The holiday season is right around the corner and gift shopping right along with it. Sometimes it can be difficult to find the perfect gift for family and friends. We have compiled a list of 10 gift ideas to help you start your holiday off right. 1-Keepsake Ornaments Pick one of the lovely ornaments from the Pittsburgh series for the Yinzer in your life or
Read the Full Article →While the Pilgrims and Native Americans jubilantly celebrated the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock in 1621, Pittsburgh was not privy to this celebration until 1756, more than one hundred years later. Nevertheless, Pittsburgh’s first Thanksgiving was one filled with historical significance and festivity, and helped to set the foundation for our feasts of today. War and Peace During the French and Indian War (1754-1763) the
Read the Full Article →Since 1953, the lighting of the Horne’s tree has signified the beginning of the holiday season in Pittsburgh. The 100-foot tall Christmas tree goes up on the corner of the old Joseph Horne’s Department store building at Penn Avenue and Stanwix Street. The tree that wraps around the corner of the seven-story building has more than 2,500 lights and more than 2,000 ornaments. It is
Read the Full Article →It is finally November, and along with the anticipation for the upcoming holidays comes the inevitable focus of shopping. While we love to spread seasonal cheer by spoiling our friends and family with gifts and goodies, it is also important to step back from the commercial world. Recently, we were able to interview Reid Carpenter, founder of Amen to Action. Amen to Action is dedicated
Read the Full Article →I will never forget the morning of Saturday October 27th, 2018. What was a relaxing morning at home watching national news with my family soon became a chaotic blur of intense emotional heartbreak and the constant shrill ringing of my house phone- with worried family and friends on the other end. The shock of reading the words “Mass Shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue” scrawled
Read the Full Article →The mention of Cinco de Mayo often brings to mind bright colors, refreshing alcoholic drinks, and a celebration of the Mexican people. Indeed, Americans love any reason to celebrate, allowing the true meaning of Cinco de Mayo to be lost beneath fluttering piñatas and the glitters of alcohol-fueled parties. But fear not, because of Popular Pittsburgh’s never-ending thirst for knowledge, we’ve got the history behind
Read the Full Article →For the roughly 15 million Jewish people across the globe, celebrating Passover is an extraordinarily important part of their faith. However, a large portion of people (Jews included) are left in the dark when it comes to the reasons behind the various customs attributed with it. With that in mind, lets discover “why is this night different from other nights?” as stated in the Haggadah.
Read the Full Article →I was sitting in the sauna with a few other women, one of whom was Chinese. She asked one of the others there if they had a nice Easter? The woman replied that she did. Then the woman from China posed a question that stumped all of us sweating in the sauna. Why do people eat ham on Easter? No one could offer a reason,
Read the Full Article →You may think that Punxsutawney Phil slumbers in his burrow the year round only to rise early once a year on February 2, Groundhog Day, to greet his devotees and hand down his weather wisdom. But Phil is the original party animal. There are so many events and parties leading up to his big day, that we suspect the furry fellow needs to hole-up until
Read the Full Article →On November 17, 2017, the Museum of the Bible opened in Washington, D.C., and if the vast crowds lining up to get inside it are any indication, this new museum is a hit of epic proportions. Located three blocks from the National Mall, at 400 4th Street SW, the privately funded museum is housed in a former refrigeration warehouse and is a short walk from
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