History-Sode | Harvest Celebrations
This Thanksgiving, travel the world with Auntie Jo Jo to explore how different cultures give thanks. 🌍From Britain’s Harvest Festival and Canada’s October Thanksgiving, to Japan’s Labor Thanksgiving Day and India’s bright Pongal, discover how gratitude and celebration look around the globe.Sources:Smithsonian Magazine, “Harvest Traditions Around the World.”National Geographic Kids, Global Thanksgiving and Harvest Celebrations.Japan Times, “Kinrō Kansha no Hi: Japan’s Day of Thanks.”BBC Good Food, “History of the British Harvest Festival.”Cultural India, Pongal: The Festival of Harvest.
27 Nov 20252min
The Baker Who Measured in Heartbeats
In the town of Windmere, a kind baker named Juniper Bly never used a timer, she baked by the rhythm of her own heart. 💛When her beloved oven breaks, the whole town bands together to help her rebuild it and learns that the best recipes aren’t measured in cups or spoons, but in kindness, patience, and community.Inspiration:Folklore themes of communal care and craftsmanship drawn from European fable traditions (The Folklore Society, UK).Historical inspiration from 19th-century “moral tale” collections, Library of Congress American Folklife Center.Smithsonian Institution Archives, Cultural Traditions in Baking and Sharing Bread.“The Storytelling Power of Food,” National Museum of American History blog, 2022.
25 Nov 20255min
History-Sode | When Women Won the Ballot Box
Not so long ago, half the population couldn’t vote but brave women changed that forever.In this inspiring History-Sode, Auntie Jo Jo shares the story of the women’s suffrage movement, from the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.Meet voices like Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Ida B. Wells, who marched, spoke, and dreamed of a day when every voice could be heard.Sources:National Women’s History Museum, The 19th Amendment: Women’s Right to VoteLibrary of Congress, Votes for Women: The Struggle for Women’s SuffrageNational Archives, 19th Amendment Ratification DocumentsNational Park Service, Women’s Rights National Historical Park – Seneca Falls ConventionSmithsonian Magazine, “How Suffragists Changed the World.”
20 Nov 20252min
The Clockmakers Promise
In the misty town of Maplebridge, an old clockmaker gives a young boy a brass watch that doesn’t tick, well not yet at least. Years later, one single sound will remind them both that some promises never run out of time.✨ Plus, a quick update about Auntie Jo Jo’s new podcast Legacy Lore, now streaming on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!Sources / Inspiration:National Watch and Clock Museum, The History of Timekeeping in AmericaBritish Horological Institute, Origins of the Modern ClockmakerSmithsonian Institution Archives, American Innovations in HorologyLiterary inspiration from early 20th-century morality fables and mentorship tales preserved in the Library of Congress Folklife Archive.
18 Nov 20255min
History-Sode | How Thanksgiving Became a Holiday
Before Thanksgiving meant turkey dinners and parade floats, it started with one determined woman and a very important letter. In this History-Sode, Auntie Jo Jo tells the story of Sarah Josepha Hale — the author of Mary Had a Little Lamb — who spent 17 years writing to presidents to create a national day of gratitude.Her persistence finally reached Abraham Lincoln, who made Thanksgiving a holiday during one of the hardest times in American history.It’s a story about hope, kindness, and how one voice can make a difference. Sources:Library of Congress, Primary Documents in American History: Thanksgiving Proclamation (1863)Smithsonian Magazine, “The Woman Who Made Thanksgiving a National Holiday”National Archives, Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving ProclamationNational Museum of American History, Sarah Josepha Hale Papers
13 Nov 20252min
The Lantern in the Window
In a quiet seaside village, an old widow named Mrs. Merrin lights a lantern in her window every night even during the fiercest storms.When the townspeople question why she keeps the flame burning, they soon discover that her simple act of kindness can guide more hearts than any lighthouse ever could.
11 Nov 20253min
History-Sode | Guy Fawkes Night
Long before fireworks were just for fun, one bold plan nearly changed England forever.In this History-Sode, Auntie Jo Jo takes you back to 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his fellow plotters tried to blow up Parliament and how that failed attempt became Britain’s glowing November tradition: Bonfire Night.Sources:UK Parliament Education Centre, The Gunpowder Plot ExplainedHistoric UK, “Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot”BBC History Extra, “The Real Story Behind Bonfire Night”National Archives (UK), Primary Sources from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605
6 Nov 20253min
The Little Leaf that Waited
With gentle wind, a wise old tree, and a surprise landing, Linden learns that sometimes waiting doesn’t mean missing out, it means finding your perfect moment.
6 Nov 20253min
