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Holidays

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food

Make Nowruz Magic With Samanu

Eat the spring.
Andrew Coletti March 17, 2025
Dyeing the Chicago river green has been a St. Patrick’s Day tradition since 1962.
saints

The Color of St. Patrick's Day Wasn't Always Green

Ireland’s patron saint was once dressed in blue—before his holiday got its signature hue.
Bryan McGovern March 17, 2025
The Loony Dook.
List

13 Unusual Places to Ring in the New Year

Cold plunge, burn, or dance your way into a new year.
Roxanne Hoorn December 27, 2024
Årsgång is the Swedish tradition of a solitary, night-time walk in the forest is just one of many spooky folk stories surrounding the New Year.
witchcraft

Spooky Winter Holiday Lore: Our Favorite Reads

From Christmas goblins to a New Year’s ghost-horse, these creepy tales are sure to keep you in the holiday spirit.
Roxanne Hoorn December 27, 2024
One could say pine needles look a lot like cleaning bristles.
trees

5 Unconventional Christmas Tree Stories

From the surprising connection between trees and toilet brushes to a guide for eating your Christmas tree.
Roxanne Hoorn December 24, 2024
Less terrifying than a traditional <em>Krampuslauf</em>, these breads are a holiday treat.
holidays

Make Krampus Bread This Holiday Season

Introducing the edible version of the least-cuddly Christmas creature.
Diana Hubbell December 23, 2024
List

17 Can’t-Miss Christmas Places to Visit

From Santa’s workshop to the land of candy-cane stripes, these locales will put you in the Christmas spirit.
Roxanne Hoorn December 20, 2024
Neuhausen, Germany

Nussknackermuseum Neuhausen

Home to the world's largest collection of nutcrackers.
Gifting animals, games, and cakes.
games

5 Tales of Bizarre Holiday Gift-Giving

From elephants and hippos to fanfiction and sheep-shearing cake—what are you gifting this year?
Roxanne Hoorn December 5, 2024
Uummannaq, Greenland

Santa's House

Danish children are taught that Santa lives in Greenland, at this exact cabin.
The church of St. Colmar in winter
Itinerary

The Explorer’s Guide to Winter in Germany

Packed with more surprises than an Advent calendar
<em>Atlas Obscura: Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders</em>.
holiday

11 Niche Gifts for Your Unconventional Loved Ones

Presents they didn’t know to put on their wishlists.
Rachel Rummel November 19, 2024
I'll be using <em>jamun</em> juice in my menu for its bright purple color.
holiday

'Diwalloween' Means Lights, Sweets, and Spooky Treats

How do you celebrate two feasts in one?
Andrew Coletti October 28, 2024
Lindsborg, Kansas

1904 World's Fair Swedish Pavilion

A preserved relic of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and a center of Swedish American Culture.
Galveston, Texas

Juneteenth Monument at Ashton Villa

The statue, located at a mansion-turned-emancipation museum, honors Galveston’s history as the birthplace of Juneteenth.
Dance performances are a major part of Yhyakh celebrations.
festivals

In the Siberian Arctic, New Year Comes in June

Yhyakh is the summer holiday we all need.
Andrew Coletti June 17, 2024
Made of paper, bamboo, and found items, enormous, fearsome ogoh-ogoh figures are carried during Ngrupuk parades the night before Balinese New Year and then burned.
mythology

Meet the Creatures and Creators Behind Bali’s Parade for Banishing Evil Spirits

On the night before the Balinese New Year, villagers bring monsters to life—and then burn them.
Roxanne Hoorn May 1, 2024
A Victorian-era sitter is clamped into position using a metal frame before having his portrait taken.
vampires

7 Crazy True Stories About the Victorian Era

Plus three that are, sadly, just myths.
April White February 23, 2024