Lincoln made Thanksgiving a holiday

On Oct. 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation that made Thanksgiving a national holiday.

“I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” the proclamation stated.

At that time, Lincoln saw the proclamation as a peaceful interlude amid the Civil War.

Lincoln’s announcement marked the culmination of a multi-decade campaign by Sarah Josepha Hale to make Thanksgiving into a national holiday. After Lincoln issued his proclamation, states began celebrating Thanksgiving on the same date, thus giving Lincoln the credit for nationalizing the holiday.

Now, many years later, people across the nation look forward to gathering with their loved ones and spreading gratitude thanks to Lincoln.

The Christkindlmarket is here!

Illinois’ favorite holiday market is back in Chicago and the suburbs. The Christkindlmarket, an annual holiday tradition that brings European customs to Illinois, is a favorite among Chicagoans and visitors.

The famous open-air market is inspired by holiday markets in Germany that date back to the 16^th century in Nuremberg. The Christkindlmarket has been an annual tradition in Chicago since 1996 and this year, the market will be in Aurora for its third year.

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Illinois Product Holiday Market returns first weekend in December

The Illinois Product Holiday Market is returning to downtown Springfield, offering a wide variety of vendors and gifts for everyone!

The market will take place Dec. 6-8 at Jackson Street, between Fourth and Fifth Street, located north of the Governor’s Mansion. Finding the perfect gift at the market is like discovering a little piece of holiday magic.

Along with many shopping vendors, the market also offers a wide variety of food that is ready to eat. Some of the tasty Illinois food vendors that you can experience include 17th Street BBQ, Custom Cup Coffee, Peter’s Produce, Zillions Chili, Space Cadets Candy, and many more.

In addition to Illinois products, there will be daily giveaways. Visitors can stop by the Illinois Department of Agriculture tent to take the Illinois Product Pledge, committing to spend $10 of their weekly grocery budget on local items. Those who take the pledge will receive an Illinois Product sticker.

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Illinois Innovation: Brownie Invented in Chicago

• Food
• innovation

Illinois has a storied history of innovation and the brownie is a sweet inclusion to that list of achievements. The brownie has become an American classic with 1.5 billion brownies consumed each year according to the National Brownie Committee of America. Brownies were not always part of the American diet, however, and in 1893 the world would get its first taste of the chocolate desert. 

The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago and its board included the first women to work on a world’s fair in an official capacity.  One of the chairwomen was Bertha Honore, wife of Potter Palmer, who built the famous Palmer House in the Chicago Loop in 1871.  Bertha requested a “chocolate cake-like treat” that could be easily transported for the fair. The Palmer House’s pastry chef, Joseph Sehl, was tasked with and created the first brownie batch, complete with walnuts and apricot glaze.

The brownies were a hit and were featured five years later in a Sears Roebuck catalog and the rest is history. “Bertha’s Brownie” is still served at the Palmer House’s Lockwood Restaurant using the original recipe.