Culture & Traditions

Baseball, hot dogs, mom and apple pie. Of all these iconically American things, the apple pie holds a special place in the lexicon of American symbolism, but why?

By Tara Yarlagadda

Even if you hardly know your beta from your zeta, chances are you've used Greek letters at some point in your life. What are they, and why are they so common?

By Alia Hoyt

The typical manger scene features Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and an assortment of animals. But in Catalonia, Spain, there is one more character: a figure with his pants down, taking a poop. But why?

By Nathan Chandler

Halos and robes and wings are how most people think of angels, but these heavenly beings are actually a lot more complex than their popular image. How much do you know about angels' roles, ranks and responsibilities? Take our quiz to find out!

By Alia Hoyt

White elephant. Mean Santa. Yankee swap. These are the holiday parties we live for. But if it feels like yours is getting a bit tired, we've got 10 rules to liven it up this year.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Obituaries do more than just let the world know someone died. They're a chance to pay tribute to someone, advocate for a cause or even settle a score.

By Dave Roos

And it's expressions like 'fake news' (instead of information fallacieuse) and 'cool! that are to blame.

By AFP

Does anyone really know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? Or a hurricane and a cyclone? You're about to learn with the answers to this quiz!

By Alia Hoyt

Once this skinny mark of excitement was mainly the provenance of excited teenage girls and inexperienced novelists. But now we're all peppering our sentences with exclamation marks. Is this a good thing?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

These Advent calendars give new meaning to the phrase "countdown to Christmas." Plus, where did the Advent calendar come from? And what are some of the more unusual takes on it?

By Alia Hoyt

The intricate, circular design of the mandala is used in many religions and cultures to symbolically represent the cosmos and the organizational structure of life itself.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the largest and most popular parades in the United States. And this year is no exception. Find out what makes this annual event such a hit.

By Kathleen Seiler Neary

Military funeral honors, involving a flag presentation and the playing of taps, can be very meaningful to the families of loved ones who served in the U.S. military. Who is eligible and how do you request these honors?

By Dave Roos

You might know the quote but do you know what the speaker was referring to? See how many of these famous quips or disses you recognize.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City may be an iconic symbol of the holidays, but how well do you know this tree-dition?

By Laurie L. Dove

Day of the Dead is not a Mexican version of Halloween. It's a celebration of life - both here and beyond - when the souls of the departed come home for feasting and fun. Here's how it started.

By Dave Roos

In our modern vernacular, the phrase "that's just semantics" has somehow become shorthand to insinuate the speaker has argued something trivial or unimportant. But what does it really mean?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

When your broomstick just won't do, and you're forced to fly the "friendly skies," at least you can feel safe knowing you can still show up dressed to kill.

By Stephanie Vermillion & Nicole Antonio

Many Ghanians honor their dead by burying them in vibrant works of art made by skillful master carpenters. These fantasy coffins are shaped like everything from elaborate fish and lions to limos and even sneakers.

By Mark Mancini

This fall festival is about food, faith, lights and gifts. But please don't call it an Indian Hanukkah.

By Dave Roos

They're ghostly warriors who stride through jungles and towns in brilliant costumes, holding torches. Flee now or risk their wrath.

By Nathan Chandler

As more states are swapping Columbus Day celebrations for Indigenous Peoples' Day observances, does Columbus Day still have any relevance?

By Dave Roos

This Scandinavian lifestyle term has become very popular in the rest of Europe and the U.S. But what does it really mean and how can you incorporate it into everyday life?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

The late Aleister Crowley liked being known as the "wickedest man in the world." But today he's most remembered as a brash cultist who was the father of a strange religion.

By John Donovan

The two terms are often used interchangeably, though they have distinct meanings. We'll explain how they're different.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky