Rhine Aflame, Germany's Independence Day

By Kathy Kovach

Celebrations with fireworks have long been an American tradition to commemorate our independence from British rule. Germany has a similar custom with festivities that last throughout the summer. These events are known as Rhein en Flammen, translated Rhine in Flames or Rhine Aflame.

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Five dates from May to September mark that country’s independence from oppressive tolls. In medieval times, corrupt landowners collected outrageous levies along the Rhine River and its tributaries. The residents celebrate their freedom at various places along the banks throughout the summer. It stretches forty miles from Koblenz to Rüdesheim and includes some forty castles, both fully functional and in ruins. My family enjoyed one in particular that took place along the Upper Middle Rhine, aka the Rhine River Valley.

Marksburg Castle

Take note that these castles along the Rhine aren’t of the opulent palace variety, as were Mad King Ludwig’s lavish and gaudy residences. These were fortified to withstand enemy attacks—fortresses. In German, a schloss is a palace, but a burg is a fortress. The most formidable, in my opinion, was the Marksburg. It wasn’t hard to imagine virile, gallant men strategizing around a rough-hewn table, making plans to lay siege and conquer.

Pfaltzgrafenstein Castle

For a millennium, from 800 to 1800, the castles along the Rhine were used as a form of revenue for the Holy Roman Empire. Chains were stretched from shore to shore to effectively stop shipping merchants traveling along the major commercial thoroughfare. One small fortress was the Pfaltz, a toll booth as it were, built in the middle of the river for the purpose of taking silver coins or an “in kind” toll of cargo from the ships. This practice continued throughout the Roman Empire’s reign.

In the mid-13th Century, when Frederick II died, there was no emperor—and therefore, no accountability. This kicked off a twenty-three-year period called the Great Interregnum. During this time, unscrupulous landowners, or robber barons, took advantage by exacting exorbitant tolls from the merchants. However, they wouldn’t stop there. Cargo would often be pillaged and entire ships stolen. One baron even kidnapped the Queen of Holland. The Rhine League, a coalition formed in 1254, excised swift judgement, capturing the Reitberg Castle and rescuing the queen.

This league, in German called the Rheinischer Bund, was made up of three different factions: 1) cities protecting their own merchants, 2) princely members (upper nobility), 3) knightly members (lower nobility). The nobility owned their own castles and had a legal right to collect tolls. The cities totaled a hundred in all, and there were thirty nobles who participated.

🙶The League sought, through a general peace along the Rhine, for the security of trade routes and suppression of unjust new tolls. The League further sought to reduce the onslaughts of the feudal lords through economic sanctions and the destruction of robber castles.🙷 (Mueller-Mertens, Paterna, and Steinmetz, p. 769; a translation)

Rudolf I

The league policed the area until the first king of Germany, Rudolf of Habsburg, took power in 1273. Using the integrity and methods of the Rhine League, the new king besieged and destroyed the offending fortresses.

The Rheinlanders were so ecstatic that in 1274 they celebrated with fireworks all up and down the Rhine. A celebration that has continued to this day. With several stations along the river, people can either take a party cruise to witness the festivity from the water, or they can post themselves strategically to see several castles as a plethora of fireworks burst forth in grand finale fashion that seemed to last forever at each castle in turn. Flares are also positioned in the windows to symbolize the burning of the robber castles.

It's quite a sight!

We Americans commemorate our independence with bursts of color that represent the rockets red glare and the bombs bursting in air. In like fashion, so do the Germans who escaped an unjust toll system and corrupt landowners who took extreme advantage.

Titanic: Legacy of Betrayal

A TIME-SLIP NOVEL

A secret. A key. Much was buried on the Titanic, but now it's time for resurrection.

Follow two intertwining stories a century apart. 1912 - Matriarch Olive Stanford protects a secret after boarding the Titanic that must go to her grave. 2012 - Portland real estate agent Ember Keaton-Jones receives the key that will unlock the mystery of her past... and her distrusting heart.

To buy: Amazon

Kathleen E. Kovach is a Christian romance author published traditionally through Barbour Publishing, Inc. as well as indie. Kathleen and her husband, Jim, raised two sons while living the nomadic lifestyle for over twenty years in the Air Force. Now planted in northeast Colorado, she's a grandmother and a great-grandmother, though much too young for either. Kathleen has been a longstanding member of American Christian Fiction Writers. An award-winning author, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God's peculiar people.

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Let’s Eat

 By Suzanne Norquist

People around America are planning Fourth of July festivities and other outdoor fun. Menus include hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, apple pie, and more. But are any of these foods really American? And what did the colonists eat to commemorate our country’s independence?

In 1776, the Founding Fathers celebrated at Philadelphia’s City Tavern. There wasn’t a hot dog in sight. Not a hamburger. Nor a watermelon. Legend has it that John Adams and his wife ate turtle soup, salmon, and peas.

The following year, in 1777, fireworks marked the first anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Revelers likely enjoyed these same foods, which became a tradition.

The soup remained on the menu for many years. However, with a decline in the turtle population, cooks switched to mock turtle soup (made with veal). However, this difficult-to-prepare dish didn’t taste the same.

In early July, the salmon run, and new peas are ready to harvest, making them a natural choice for the national celebration. Many New Englanders still serve the combination on Independence Day.

With wild pigs abundant in the south, barbequed pork joined the celebrations relatively early. It was an easy way to feed a large crowd. Other meats were barbequed as well. As settlers from the south moved west, they took the tradition with them.

Hot dogs didn’t come to America until the late 1800s. A German emigrant is believed to have sold the first hot dogs, called “dachshund sausages,” out of a food cart in New York. By 1893, they were a favorite at baseball games.

Hamburgers are also said to hail from Germany. However, a Danish restaurant owner claims to have cooked the first hamburger patty in 1900. Read the May 14th Heroes, Heroines, and History Blog for the whole story.

Another German dish to grace our tables is potato salad. It spread throughout Europe and came to the United States in the 1800s.

Dutch and German emigrants introduced apple pie. Which begs the question, why do we say, “As American as apple pie”? As the colonists distanced themselves from England, they left behind traditional English foods like scones and bread pudding and adopted new desserts. So, apple pie is considered American because it represents the break from the old kingdom.

Ice cream actually appeared in ancient Persia and made its way to ancient Greece and Rome. Later, it showed up in Europe and America. However, it wasn’t a treat for the masses until the invention of electric freezers.

Native Americans served baked beans before settlers arrived in the new land. The colonists adopted the dish—probably because it reminded them of pease porridge, a common English dish made from legumes.

We can also thank Native Americans for corn on the cob. They ate it before European settlers arrived. First cultivated by native people in Mexico, corn spread northward from there.

Ancient Egyptians harvested watermelon and selectively bred the unappetizing fruit until it tasted good. Over the years, it made its way around the world as a cherished treat in the dry seasons.

Americans came from many countries to create a unique culture. So, it is only fitting that we celebrate our heritage with a feast that blends many traditions. This melting-pot menu should be celebrated nearly as enthusiastically as our American heritage. Something to remember as you chow down and watch fireworks this year.

***

 

”Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection

Four historical romances celebrating the arts of sewing and quilting.

Mending Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist

Rockledge, Colorado, 1884

Sarah seeks a quiet life as a seamstress. She doesn’t need anyone, especially her dead husband’s partner. If only the Emporium of Fashion would stop stealing her customers, and the local hoodlums would leave her sons alone. When she rejects her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through other means. But will his efforts only push her further away?

 

Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas, “A Song for Rose” in A Bouquet of Brides Collection and “Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.

History of Fireworks in the United States

 

Blogger: Amber Schamel

 Happy early Independence Day, everyone! To honor the celebration, I thought we would take a historical dive into one of the most iconic elements of this holiday: fireworks.

Fun fact: The official name for "fireworks" is actually "pyrotechnics."

An illustration of a fireworks display from the 1628-1643
edition of the Ming dynasty book Jin Ping Mei.
Public Domain

The first known fireworks originated in China. Most historians believe during the Song dynasty, around 950 AD. The first versions of this incredible invention placed an early form of gunpowder inside a hollow bamboo rod.  Pyrotechnicians in China were respected for their work, and the development of such low-level explosives became an independent profession included in many displays and celebrations. 

Fireworks were introduced to the Europeans by Marco Polo in the thirteenth century, so by the time the pilgrims came to the United States, they brought with them a love of fireworks. They were used in numerous celebrations before Independence Day. So what made them so iconic with July 4th?

 

An etching of the Royal Fireworks display -1749.
Public Domain

Fun fact: Americans spend around $1 Billion dollars on fireworks each July 4th.    

Well, fireworks seemed to be in the plan from the very beginning. John Adams, when writing to his wife about the adoption of the Declaration said this:

"I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." (Emphasis mine.)

 Apparently when John Adams envisioned Independence Day anniversaries, he saw fireworks in his mind's eye. Not surprising then, is that the very first July 4 celebration included a large display of fireworks, along with salutes from cannons. The cannons were phased out, however the fireworks stuck. By 1898 a reporter noted that “the American Fourth of July is the greatest event the maker of firecrackers knows.” 

Fun Fact: Pyrotechnicians did not develop colored fireworks until the 1830's.

The development of fireworks is not only a profession and art, but also a science. If you're curious about how fireworks get their colors, this invention was made by Italian pyrotechnicians in 1930. Here's a Youtube Video explaining the science behind firework colors.

Fireworks behind the Washington Monument
Public Domain

 Not-So-Fun-Fact: Did you know that Cherry Bombs were first used as weapons during the American Civil War? They were banned in 1966, however Keith Moon weaponized them again  by using illegal cherry bombs to blow up toilets in hotels.

Fireworks are amazing fun, and a wonderful way to celebrate Independence Day! But please also remember to be very careful. In 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 10,000 injuries from July 4th fireworks. 36% of those were children under the age of 15. So PLEASE, make sure you and your children are safe while celebrating this year. 

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  

She lives in Colorado Springs near her favorite mountain, in a small “castle” with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a new mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Things That Go Boom in the Night

By Cindy Regnier

 It’s that time of year again, time to celebrate our country and our freedom. My family operates a fireworks stand so as we prepare for the 2021 holiday, I wondered just how long firecrackers have been around. Did someone invent them sometime after 1776 to be used in our Independence Day celebration? Nope. Turns out people were enjoying firecrackers centuries before our forefathers signed that Declaration.

Though no one really knows for sure, many historians think that fireworks originated around A.D. 800. Chinese alchemists mixed saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal to make a crude gunpowder, apparently in search of a recipe for eternal life. They packed the powder into bamboo shoots and threw them into a fire creating a loud blast. Once they realized what they had made, the Chinese came to believe that these explosions would keep away evil spirits. 

  These firecrackers were used in celebration of the most important events in life – a birth, a wedding, a death, holidays, and coronations. By the 10th century, the Chinese had figured out that they could make bombs with the gunpowder, and so they attached firecrackers to arrows that they shot at enemies. Within the next 200 years, fireworks were honed into rockets that could be fired at enemies without the help of an arrow, a concept still used today in firework shows.

Fireworks eventually spread to Europe to celebrate military victories and were later used in public celebrations and religious ceremonies. Legend has it that Captain John Smith set off the first fireworks display in the American colonies in Jamestown, Virginia in 1608. Furthermore, fireworks were likely used in the very first 4th of July celebration. John Adams wrote in a letter, "The day will be most memorable in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade … bonfires and illuminations [fireworks] … from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore." His prediction was right, and the tradition began in 1777 and every year since then.

You knew I couldn’t make it to the end of this blog without mentioning Laura Ingalls Wilder. Laura described the Fourth of July Celebration like this: The music was so gay; the bandsmen in their blue and red and their brass buttons tootled merrily, and the fat drummer beat rat-a-tat-tat on the drum. All the flags were fluttering and everybody was happy, because they were free and independent and this was Independence Day. ~Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

In the books, Independence Day was always glorious.The sun shone and everybody reveled in their pride in being American. Of course, life isn’t always like that. Take the 4th of July in 1881, for example. This is the year of the Independence Day Laura described in Little Town on the Prairie. In her version, the town gathered around the flagpole, where the Declaration of Independence was read and Star Spangled Banner was sung. There was free lemonade and horse races, and politician handed out firecrackers. All under a shining sun with a happy crowd. The 38-star flag flew over De Smet, and the rest of the nation, in 1881.

Illustration by Garth Williams, in Farmer Boy, c. HarperCollins

In actuality, July 4, 1881 was a wet, gloomy day in De Smet, South Dakota. Any readings, speeches, or singing took place inside the hardware store. There was no Pledge of Allegiance, because it hadn’t been written yet – that would come about a decade later. And the crowd wasn’t happy all day. President Garfield had been shot 2 days earlier. News of this tragedy and worry for the President’s life (he lived 80 days before dying of infection from the wound) would have dampened the spirits more than the rain.

But telling that story isn’t celebratory and surely Laura wanted the children who read her books to learn a sense of patriotism and freedom. Certainly, Laura would have enjoyed fried chicken and lemonade, rousing speeches and songs, horse races and fireworks on various Independence Days, so she drew on these experiences, combined them, and gave us an iconic vision of what the 4th of July should be.

How do you celebrate the Fourth of July? I’d love to hear about it in your comments.

 

Rand isn't looking for love. He'd ridden that trail. He needs a wife to care for his orphan nieces. Desperate, he places an advertisement and hopes for the best. Fleeing her former employer who would use her to further his unlawful acts, an advertisement reads like the perfect refuge to Carly. Escaping the danger to hide herself on a Kansas cattle ranch is her best shot for freedom. But sanctuary comes with a price.While marrying a man she doesn't know or love means sacrificing her dreams, it's better than being caught by the law. Or is it?