Culture & Traditions

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.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

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?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Social media platforms use algorithms to flag and remove problematic material. "Algospeak" is the workaround and it's broadly influencing everyday language.

By Roger J. Kreuz

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.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

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.

By Laurie L. Dove

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

The seven deadly sins appear in movies, books, and art, but what are they, and who created the list?

By Dave Roos & Zach Taras

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?

By Naomi Cahn & Julia D. Mahoney

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.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Knowing when to use a semicolon is a matter of remembering that a semicolon is a cross between a pause and a period.

By Laurie L. Dove

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."

By Laurie L. Dove

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 & Yara Simón

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

Lowering a U.S. flag to half-staff is a symbol of mourning. But can you get into trouble with the law if you don't lower your own flag? And are there too many half-staff days already?

By Dave Roos

Grab your BFFs, girls. Galentine's Day is coming and we're celebrating like Leslie Knope!

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Y'all, the contraction of the words "you" and "all," is making its move out of the American South to places as far afield as Australia.

By Carrie Tatro

The formation of the 12 tribes of Israel is one of the foundational narratives of the Bible. But nowadays, a new picture of the 12 tribes has emerged.

By Dave Roos

SOS was the most commonly used distress signal from the turn of the 20th century until before WWII. But exactly what does SOS mean?

By Jesslyn Shields

Love bubble wrap? There's a holiday for that. And just about everything else. But who's creating them and why?

By Carrie Dennis

La Pascualita stands silent and still in the window of a bridal shop in Chihuahua, Mexico. Many say she isn't plastic, but the embalmed corpse of the store's former owner.

By Lauren David