Culture & Traditions

Yes, you read that right. There are several options for renting Christmas trees. They're more eco-friendly and way more convenient.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

A tombstone that features the deceased hobbies? Sure. A personalized playlist playing during the celebration of life? Check. Yep, the business of death isn't quite so gloomy anymore.

By Adina Solomon

In the Netherlands, children get gifts from St. Nicholas, who's accompanied by his servant Zwarte Pieten (Black Pete), always wearing blackface. Many Dutch denounce him as racist while others claim it's just part of the culture.

By Dave Roos

Groups of animals sure have some funny names. You can thank the Book of St. Albans for that.

By Jesslyn Shields

The Incas were technologically advanced but never invented a system of written language. Turns out, they encoded more in textiles than we could have imagined possible.

By Jesslyn Shields

The price of the average American Thanksgiving increased about 14 percent over last year. Why so much? Blame the supply chain crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, of course.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

The Thanksgiving holiday started out very differently from our modern celebration of gluttony. How much do you know about Thanksgiving history myths? Take our quiz and find out!

By Nathan Chandler

This tiny village in upstate New York has been channeling spirits since the 1800s.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

A popular Native American aphorism says, "It's not about what you claim, it's about who claims you."

By Dave Roos

Checking your kids' candy for poison or sharp objects? Locking up your black cat so it doesn't get snagged by a Satanist? Maybe you can relax after finding out the real stories behind these urban legends.

By Dave Roos

The famous 1954 letter in which Albert Einstein rejected the concept of God was sold at Christie's auction house for $2.9 million.

By Patrick J. Kiger

If the creator of the electric slide had his way, we'd all be sued for doing the dance wrong.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

Although many people use the two terms interchangeably, they don't mean the same thing.

By Dave Roos

In the search for a lost monastery in Scotland, archaeologists came across an unexpected find – an ancient stone game board.

By Stell Simonton

Who is Jim Roberts and the people who fervently follow his doomsday prophecies?

By Diana Brown

They're worshipped by 'cargo cults' on the Pacific Island of Tanna. What can their ideals tell us about our own political and social beliefs?

By John Donovan

That plump statue of a 'Laughing Buddha,' often seen in Chinese restaurants, has little to do with the ascetic founder of Buddhism. So how did the two get conflated?

By Dave Roos

Love your sexy red-soled Louboutins? Did you know that way before they came along, high heels were worn by men as a sign of power and privilege?

By Carrie Tatro

Until he was found dead on Aug. 23, 2022, a solitary man with a mysterious, but certainly horrific, past went about his business, alone in the Amazonian jungle.

By Jesslyn Shields

Although Muslim-majority countries are often in the news, many people don't know that much about Islam. Here, we answer some often-asked questions about the world's second-largest religion.

By Dave Roos

How did this natural tic become the signal for so many social expressions?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Have you ever felt like a movie or TV show eerily predicted an actual event? There's a name for that.

By Diana Brown

InfoWars publisher Alex Jones has millions of followers. He regularly espouses conspiratorial stories. Are they fact or fiction?

By Diana Brown

The nation's most prominent military burial ground is projected to run out of space as soon as the early 2040s. That may lead to a tightening of restrictions on who is eligible to be interred there.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Imaginary friends have nothing on tulpas. These are "entities" people believe will to life in their minds — complete with feelings, thoughts and experiences.

By Diana Brown