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.

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June is Pride Month, when the LGBTQ community comes together to celebrate their struggles and to raise awareness of issues they still face.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Mnemonic devices are little tricks - like acronyms and phrases - that help us memorize important info. Our quiz will test your knowledge of everything from geography to music scales. And every single answer has a fun mnemonic attached.

By Mark Mancini

Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery or just another way of causing offense.

By Danielle Douez

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Today Americans mostly celebrate it as the start of summer. But the annual May holiday has a significant history that's worthy of acknowledgment.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

His theories about the mind's ability to affect the body influenced Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science.

By Tara Yarlagadda

Everyone loves a good pirate yarn, but some well-worn stories about them don't align with genuine history. Today, we be quizzin' ye about real pirates, buccaneer fiction and the scurviest of all holidays. Yarr!

By Mark Mancini

Nineteenth century lawyer and naturalist Peter A. Browne put together the world's greatest collection of ... yes, hair. Today, it's valuable for the DNA it contains.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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Cinco de Mayo is more than margaritas. Learn how the first Cinco de Mayo celebration in the U.S. was in 1863, as a show of solidarity with Mexico against French rule.

By Julia Layton & Kathryn Whitbourne

The millennial generation is steadily increasing in numbers. This group often gets a bad rap from older people, but what's the truth about millennials?

By Alia Hoyt & Jane McGrath

The Easter holiday is on a different date each year. But how is the date determined? Answer: Look to the moon.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

It's called geophagy and it's a relatively common practice all over the world, but nobody's completely sure why.

By Jesslyn Shields

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Nope, it's not the police code for marijuana possession. It has a much cooler origin story. Find out about the meaning of 420.

By Nathan Chandler

People often think agnostics and atheists believe the same things. Where do their positions overlap and where do they differ?

By Dave Roos

Founded by Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus is considered one of the most influential art movements of the 20th century.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Why is April 1 a day to play pranks on others? How did this tradition begin? And are you going to prank someone on April Fool's Day?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors & Ada Tseng

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What's the point of meditation? Are all Buddhists vegetarians and pacifists? What do we misunderstand about Karma? Find out more about Buddhism in our article.

By Dave Roos

Lobster Boy, Monkey Girl, Emmitt the Alligator-Skinned Man - they all called Gibtown home.

By Stell Simonton

March 8, International Women's Day, has been celebrated around the world for more than a century. This year's theme is "Embrace Equity."

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Christians often "give up something for Lent" but why? What is the real reason behind the season?

By Alia Hoyt

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If you think celebrity kid names like Apple and North West are odd, at least they're easy to remember. These five famous people have names so long, you couldn't recall them if you had to.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Mardi Gras turns New Orleans into a hotbed of fun and reveling. This might make the festival's religious ties rather hard to imagine. So did how Mardi Gras get started?

By Kathryn Whitbourne

This historic holiday (held the Thursday before Ash Wednesday) celebrates the day in 1824 when women decided they simply wouldn't take it anymore.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

An existential crisis is different from anxiety over a really difficult decision or even a case of major depression. It's having the thing that gives your life meaning and structure completely shattered.

By Dave Roos

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The annual festival of lights signifies the end of Chinese New Year and the beginning of spring.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

This mass migration totally dwarfs Thanksgiving travel in the United States.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.