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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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!
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
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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?
Love bubble wrap? There's a holiday for that. And just about everything else. But who's creating them and why?
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
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Ever wondered why the first month of the year is called January? Or why September comes from the Latin word for seven when it's the ninth month? Here's how each month got its name.
By Carrie Tatro
Every December 23rd in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico, radishes come to life, as carvers compete for cash and bragging rights in this veggie-style Christmas tradition.
The 1800s saw the birth of many of the Christmas customs, from Santa Claus to lights, that we know and love today.
By Kate Morgan
We use these abbreviations all the time, but what do they actually mean?
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The resolutely bipartisan White House Christmas ornament has been an annual tradition since 1981 and is a big fundraiser too.
By Alia Hoyt
We all grew up playing 'Ring Around the Rosie.' But what does it even mean?
Perhaps no country on Earth loves Christmas more than the Philippines. Residents there celebrate the holiday for four months solid. Here's why.
Throughout history, people have speculated as to who or what Gog and Magog were. Were they two people, one person and his land or two nations? And why were they associated with the Apocalypse?
By Dave Roos
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Of the 8 billion people now inhabiting this planet, almost 60 percent live in urban environments in some pretty densely packed cities. Here are the top 10 megacities in the world.
Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in LA is much more than a cemetery housing some of America's most famous people. It also boasts gardens, churches, a huge mausoleum and an art museum.
By Kate Morgan
Pipes have a long history for Native Americans, and they're still revered and powerful. Just please don't call them peace pipes.
Most observant Mormons wear special underwear they call temple garments as a reminder of their faith. What are the rules around wearing it? And must they always wear it?
By Dave Roos
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The legend of the weeping woman has been terrifying children for generations. But experts tell us there's much more to La Llorona's legend than just scaring kids.
By Lauren David
Welcome to McKamey Manor, where you must sign a 40-page waiver, pass a background check and take a physical to enter. Thousands are on the waiting list.
By Kate Morgan
California just became the fifth state to legalize human composting as an alternative to burial. How does this work?
By Lauren David
During the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, it's common to hear people wish each other "Shana Tova!" What does this phrase mean?
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In Germany, death may be permanent, but gravesites aren't. They're leased until the next "resident" moves in. That's just one grim regulation surrounding funerals and burials.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. will serve as editor-in-chief of the new Oxford Dictionary of African American English, which is slated to be published in spring 2025.