Believe it or not

Madly somewhat related events follow.

On this date in 1644, the observance of Christmas was outlawed in England -- can you say civil war & Cromwell? Sure you can.

Six years later, Edinburgh Castle (which btw, had had a blush with plague in 1644) surrendered to said same Roundheaded Cromwell.

Ninety-nine years after the observation was outlawed, Dickens' A Christmas Carol was first published.

In another important Christmas related moment, corrugated paper was patented by one Albert L. Jones on this date in 1871.

Other stuff happened on this day, including some of my what's up with women's moments, but in the stays with the theme mode, the one that matters is that Robert Ripley started his Believe it or not column in the New York Globe -- no, no, really.