Culture & Traditions
Cultures and Traditions takes a look at how people interact with each other. This might be through sub-cultures, relationships, fads or religion and spirituality.
Inside LA's Forest Lawn, Where the Biggest Celebrities Rest in Peace
Is Human Composting the Greenest Burial Option?
What's With Germany's Strict Burial Regulations?
Try a Tattoo Without the Commitment
Ways to Keep Your Old Tattoos Looking Fresh and New
The Nose Knows: 5 Questions to Ask Before a Septum Piercing
What in the World Is a 'Shoey'?
Did You Know It's 2015 in Ethiopia Right Now?
What Are the 10 Largest Cities in the World by Population?
Who Was the First Person to Speak English?
How 'Algospeak' Subverts Online Shadow Banning
Januarius, Februarius, Mars, Aprilis? How Each Month Got Its Name
What's the Science Behind Mood Rings?
10 Things We Love to Hate About the '70s and '80s
Celebratory Yard Signs Are Having a Major Moment
5 Family Traditions for New Babies
5 Family Anniversary Traditions
5 Family Traditions for Daughters
The Evil Eye's Ancient Power Still Resonates Today
La Pascualita: Bridal Shop Mannequin or Embalmed Corpse?
What Is the Real Meaning Behind 'Ring Around the Rosie'?
What Are the Most and Least Popular Birthdays in the U.S.?
The Firm vs. the Family: How Does the British Monarchy Really Work?
What's the Difference Between a Duke and an Earl?
How the Millennial Generation Works
Millennials Are Making Birthday Cards a Thing Again
Nope, Boomers and Xers Don’t Work Harder Than Millennials
The Bloody Origins of the Phrase 'Caught Red-Handed'
60 Cheeky British Slang Words and Phrases
How the Word 'Hack' Became So Hacked
Celebrate Galentine's Day, Leslie Knope Style
National Bubble Wrap Day? Who Is Making Up These Weird Holidays?
Mexico's Night of the Radishes, a Quirky Christmas Tradition
West Point's 'Goat' Isn't the Greatest, It's the Last in Class
Can You Get in Trouble for Not Flying the U.S. Flag at Half-staff?
What Are the Most Common Last Names in the World?
Who Keeps the Ring if the Engagement Ends in a Breakup?
Is Sleeping in Separate Beds a Relationship Buster?
There's More Than One Way to Be Monogamous
It Takes 9,000 Steps to Reach China's Fanjingshan Temple
When Did Jesus Die? Scholars Are Divided
What Are the Seven Deadly Sins?
Check Out the Human Library, Where the Books Are People
Reading the Rails: What Was the Hobo Code?
Afrofuturism: Where Technology, Culture and the Black Experience Meet
Quiz: Finish That Jingle!
How One Woman Unexpectedly Became the Voice of Siri
There's a Healthier Way to Consume Your Media
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Some months are bursting with popular birthdates and others are stone cold out of the picture. Which are the most and least popular birthdays and why?
By Alia Hoyt
Located on Mount Fanjing in China, the Temple of the Buddha and Maitreya Temple sit impossibly atop a spindly rock formation, more than 7,600 feet (2,336 meters) above sea level.
English may be the most spoken language in the world, but it wasn't always. So who started speaking it first?
By Ad Putter
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It's a curious West Point graduation tradition – a special award is presented to the cadet who has the lowest GPA. But West Point graduates are proud to get it. Here's why.
By Dave Roos
There are plenty of examples of people being caught red-handed in real life. But what does it really mean?
British slang is known to contain some of the most colorful colloquialisms in the world, so queue up as we bandy about a few cheeky ones.
By Alia Hoyt
The word "hack" has evolved so much over time that, instead of suggesting a shadowy criminal act, it now means you've found the very best way to do something.
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Mood rings were an extremely popular fad in the 1970s. How do they change color, and can they really tell your mood?
By HSW Contributors
There are no books at this library; instead you check out people. Why? To talk to them and help shatter the stereotypes that divide us.
Surely you've heard the phrase before. You've probably used it. But where did it come from and what is the meaning behind it?
Social media platforms use algorithms to flag and remove problematic material. "Algospeak" is the workaround and it's broadly influencing everyday language.
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Belief in the evil eye has existed since at least 3300 B.C.E. and is found in Jewish, Islamic and Christian cultures of the Mediterranean and Middle East. But why has belief persisted for so long?
By Dave Roos
"Then" and "than" have confused some people for ever — probably because they sound alike. However, there's an easy way to know which word to use.
Who's got the lowdown on whose birthday it is today? "Who's" and "whose" are always a challenge to get right, but we've got some pro tips.
Jesus's death and resurrection are celebrated by Christians either in March or April (depending on the year) and there is no agreement as to the actual dates of the events. So, when do most scholars think Jesus died?
By Dave Roos
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We've seen the words in movies, books, art, and even anime, but what are the seven deadly sins? And who came up with the list?
By Dave Roos
As many as one in five engagements end before the couples ever marry. So who walks away with the engagement ring when nobody walks down the aisle?
There were some totally awesome things about the decades that span the 1970s and 1980s. But man, are there things we're glad to leave in the past. Here are 10 of them.
Knowing when to use a semicolon is a matter of remembering that a semicolon is a cross between a pause and a period.
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While 33 is often the "go-to" answer to the question of how old was Jesus when he died, many scholars doubt that age is accurate.
By Dave Roos
These two words are often used interchangeably and incorrectly, so here's how to know when to use "affect" vs. "effect."
Harry Styles drank from his shoe onstage in Perth, Australia. Why in the world would he do that?
By Liz Giuffre
More and more couples seem to be opting to sleep in separate beds or even separate bedrooms. But is this necessarily a bad thing, or could it be saving countless relationships?
By Alia Hoyt
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The fad for abbreviations like LOL is nothing new. In fact, this trend in the 1840s spawned the greatest abbreviation of all, "OK." Let's look at the history behind "America's greatest word."
By Dave Roos
The Ethiopian calendar is seven years behind the Gregorian calendar, and time is measured there on a 12-hour clock.
By Carrie Tatro