is quickly being transitioned across the pond to the UK. It is a day which retail workers dread and customers dream of: shops open hours earlier than usual and consumers flock in there thousands to grab some savings.

Ravi Gembali

in order to give retail workers ample time to prepare for the influx of customers, learning from mistakes of previous years.

In order to grasp just how big a scale black Friday is as a shopping monument, here are some figures; $60 billion was spent during black Friday weekend in the US, as well as 147 million shoppers attending. Considering the US has a population of 319 million, this is an extremely large proportion, and the number of shoppers during the festivities has only been increasing. With an average spend of $430 per consumer during black Friday weekend; it is a haven for shop owners. The UK economy is much less impacted than the US, with online sales predicted to be at £1.6bn this year.

“98 injuries and 7 fatalities over years at Black Friday events.”

However, discounts are not all-good news, with many shoppers fighting against each other to obtain limited stock. There have been a recorded 98 injuries and 7 fatalities over years at black Friday events, all derived from saving a little bit of money. Workers are often verbally abused and there have been many cases of physical abuse, so much so that the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester police commented on the lack of security that shops provided, which put their staff in danger.

Huge supermarkets have even reserved their involvement in black Friday after the unpleasant proceedings of last year’s event. Asda, owned by the company with the highest revenue in the world, Wal-Mart, have decided to scale back discounted goods, as well as introducing wristbands which allow access to most popular deals, ensuring crowd control. Tesco have changed their opening hours from midnight to 5am during black Friday, @TheMcrHistorian

Although the economic impact of the holiday season is still not notable enough to affect the economy to a significant extent, it does give a short-term boost. Nevertheless, discounted goods aren’t always a good thing leading to people losing control of themselves amidst the bargain hunting. It is unfortunate that often leads to a mob mentality obsessed with saving a little bit of money. Thus, the controversy of black Friday is clear.

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

St Valentine’s Day Massacre Known as the bloodiest day in mob history, the 14th February 1929 will forever be known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Seven members of the North Side Irish gang and their mechanic were lined up against the inside wall of the garage at 2212 North Clark Street, Chicago and murdered by four still unconfirmed perpetrators. It was a result of the struggle between the North Side Irish gang and the South Side Italian gang led

by Al Capone for control of organised crime in Chicago.

Lucy Wickham

The case went quiet for many months until the Michigan police arrested Fred “Killer” Burke, another suspect of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. In his apartment they found a trunk containing a bullet-proof vest, almost $320,000 in bonds recently stolen from a Wisconsin bank, two machine guns and further ammunitions. The recent developments in ballistics determined that both weapons had been used in the massacre and one had been used to murder another New York mobster a year and a half earlier. Burke was tried and convicted in Michigan for the murder of a police officer and was sentenced to life in prison. No one was ever convicted of the Valentine’s Day massacre and the perpetrators, although almost certainly dead by now, were never put to justice.

“Louise Rolfe... became know as the ‘Blonde Alibi’.”

The Capone gang allegedly planned the massacre. It was a revenge attack for both an unsuccessful attempt on one of the South Side gangs a few months earlier and for the murder of two of the presidents of the local Mafia, Unione Siciliana. The two gangs had been competing for control of Chicago and it’s bootlegging industry since before its prohibition in the US.

The original plan was to lure the leader of the North Side gang, Bugs Moran, to a garage under the promise of a stolen shipment of whiskey, and then commit his murder. However, on the morning of the massacre, most of the Irish gang had arrived at around10.30am and Moran was running late. As one of Capone’s other associates approached the garage he saw a police car pull up and two uniformed officers got out and entered the garage. Moran was then warded away from the warehouse. The two uniformed police were in fact carrying shotguns and ordered the men to line up against the wall.

Two further men then began spraying the victims with gunfire, killing all but one at the scene. The two men then left the warehouse with their hands up, fake police officers behind them in order to give the appearance that everything was under control. Frank Gusenberg was still alive, despite sustaining fourteen bullet wounds, when the real police officers arrived at the scene. He was rushed to hospital and when questioned later his only response was, “Nobody shot me.” He then did three hours later without naming any of the perpetrators.

The St Valentine’s Day massacre is not the only tragedy to have occurred on days that are supposed to be filled with happiness and love. On Christmas Day 1929 43-year-old Charlie Lawson picked up a shotgun and shot his wife and four children at close range. He then laid their bodies outside the house, hands across their chests and committed suicide in the nearby woods.

It was an inexplicable tragedy with no apparent motive for the murders. But the strangest element of the whole affair was that Charlie’s brother Marion opened up the house as a tourist Al Capone

The police investigation was long-winded and eventually inconclusive. They knew that Al Capone’s gang was responsible for the massacre but the police failed to prove it and pin the murders on any specific members of the gang or Capone himself. They suspected Capone gunmen John Scalise, Albert Anselmi, Jack McGurn and Frank Rio, a Capone bodyguard.

However, Scalise, Anselmi and another, Guinta, were murdered

by Capone in May 1929, after he learned of their plan to kill him before he was tried. The murder charges against McGurn were eventually dropped because of lack of evidence and he married the main witness against him, his girlfriend Louise Rolfe to prevent her from testifying. She then became known as the ‘Blonde Alibi’.

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

The History of Santa Claus Santa Claus is the beloved figure of Christmas; his iconic look of a large man with a portly belly, wearing a red coat and hat, with a big white beard is recognised across the world. However, this holiday figure hasn’t always been pictured the way he is today and his origin is a complex story that combines different holiday figures across the world.

The origins of Santa Claus can be tracked to a 4th century priest known as Saint Nicholas. He was a Greek Christian bishop located in Lycia (modern day Turkey). He devoted much of his life to Christianity at a young age and became known for his generosity.

There have been plenty of myths and stories about Saint Nicholas but one story in particular has been told throughout the centuries.

In this story Nicholas met three women whose father was deeply religious but too poor to afford their dowries. No dowries meant that they wouldn’t have been able to marry and due to living in a poor family, they would have ended up becoming prostitutes.

Saint Nicholas knew this and so he gave them their dowries as a present. Each morning one of the daughters would wake up to find a lump of gold under their pillow. In the centuries that followed, the anniversary of Saint Nicholas’ death (6th December) was remembered throughout Europe. On this day people would exchange gifts and take part in feasts and celebrations.

Andrew Price

In the Netherlands Saint Nicholas was celebrated as Sinterklaas, a mythical figure similar to that of Father Christmas. As Dutch people started to immigrate to America they brought over their celebrations and Sinterklaas became known by an English nickname, Santa Claus. Between the 17th and 19th centuries an image of Santa Claus started to grow. In poetry and songs, he was described as a jolly man with a big white beard who travelled across the world delivering presents to children. In 1881 Thomas Nast’s illustration of Santa Claus was on the front cover of Harper’s Weekly January 1st edition. The image titled ‘Merry Old Santa Claus’ depicted Santa as a large, round man with a big white beard wearing a red suit with a white fluffy trim. He had presents under his arm and a pipe in his hand. Thomas Nast is largely credited as drawing the image of Santa Claus that we see today.

Despite the similarities between Santa Claus and Father Christmas, they have very different origins. Father Christmas was born out of the reaction of traditional Christians to the growing influence of Puritans following the Reformation. The Puritans believed that there was little place for large feasts and festivities during religious holidays. In order to defend Christmas festivities, traditionalist Christians personified Christmas as a jolly man who enjoyed feasts and merriment but in moderation. This depiction of Christmas continued to develop across the UK in the centuries that followed the reformation until the 19th century, when it became synonymous with Santa Claus.

The popularity of Santa Claus flourished in the US during the 19th century as shops started to have Santa Claus’ in store and ‘Santa’s Grottos’ started to pop up around the country. 20th century businesses used Santa Claus to advertise their brands during Christmas. Possibly most famously, Coca Cola started to use Santa Claus in their adverts in 1930. There is an urban myth that Coca Cola are responsible for Santa Claus’ red clothes. However, this is incorrect as not only has Santa Claus been depicted wearing red clothes since Thomas Nast’s drawing, Coca Cola aren’t even the first soft drinks company to use Santa Claus in their advertising, White Rock Beverages had used Santa Claus to advertise mineral water in 1915.

It is during the 19th and 20th centuries that the globalisation of Santa Claus started to occur. Each country in Europe would have had their own interpretation of Santa Claus, whether it was Sinterklaas in Netherlands, Pierre Noel in France or Father Christmas in the UK, but many of these started to become synonymous with the USA version of Santa Claus. This trend continued as companies started to become multinational corporations and so the US image of Santa Claus spread across the world.

The Alumni Athletic Club in 1910, Alexander Watson Hutton top @TheMcrHistorian

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

Roman Triumph The Roman triumph was one including military, religious and political aspects. Holding a triumph was the highest honour for a Roman, the peak of a political career. There is no question that it evolved throughout history and this article will enfold the effect of these on the rise of charismatic, autocratic leaders and the fall of the Republic.

The origins of triumph were traced back to Romulus and his first three triumphs. It is evident that early Rome was dependent on military success, therefore on successful generals, who might be a serious threat to the newly established Republic. As a result, they created complex institutional and social frameworks, which were supposed to prevent the rise of such leaders.

As a triumph was a perfect occasion for personal aggrandizement, even stricter regulations were needed: the ius triumphandi. This law circumscribed the occasions, when such procession is allowed, and also let space to the subjective decision of the Senate. The ’appropriate behaviour’ of the general was one of these. If the victorious leader had fallen to the sin of hybris, it was up to the Senate’s discretion to decide about the possibility of a triumph. If they felt that a triumph would be a way great honour, they could give the right to hold an ovatio or a triumph on Mount Alban, which basically counted as lower level triumphs.

Thanksgiving

Karoly Gergely The Romans adopted the ceremony from the Etruscans alongside with its appearance and formalities, but the identification of the glorious general with gods, which was compatible for the Etruscans, was unacceptable for the Roman religion. Therefore, by adopting the triumph they did not automatically adopted its meaning as well. The Romans gave new meaning to an old formula, which basically remained the same for centuries.

However, the triumphs could not resist the change of the times. The serious economic and social developments resulted in a much less egalitarian Roman society and a grave intra-elite competition which finally lead to the fall of the Res Publica. The Republic, as it got bigger and bigger became less controllable within the old institutional framework. The armies displayed loyalties tot generals rather than the ’Republic’, and these leaders used their leverage to hold triumphs as often as they could.

The rivalization inside the elite resulted in such competitions as the one of Marius and Sulla. In the end, these changes resulted in the emergence of Caesar, and even the carefully planned framework of the triumph was not able to prevent this. Because the rising of authoriter imperators was not the result of the triumphs – the changes were so serious that even these checks and balances were not able to hold them back.

Thomas Barnett

To the British observer, the American celebration of Thanksgiving can seem quite a strange and alien affair. In fact Thanksgiving stems from the tradition in many European countries of celebrating the Harvest. However the American tradition is the most well known and widely celebrated.

By March the survivors came ashore, but were greeted with an astonishing surprise from a Native American called Squanto. A member of the Pawtuxet tribe, Squanto earlier in his life had been captured by the English and sold into slavery, before escaping to London and returning home.

Though alike with its European contemporaries in giving thanks for plentiful food, the American experience is further appropriated with the first harvest celebration by the colonists upon arriving on the continent. Yet the story of the first thanksgiving was unknown in America until the mid-19th century. The first ‘thanksgiving’ upon American shores was in fact better known in Britain, as the puritan chronicler, Edward Winslow, had published his account in London - in 1622. Its rediscovery by the American people was prompted by Sara Josepha Hale, a novelist and magazine editor, who 1846 started a national campaign for the recognition of the holiday. In 1863, in the midst of the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln declared that the last Thursday of every November be the national day for Thanksgiving. By the 1870’s the story was taught in schools across the country.

Squanto could now in fact speak English and interpreted for his tribe and the pilgrims. During their first spring Squanto taught the pilgrims how to grow corn, extract sap from trees, catch fish and avoid poisonous plants.

By November of 1621 the new colonists reaped the rewards of their harvest, and invited the Native American tribes they had befriended since their arrival.

Thanksgiving therefore is not just a reimagined Harvest festival as in European tradition, but instead a commemoration of an instance of peace between the Native Americans and Colonists. An event which is often forgotten in the turbulent history of the relationship between Native Americans and the colonists.

Thanksgiving, perhaps more so than the giving thanks and the celebration of the harvest, now acts as commemoration of this account. What is this story that the Americans celebrate every year? The accounts usually centre on the pilgrims on board the ship called the Mayflower. The ship had left Plymouth, on the southern coast of England, in September 1622 and made a 66 day crossing that eventuated in anchoring off the coast of the Massachusetts Bay. Throughout the winter of their first year, most pilgrims stayed on the Mayflower and suffered from scurvy and a number of diseases. Only half of the pilgrims survived this first winter.

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

H E R O

Guy Fawkes

O R

V I L L A I N ?

Thomas Barnett

He wasn’t an anarchist. He didn’t manage to blow up parliament. He wasn’t even the mastermind behind the Gunpowder plot. Why then do we remember Guy Fawkes in the way we do? Why has his very image become synonymous with resistance to authority and promotion of anarchy?

Guido Fawkes was born Guy Fawkes on the 13th April 1570 in York. It is recorded that Fawkes lost his father at the age of eight; his mother then remarried a Catholic man, with Fawkes later converting to Catholicism in a country increasingly abhorrent of his new faith. For about 10 years, Fawkes fought abroad for the Catholic cause in Europe in the Eighty Years’ War and it is here that Fawkes adopted the Italian name Guido for the remainder of his life.

Fawkes returned to England with fellow English Catholic Thomas Wintour, who introduced him to Robert Catesby. The leader of the group, Catesby masterminded the Gunpowder plot with the help of Fawkes, Wintour and 10 other disaffected Catholics to overthrow the Protestant King and Parliament while they sat in November. In charge of explosives, Fawkes was caught guarding the kegs of gunpowder underneath Parliament on the 5th November after a tip off from an anonymous letter.

Upon his capture the government declared that ‘bonfires be lit’ to celebrate the King’s escape from death and for this to be repeated every year. It is from here onward perhaps, that the legacy of Guy Fawkes truly stems from. Defiant when captured, Fawkes remained resolute and unrepentant for his actions. He endured three days of torture, from the 6th to the 9th, until he fully revealed the names of his co-conspirators and their plan – by this time around half of his colleagues managed to evade capture. Fawkes, along with the other conspirators, were hung on the 31st January 1606 and quartered thereafter.

The development of ‘Bonfire Night’ is a history in itself, and something addressed excellently by James Sharpe. However to focus upon Fawkes, the effigies that was burnt on the bonfire on the 5th usually resembled the pope until a development later, in the 19th century, which saw the ‘guy’ burnt on the bonfire. The figure of Fawkes, or the

Pele during a game against Malmö FF in 1960, Brazil won 7-1.

Wikimedia Commons ‘guy’, is now burnt as he is the figure most associated with the plot, perhaps as he remained the only known suspect for a number of weeks. Yet recent developments in the late 20th and 21st century have seen a disassociation of Fawkes and the ‘guy’ in the commemoration of ‘Bonfire Night’ and indeed the ‘guy’ with the 5th generally, as it is now more common to light fireworks instead.

The disassociation of Fawkes and the body of the ‘guy’ with ‘Bonfire Night’ is arguably the most important development in his legacy. It represents a loss in the connotation of treason with Fawkes. Fawkes’ legacy is therefore now in his dissociated image a symbol for resisting ‘oppression’. This symbol has been perpetuated by the ‘V for Vendetta’ comic in the 1980’s and movie adaption in 2005. The mask of the ‘guy’ -or Fawkes- now adorns the faces of the disaffected and disillusioned in modern society at rallies and protests.

The ‘Guy Fawkes mask’ came to its contemporary prominence after the 2005 movie adaption. The movie is set in a future dystopian Britain in which an autocratic Parliament rules. The main character ‘V’ wears the ‘Guy Fawkes mask’ to hide his identity and instead promotes the idea of anarchy and freedom. The film concludes with him –successfullyblowing up Parliament. The global online activist group ‘Anonymous’ famously used the mask in 2006, when battling the Church of Scientology over their censorship of an interview with Tom Cruise. Since then the mask became their symbol and the symbol of many other activists groups fighting ‘oppressive’ authority.

Although unhappy with the state of Catholicism in Europe, Fawkes was not an anarchist and would have happily seen a return of an autocratic Catholic monarch to Britain. Yet this is arguably his legacy. Hero or Villain; it really depends on your interpretation of Fawkes’ legacy and your level of dissatisfaction with the world we live in today.

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

BATTLE OF THE MONTH

The Battle of Poona

James Brannan army. This was seen through the way in which he ordered his army not to harm the civilians of Pune, and how he didn’t arrest the Peshwa when the Holkar had caught up with his after he fled from Pune to Singhagad, but send him food so that he didn’t suffer.

Two days later, on 27th October 1802, Baji Rao II and a number of the solders of Scindia, travelled to Raigad and spent one month in Virwadi, before ultimately arriving in Bassein via a ship named Harkuyan. It was in Hurkuyan that the British offered him a subsidiary treaty which would later become known as ‘The Treaty of Bassein’, which placed Baji Rao II on the throne at Poona through the surrendering of his residual sovereignty, and was signed on 31 December.

Battle of Poona Traditionally, the festival of Diwali (the festival of lights), is said to spiritually signify the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. However, during the 1802 festival, a fierce battle, known as the Battle of Poona, erupted near Pune, India, between the rival factions of the Maratha Confederacy, an Indian kingdom that existed from 1674 to 1818 and, at its peak, covered a territory of over 2.8 million kilometres. This article will examine the causes and impact of this battle and the resulting Second Anglo-Maratha War, as well as the consequences of the battle breaking out during the celebration of Diwali.

Disputes arose when forces of the Scindia, a Maratha clan deriving from Maharashtra, as well as the Peshwa, Baji Rao II (a titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister) were attacked by the Holkar, a rival house in the Maratha Confederacy. Such an attack was inflicted by the Holkar over disagreements of their leader, Maharaja Yashwantrao, and the Peshwa.

These issues included the restoration of Holkar possessions held by Scindia, the sharing of territories in North India between the Holkar and Scindia as settled in the time of Malharrao Holkar, over half a century previous, and the releasing of the son of Malharrao II held captive by Scindia.

As the British had promised within the treaty to place a force of around 6,000 troops to be permanently stationed with the Peshwa in return for territorial districts that would yield the revenue of 26 Lakh rupees, as well as the agreement that Baji Rao II was not to enter into any other treaty without consulting the British; the result was further instability within the Maratha Confederacy centred around a hostility throughout it towards the British, as now Baji Rao II was the protégé of the British, and the Holkar resided within Pune with Yashwantrao as Peshwa.

The Confederacy saw this conceding to the British by Baji Rao II as a surrender to National Honour, and in turn the Second Anglo Maratha War was sparked when the British entered Pune with Baji Rao II to reclaim the lands from the Holkar in May 1803.

This article has shown how the Battle of Poona was central in highlighting the hostile and complex relations between the factions of the Maratha Confederacy and the British in India, and how the actions of the battle resulted in the sparking of the Second Anglo Maratha War. However, it is possible that the festival of Diwali was also of significance in the events leading to the war, as without Yashwantrao’s mercy to Baji Rao II during the battle, he may not have lived to escape and team up with the British.

In an attempt to put a violent end towards these disputes and assert his power, and while continuing negotiations with the Peshwa, Yashwantrao marched towards Pune, conquering cities from Sendhwa to Jejuri, and ultimately arriving at Hadapsar, near Pune, on 25th October, to face the armies of the Scindia and the Peshwa.

The battle took place across the neighbouring cities of Hadapsar, Banwadi and Ghorpadi, and under strict instructions from Yashwantrao, the Holkar army were to halt an assault on the armies of the Scindia and the Peshwa until twenty five cannonballs were fired at them from the other sides.

As soon as they had received the significant assault on them, the Holkar army retaliated, inflicting heavy damage on their opponents and finally achieving victory by the end of the day.

The effect of the battle taking place on Diwali was seen throughout the battle, more so with regards to the actions of Yashwantrao and his Holkar

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Modern day Diwali Celebrations

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

S T A F F I N T E R V I E W

Interview with Frank Mort

James Brannan

gave an example of the Profumo Affair of 1963, whereby the sexual affairs between war minister John Profumo and 19 year old showgirl Christine Keeler were uncovered, made public, and were highly publicised, saturating the media at the time. Likewise, the Cambridge Spy Ring scandal only took off when the set of spies recruited by a soviet scout were out-ted as homosexual, the media focused on both the ‘red threat’ of communism and the ‘pink threat’ of homosexuality.

Professor Frank Mort - Image Credit: The University of Manchester It was a miserable wet and windy Wednesday afternoon and I was on my way back to Manchester from spending a few days at home for reading week, excited at the prospect of interviewing one of my favourite professors, Frank Mort, and to see what interesting facts he was going to share from his expert array of knowledge on cultural histories. I am currently enjoying Frank’s third year module ‘London and Modernity’ and I have been a fan of his since the start of second year, when his lectures in the Winds of Change module brought to life events and scandals such as the ‘Abdication Crisis’ of Edward VIII and consumerism in 1950s Britain.

Frank then outlined how American ‘Hollywood’ culture influenced the British media in this period. He emphasised that the human interest of American journalism pushed for a more intrusive form of reporting. In the 1920s, the media appetite for the exploration of the private lives of famous figures such as film stars, sporting personalities, royalty and politicians, was insatiably. Print media was essential in the dissemination of information surrounding these well-known figures in an era before television.

Having being taught by Frank over the last two years, I have had the honour of hearing many stories that he personally uncovered during his time spent in various archives throughout Britain. He reiterated to me that censorship was an important element in scandal. For instance, the Metropolitan Police commissioned the Board of Customs and Excise which suppressed articles from foreign newspapers involving the affairs of Edward VIII and two times divorcee American socialite Wallis Simpson prior to his abdication on the matter in 1936.

“His journey to become the historical maverick he is today started with his PHD studies in the 70s at the Birmingham Centre for Cultural Studies.”

We started by talking about Frank’s academic past. His journey to become the historical maverick he is today started with his PHD studies in the 70s at The Birmingham Centre for Cultural Studies which formed a thesis on the dangerous sexualities and moral politics in England since 1830. It was here that Frank first touched upon scandal looking at the redefining of sexuality by medical professions in the 19th century, alongside feminist responses.

Frank progressed to studying consumer society and the consumer revolution of the 1950s, masculinity in social spaces, finally publishing his book ‘Capital Affairs: London and the Making of the Permissive Society’ in 2010. Currently, his work focused on a study of monarchy and democracy between 1910 and 1939.

accessible institution.

The conversation then turned to Frank’s interests within the monarchy, and he regaled his fascination of the reign of George V and Queen Mary, between 1910 and 1936. George was seen to follow the conventional and orthodox monarchical stereotype, however, Frank rejected this emphatically, stating that he was a highly misunderstood figure who was dynamic, innovative and who actual helped transform the monarchy into a more democratic and

I ended the interview by asking Frank to provide a book recommendation, he replied with C.V. Wedgewood’s ‘William The Silent’ on William Prince of Orange. I asked if there were any future projects in the pipeline. He mentioned a study of the transnational and pan-European monarchies after the collapse of the ‘old order’ in 1918. I thanked him for his time and left his office with the thought that perhaps there is always more to scandal than meets the eye.

We then touched upon the importance and function of scandal throughout the early 20th century as it allowed the working class to relate to and pry into the lives of members of the upper echelons of society. Frank made the point that there was a tendency in post-war Britain for political scandals to be made public and exacerbated through their sexual elements. He @TheMcrHistorian

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

HISTORY IN 10 PICT U R E S

Christmas Number 1s A

William Bain

D

E B

F C 14

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

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G

J

H

A: Al Martino scores the first UK Christmas Single in 1952 with his single, ‘Here In My Heart’. It topped the charts for 9 weeks.

B:The early-Sixties were dominated by the massive popularity of The Beatles. In 1963, the Liverpool group claimed the first of their four Christmas number ones with, ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ C: In 1973, Slade released the song which singer Noddy Holder refers to as his ‘pension scheme’. ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ stayed at the top of the chart in 1973 for 5 weeks and has remained a classic Christmas anthem ever since.

D: Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ tops the Christmas singles chart in 1975 – and again in 1991 following the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury earlier that year.

E: Pink Floyd achieved the last Christmas number one of the 70s. ‘A n o th e r B ri c k i n th e W a l l ( P a rt I I ) ’ spent 5 weeks at the top as the 80s loomed.

F: One of the most iconic Christmas songs topped the list in 1984. The original project, created by Bob Geldof, featured, among others, Bono, Paul Weller, George Michael and Sarah Dallin singing ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’. The project would again top the charts in 1989 and 2004.

G: The first Christmas number one of the new millennium went to Bob the Builder. ‘Can We Fix It?’ beat off competition from Westlife and became the best-selling single of 2000.

H: Shayne Ward started the X-Factor dominance of Christmas number one singles. ‘T h a t’s M y Goal ’ i n 2005 became the first single to originate from ITV’s talent show to reach Christmas number one. This set a trend for the last decade, with the X Factor winners of 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2014 also achieving Christmas number 1.

I: In 2009 a campaign started on social media ended the X-Factor monopoly of the Christmas number one single in the UK. The campaign, started by DJ Jon Morter on Facebook, called for the public to buy Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing in the Name’ (released in 1992) and to prevent that year’s X-Factor’s attempt at the number one. The campaign rapidly grew. On 20 December 2009, Radio 1 revealed the campaign had been successful; ‘Killing in the Name’ took number one. Rage Against the Machine played a free gig in Finsbury Park, London the next year as a thank you to all those who supported the campaign.

J: With the X-Factor winner’s single due to be released two weeks before Christmas Day, the official charts have predicted that the X-Factor dominance might not be an evitable conclusion this year. Classic Christmas songs, such as those by Mariah Carey, Wham, and Kirsty McColl and The Pogues are predicted to be in with a shot f or 2015’s number one.

@TheMcrHistorian

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

HISTORY IN FEATURES

Marathon

Hannah Woodbridge

Marathons are oneof the most physically demanding sporting events and over 36,000 people compete annually in the London Marathon alone. Yet legend hasit the marathon began with a single runner and an important piece of news.

Inthe summer of490 BC,in the east of Greece, the first Persian invasion of Greece was occurring.Persian forces were more than double that of the Athenians, yet miraculously (with a bit of help from superior equipment and better tactics) the Greeks won and drove Persian forces out of Greece for 10 years.

The myth of the marathon begins here. Stating that after the Battle of Marathon and the victory of the Greeks over the Persians,a young messenger named Pheidippides ran from the battlefield to Athens, a distance of 25.4 miles.He ran the entire distance without stopping while exclaiming ‘victory’and‘we have won’. On his arrival in Athens he delivered news of the great triumph before collapsing and dying.

Another rival myth claims Pheidippides ran between Athens andSparta to ask for help in the war, a distance of150 miles each way. Whichever legend you choose to believe, the strug-gle of running a great distance is crucial to the story, and hence the creation ofoneof the world’s most popular running event.

The marathon was a key event of the first modern Olympics in Athens in1896,asit aimed to show the link between An-cient Greece and modern sporting achievements. Originally male only, the first victor in 1896 hasan equally impressive story as Pheidippides. Spiridon “Spyros” Louis, a Greek water carrier, was the champion outof the seventeen contest-ants. After a Frenchman took the early lead, Spyros stopped at a local tavern to have a glass of wine. However the Frenchman retired from the race dueto exhaustion, and Spyros carried on the with the marathon to eventually win.

Women entered Olympic marathon competitions for the first time in the 1984Los Angeles Olympics, andit was won byAmerican Joan Benoit.

Beyond the Olympics, marathons have been popular with the public for years. After 1908 Olympics ‘marathon mania’spread across the USA, and the origins of the New York Marathonwere founded, with five amateur races being held around the city.Fast forward to the present day, and over 500 races are held annually across the globe. Prize funds for the professionals are in the thousands and the race has expanded beyond men and women to wheelchair races as well.

Marathons are now certainly oneof the world’s most popular sports and are still equally as impressive as when Pheidippides ran the first one.

Winter and Summer Solstice Solstice occurs in June and December, and marks the longest and shortest days of the year, as well as the change of season. It is commonly associated with the ancient European Druids, but many global cultures also hold these times of year as periods of spirituality. ‘Solstice’ means ‘sun stands still’, and hence it has been commonly seen as a peaceful time of reflection for many.

For thousands of years up until the present day, Druids have celebrated the cycles of the universe through winter and summer solstice, believing that everything in existence is interconnected by spiritual energy. Druids also accept that nature is cyclical, and hence governs our movements as characters within this connected world, such as harvest in the autumn and preservation in the winter.

Although there is some evidence that the ancient druids of England did not celebrate solstice at Stonehenge, modern Druids still gather there in the summer and winter solstices, as well as the autumn and spring equinoxes, due to the site’s historically perceived spirituality.

It is important for them to gather beneath the open sky to hold their sunset ceremony, participate in group prayer thanking the elements and the gods, then celebrate the rising sun to mark the end of the solstice, whether it be summer or winter.

Winter solstice in particular has been widely observed amongst different cultures and religions throughout time, for example Christmas was

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Rebekah Shaw

adapted to the time of the solstice – which was possible, as the Gospels do not specify a date for Christ’s birth. There is much discussion over why this date was chosen, with many believing it was deliberately coinciding with the pagan festival of solstice in an attempt to attract or even convert pagans to Christianity. The symbolism of the festival, of the rebirth of the sun, was mirrored in the birth of the Son of God. There was also a Roman feast ‘Saturnalia’ during a week of December celebrating the lengthening of days, and honouring the god Saturn.

Similarly, summer solstice has been reflected in cultures across the world.

Germanic, Slavic and Celtic pagans welcomed summer with bonfires, a practice that is still widely held in European countries today. The Sioux Nation of Native Americans carry out a ritual sun dance at midsummer, a practice that has lasted hundreds of years. For the ancient Chinese, summer and winter solstice represented yin and yang respectively; celebrating earth and femininity in the former, and heavens and masculinity in the latter.

Solstice can be used as a term to encompass the celebrations of these many cultures and religions that herald the change of seasons, from Druid gatherings at Stonehenge to the Native American sun dance. It is interesting to think of this historical tradition in light of current Christmas publicity, and how little global societies truly differ in their timing of seasonal celebration.

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

Culinary Festivals Worldwide

Raiswarya Kishor

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

- Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own Food is one among life’s endless delights. Throughout history, everything to do with food; its capture, cultivation, preparation and consumption; has molded human culture. Civilizations were inadvertently shaped by food as the early agrarian societies formed around the production of food; they developed social structures that allowed some people to focus on farming and others to work outside of agriculture, eventually leading to the stratification of classes.

The use of spices as flavouring was the next great gastronomically motivated game-changer. Because spices often came from other lands than the ones in which they were enjoyed, whole mythologies formed around their source. With such wild stories about the origins of spices, it was no wonder that they were so expensive. Europeans’ taste for spices led them to begin exploring the planet in search of direct access to the sources. This, of course, led to the discovery of new lands, as well as international trade networks through which knowledge and cultures spread.

Since time immemorial, food has been a celebration and unsurprisingly, culinary festivals have evolved on all four corners of the earth. A few of the amusing, bizarre or just plain hilarious ones have been listed in this article for your reading pleasure.

La Tomatina Since 1945, the quaint Spanish town of Buñol has been celebrating the world’s biggest annual food fight. The fight lasts for an hour, after which the whole town square is covered with tomato paste. Fire trucks hose down the streets and participants use hoses that locals provide to remove the tomato paste from their bodies. After the cleaning, the village cobblestone streets are pristine due to the acidity of the tomato disinfecting and thoroughly cleaning the surfaces. Though the first few editions of the festival did not go down well with the local police, now the town is known for little else.

RoadKill Grill The RoadKill Grill cook-off gives visitors the opportunity to sample a wide

The Olney Pancake Race (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons) The Alumni Athletic Club in 1910, Alexander Watson Hutton top centre, Wikimedia Commons The Alumni Athletic Club in 1910, Alexander Watson Hutton top centre, Wikimedia Commons @TheMcrHistorian

La Tomatina (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons) range of dishes, each freshly peeled from the nearest road. Held in West Virginia on September 28 with the unofficial tagline “You kill it, we grill it”. If you’ve ever wanted to sample squished squirrel gravy over biscuits or trampled teriyaki-marinated bear, you know where to go.

Olney Pancake Race The market town of Olney in the county of Buckinghamshire holds an annual Pancake Race on Shrove Tuesday. At the race, participants are required to wear an apron and hold a frying pan in one hand. The tradition is thought to have originated in the 15th century after a woman lost track of time while cooking pancakes. When the bells for mass rang, she ran out of her house with the pan and pancake still in hand.

Monkey Buffet The Lopburi province of Thailand celebrates a culinary festival with a unique twist. The celebrants at this festival are 3000 monkeys living in the area who receive an extensive lunch buffet at the Pra Prang Sam Yot temple. 4000 kilograms of fruits, vegetables, cakes and candies are laid out in the shape of pyramids or just in a simple mat much to the delight of the boisterous simian troops.

Cheese-rolling at Cooper’s Hill Closer to home, Coopers Hill in Gloucestershire is best known for the annual Cheese Rolling festival. On the Spring Bank Holiday, visitors flock to watch competitors race an eight-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a dangerously steep incline. The first person over the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins the cheese. In theory, competitors are aiming to catch the cheese; however, it has around a one-second head start and can reach speeds up to 112 km/h. Although injuries are aplenty, the contest lives on due to its sheer popularity.

Despite their diversity, culinary festival, have one common theme: to celebrate the oneness of humanity. For some, they are emotional experiences that lead down memory lane. For others, they are simply a time to unwind and soak up the spirit of love. Regardless, food festivals are brilliant ways of learning about different cultures and unravelling more pieces in the mystery of our beautiful planet.

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

WOMAN OF THE MONTH

Celebrating Women

Laura Callard

‘Remember the dignity of your womanhood. Do not appeal, do not beg, do not grovel. Take courage, join hands, stand beside us, fight with us’ – Christabel Pankhurst From Christabel and Emmeline Pankhurst to Pragna Patel, throughout history women have fought against the oppressive shackles that bind them to motherhood and the home. Whilst our society is typically viewed through an optic of progression, it would be an oversight to assume that we are free from gender prejudice and discrimination. The fight for gender equality still exists as a reality across the globe.

How many festivals celebrate womanhood? Approaching this question from a typically modern, British perspective, I immediately thought of Mother’s Day. Conforming to the ideological boundaries that have played a role in defining women, this traditional festival reinforces the importance of motherhood and the influential role of mothers within society. Yet the fundamental ideology that cements this celebration within the annual calendar is not without suspicion. Is it a product of gender inequality? A device adopted to remind women of their place within society? Regardless of any potential ulterior motive, it is undeniable that Mother’s Day exists as a form of appreciation; a day when children can express their love and gratitude towards their mothers, thanking them for the work they do in the home and the role they play in shaping their lives.

Floral fixtures for the Bathukamma festival (Image Credit: Wikipedia)

Every year on March 8th, men and women around the world gather to celebrate International Women’s Day. Created as a product of the socialist movement, this annual celebration has gained global recognition; even declared by many countries as a national holiday. Whilst one interpretation adopts the festivities as a declaration of respect, and love towards women, to others it symbolises the achievements of women throughout history. The United Nations uses International Women’s Day to promote political and social awareness, bringing to light the global struggles of women that still exist today. On one hand recognising the progression of women, this celebration also serves as a form of propaganda; furthering efforts to achieve equality. Yet International Women’s Day has frequently existed as a source of contention.

Forced prostitution, rape and acid throwing are mere examples of the violence Indian women face on a daily basis. In 2012, the Delhi gang rape erupted across global media. A 23-year-old was beaten and gang raped by a group of six men on a private bus and later died from the injuries she sustained during the attack. Her death has served to symbolise the struggle against the rape of women, as public protests called for the provision of adequate security for women in India.

Embodying feminine felicitation, every year the Hindu women of Telangana unite to celebrate Bathukamma. A sea of colour, the traditional saris and jewels symbolise the importance assigned to this celebration.

Celebrations of this event have sparked cases of violence in Iran, highlighted by police brutality in 2007 at a rally in Tehran. Clearly gender inequality is not a status of age gone past. There are many who still strive to preserve the gender hierarchies that have dominated societal and political history.

Crimes against women and the fight for equality in India are a frequent feature of national and international media coverage. Whilst the Constitution of India strives to protect the rights of women, it would be naïve to assume they are free from prejudice and discrimination. The victimisation of women exists as a continuous struggle across the county.

The beauty of the women, and the grace of their attire, reflects the splendour of this floral festival. Bathukamma serves to worship Maha Gauri Devi, the patron goddess of womanhood. Festivals, such as Bathukamma, present a united front amongst women. A celebration of womanhood, there is no doubt that those involved can utilised the tradition to evoke feminine pride in the face of oppression.

Many battles may have been won, however the war for global gender equality has not. Celebrating the achievements of women serves as a device to instil a sense of hope and pride within those still subjected to the oppressive and violent nature of gender equality.

Women Across the World (Image Credit: wordpress)

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

What’s going on Around Manchester?

GETTING INTO THE FESTIVE SPIRIT!

Previously mentioned in the November issue, we thought we would remind you again that there’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than at the Manchester Christmas Markets! Spread around the city centre, explore this year’s markets to drink some mulled wine, whilst eating festive food and shopping for unique Christmas presents.

Open: 14th November – 21st December Locations: St Ann’s Square Albert Square Brazennose Street Exchange Street New Cathedral Street The Corn Exchange Corporation Street

THE CHRISTMAS THEATRE SCENE

If you don’t fancy a festive panto, why not see one of Manchester’s finest shows?

The Bodyguard: Dec 8th to Jan 9th 2016 – The Palace Theatre Cinderella: Dec 5th to Jan 3rd 2016 – The Manchester Opera House Hetty Feather: Dec 9th to Jan 10th 2016 – The Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays

NEW YEAR’S EVE:

James Hopkins giving a Heritage Tour

If you wish to write reviews for films or events in Manchester please email: manchesterhistorian@gmail.com

See the New Year in with a bang at some of Manchester’s best venues: Albert Hall: New Year’s Eve with Black Butter Records featuring Rudimental, David Rodigan, Preditah, My Nu Leng B2B OneMan Antwerp Mansion: NYE at Antwerp Mansion Deaf Institute: NYE: Girls on Film Vs. Higher Ground Vs. GOO Gorilla: NYE with Dennis Ferrer and Josh Butler The One Not to Miss: You don’t want to miss Sankeys Warehouse New Year’s Day! With Fatboy Slim announced as the headline act, this is where you want to start 2016!

YOUR DAILY FIX: Mondays: Afterlife - Sound Control Tuesdays: Gold Teeth – Deaf Institute Wednesdays: Juicy – Joshua Brooks Thursdays: P.A.R.T.Y – Sankeys Fridays: Best in Stand Up – The Comedy Store Saturdays: FAC 251 – Factory Sundays: Afterlife MCR – South

The Deaf Institute

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ISSUE 21 | OCTOBER 2015

MANCHESTER HISTORIAN MANCHESTER HISTORIAN is changing READ IT, WRITE IT

The Manchester Historian is a growing magazine seeking writers studying a single or joint honours History degree to write articles, interviews and reviews with an historical slant to chronicle our vibrant and fast-changing world.

In return, the Historian offers a great opportunity for budding journalists to gain experience as well as for students to develop writing and research skills to complement their degree and their employability.

View our previous issues at http://issuu.com/manchesterhistorian No experience is necessary; we are simply looking for an interested and enthusiastic team of writers and contributors. We welcome article suggestions too, so whether you’d like to write it or not, please contact us at any time during the year with your ideas.

TO GET IN TOUCH.

f: facebook.com/TheManchesterHistorian t: @TheMcrHistorian w: manchesterhistorian.com e: manchesterhistorian@gmail.com Behind every story‌ There is History

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www.manchesterhistorian.com

www.manchesterhistorian.com