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?
Why Were Fake Eyelashes Invented?
Try a Tattoo Without the Commitment
Ways to Keep Your Old Tattoos Looking Fresh and New
What in the World Is a 'Shoey'?
Did You Know It's 2016 in Ethiopia Right Now?
What Are the 10 Largest Cities in the World by Population?
Grey vs. Gray: A Difference in Color or Just in Spelling?
What to Say When Someone Dies (Plus 8 Phrases to Avoid)
Who Was the First Person to Speak English?
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
Are Mermaids Real? A Look Mermaid Myths Across Cultures
All About the Mythical Phoenix: Bird of Fire and Eternal Life
Bad Luck Comes in Threes: Separating Superstition from Reality
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
How to Keep Your Jack-o'-lantern From Rotting
What Does the Poinsettia Have to Do with Christmas?
The Joy of the Holiday Poinsettia
12 Countries With Red and White Flags
9 Countries With Blue-Yellow-Red Flags
13 Countries With Green-White-Red Flags
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
Catholic vs. Christian: Overlap and Differences in the Religions
Kukulkan: The Feathered Serpent of Maya Mythology
Quetzalcoatl: A Feathered Serpent Deity of Mesoamerica
The Life and Death of Timothy Treadwell, the 'Grizzly Man'
The Yellow Deli Cult: All About the Twelve Tribes
7 Cults in America: A History of Infamy
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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Religious worship can serious and somber, but it can also be joyous and celebratory -- in the correct context, of course. Here are 10 deities, like that infamous Dionysus, who command their followers to party.
By Josh Clark
Valentine's Day is the most romantic day of the whole year ... unless your man totally drops the ball. What's so hard to remember about picking up a dozen red roses and a bottle of wine on the way home from the office? Here's what he doesn't want you to know.
The table is cleared and everybody's full, so gather around because we've found the 10 best Thanksgiving movies to watch with friends and family this November.
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Does waving your arms around while you talk affect how people perceive your words? Yes, it does. In fact, you may not need to "choose your words" at all.
Traditionally, men have served as the breadwinner for a family while women governed the domestic sphere. But have the tables turned? And is the recession behind it?
Dreadlocks have been worn for thousands of years and in countries across the globe. Anyone with any hair texture (and a lot of patience) can grow them. Find out more about the hairstyle and the people who wear it.
By Matt Sailor & Yves Jeffcoat
Economists have long argued that women play a key role in lifting a nation out of poverty, yet the traditions and religions in the developing world have often blocked their progress. How do we break the cycle and find the path to gender equality?
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Since ancient times, people have turned to courageous, larger-than-life champions as sources of inspiration. And even in today's more cynical culture, we still seek them out. Why?
Since ancient times, societies and nations have depended upon those willing to go to war. In the 21th century, we still do. How have warriors evolved and why do we look up to them?
Do you ever wonder whether your morning meeting was necessary? After all, why should it take six people to decide on a new coffee machine for the break room? Perhaps a pair could have handled this decision better than a group.
In the rush to come up with a creative and inexpensive Halloween costume idea in a hurry, don't make the mistake of confusing unique for tasteless or timely for tacky. It can be hard to draw the line between a costume that's clever and one that's inappropriate.
By Sara Elliott
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Love -- is it really all we need? Scientists and songwriters agree that love is one of the most important aspects of being human, but why do we get that familiar head rush when we meet someone we like? As it turns out, most of the fun of falling in love lies in the pursuit of that special someone.
By Josh Clark
Polygamy: Explore the practice of marrying multiple spouses across cultures and time.
By Julia Layton
Is being normal all about thinking inside the box? It's all about matching up to what society considers standard, but where did the criteria come from in the first place?
By Tom Scheve
It's almost impossible to strip personal beliefs away from the idea of personhood. But debates over controversial topics like corporate personhood and abortion rights inspire many people to try to find a definition everyone can agree to. Is there such a thing as a universal definition of personhood?
By Tom Scheve
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In kindergarten, it may have been the girl who always gave you the frosting from her cupcake. As an adult, it may be the guy who will answer the phone at 2 a.m. when you need to talk. How do you define a friend?
By Alia Hoyt & Molly Edmonds
"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." So said legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, but how do these words help us understand society?
When Pandora opened the box she wasn't supposed to open, all of the evils of the world flew out: hate, pain, destructiveness, starvation. When she saw what she'd done, she closed the box before the last thing in there could escape. What was it?
You can get a pretty good idea of how American society interprets gender by walking through the children's section in a typical clothing store. But not everyone fits into these ideas of what boys and girls should be. What do sex and gender even mean?
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You're scanning your friend's baby shower registry and find all the usual suspects: diapers, onesies, rattles and pacifiers. But what's with the Spanish language DVDs and Mandarin vocabulary flash cards? When is the perfect time to start learning another language?
A required language class in high school or college has been the academic downfall of many a student. But for students who have a so-called "ear for languages" and pick them up easily, German 101 is a piece of cake. What accounts for the difference?
Let's say that you're traveling to a country where you don't speak the language. You didn't have time to pick up a dictionary, so you'll have to get around using only hand gestures. The problem? Every hand gesture you do offends someone. What gives?
When you're struggling through intro to Latin or intermediate German, at some point it's likely that you'll shut your book and wonder why we can't all just speak the same language. How did we end up with so many? And why can't we just pick one and put an end to the confusion?
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Your DNA is unique and can tell a lot about you. You and your parents share genetic markers, and so will your other relatives. Some people use DNA to research their family history, but how well does it work?
Attaching a crest or coat of arms to one's family history sometimes fuels a sense of pride or belonging. However, it will take some serious research to locate your crest.