Culture & Traditions

If you're a smoker traveling through Europe, you might get dirty looks when trying to light a cigarette with a candle. What are the origins of this seafaring superstition, and how is it rooted in the off-season work sailors did to make ends meet?

By Debra Ronca

Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse are just a small sample of the dozens of famous musicians who passed on to "the great gig in the sky" at the age of 27. Is 27 a "cursed age," or is it part of a larger trend for many who play music?

By Debra Ronca

Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert DeSalvo, Aileen Wuornos: all serial killers, and three of many with 13 letters in their names. Coincidence or is there a link between murder and the maligned number 13?

By Debra Ronca

Kicking someone out of your social media territory is necessary sometimes, even if you feel it's a breach of etiquette.

By Kate Kershner

The good news: Sometimes you can ignore that text message you really don't want to answer. The bad news: The rules on when it's acceptable to do so are vague.

By Kate Kershner

If you've got a runny nose but your spaghetti is just too good for you to leave the table, don't fret: It may be OK to blow your nose without stepping away.

By Kate Kershner

The grammar-correcting pedant is a ubiquitous character in the strange and sometime cruel realm of social media and comment sections on the Internet. Are these "grammar police" helpful or just plain rude?

By Kate Kershner

Let's face it: Free champagne and food are huge incentives to attend a wedding reception. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go to the ceremony, too.

By Kate Kershner

Every con has vendors, but Star Wars Celebration offers some of the most drool-worthy art, accessories and armor in the galaxy. Check out art by Cat Staggs, armor by Anovos and unique jewelry by Norse Legion.

Normally, it's extremely rude to point out flaws in somebody's appearance. One big exception: the very embarrassing, but easily fixed, case of food stuck in someone's teeth.

By Susan Sherwood

It's an awkward task that most often falls to bosses, teachers and very close friends. So what's the best way to tell someone about an unpleasant body odor?

By Susan Sherwood

You should never assume you're invited to someone else's wedding ... but someone is sure to assume they're invited to yours. What do you do when that's not true?

By Susan Sherwood

It's hard to get a good whiff of your own breath, so if someone close to you doesn't smell a problem, it may fall to you to break the awkward news.

By Susan Sherwood

If somebody on your neighborhood bus has a booming, not-to-be-ignored voice, it's best to just leave it alone. But what do you do if that same voice thunders around your transatlantic flight?

By Susan Sherwood

Not speaking up when witnessing racism sends a message that racism is OK - and even that you agree with it. Here are some tips for confronting racist language.

By Susan Sherwood

Near the top of the lifetime list of minor humiliations suffered in public: the unzipped fly. Here's how to tell someone what you wish someone had told you.

By Susan Sherwood

During a 2010 town hall meeting, a moderator asked Hillary Clinton which clothing designers she preferred. Her response? "Would you ever ask a man that?"

By Susan Sherwood

If your blind date just won't stop droning on, it's probably best to just let it go. But when someone's nonstop talking is affecting your workplace, that's another matter.

By Susan Sherwood

Virtually everyone on Earth is operating under a set of prejudiced beliefs, whether they know it or not. Yes, even you. So what do you do when that prejudice reveals itself?

By Susan Sherwood

Toasting is an important part of many celebrations. Learn why it's bad luck to toast with water or an empty glass at HowStuffWorks.

By Laurie L. Dove

What would a Star Wars convention be without costumes? Fans from all over the world share their fantastic handmade creations with us, including a handmaiden, a wookiee and the latest Star Wars villain.

In the play "Macbeth," almost everyone dies. It's not exactly a comedy. But the curse hovering over The Bard's work isn't about the plot - although murder does play a part.

By Laurie L. Dove

Carrying around an animal's body part is pretty creepy. But many people don't bat an eyelash at the idea that a rabbit's foot brings good fortune - for humans, anyway.

By Laurie L. Dove & Sascha Bos

You're not supposed to cry over spilled milk. But a broken mirror? That's another matter. Will breaking a mirror really heap misfortune upon your head?

By Laurie L. Dove & Sascha Bos

If you're one of the clueless citizens who's laid a hat on a bed, welcome to the club. Apparently, we've all doomed ourselves to evil spirits as guests. According to this superstition, anyway.

By Laurie L. Dove