Other Holidays

Looking for information on popular holidays and events celebrated around the world? Holidays profiled in this section include Mardi Gras, Kwanzaa, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving and even Festivus!

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Ultimate Guide to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

What's 63 feet long, 46 feet tall and filled with 12,000 cubic feet of helium? One of the behemoth balloons at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Learn how many balloon wranglers keep the parade afloat and other fascinating facts.

By Kathleen Seiler Neary Holidays / Other Holidays

10 Lively Facts About the Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead is not a Mexican version of Halloween. It's a celebration of life — both here and beyond — when the souls of the departed come home for feasting and fun. Here's how it started.

By Dave Roos Nov 1, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

Celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights

This fall festival is about food, faith, lights and gifts. But please don't call it an Indian Hanukah.

By Dave Roos Oct 25, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

Messy Legacy of Columbus Threatens Columbus Day Holiday

As more states are swapping Columbus Day celebrations for Indigenous Peoples' Day observances, does Columbus Day still have any relevancy?

By Dave Roos Oct 14, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

Bastille Day: The French Holiday Celebrating Peace and Revolution

The July 14 holiday celebrated by the French is way more complicated than the term "Bastille Day" might suggest.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D. Jul 10, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

14 Fantastic Facts About the Fourth of July

Which three presidents died on July 4? What's the Horribles Parade? And, should America be celebrating on July 2 instead?

By Dave Roos Jul 1, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

Memorial Day in the U.S. Means Way More Than Barbecue

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 May 22, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

How Cinco de Mayo Works

The Cinco de Mayo holiday is far more popular in the U.S. than in Mexico. Why is that and what does it celebrate?

By Julia Layton & Kathryn Whitbourne Holidays / Other Holidays

How Do They Determine What Date Easter Will Occur On?

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

By Kathryn Whitbourne Holidays / Other Holidays

How Did 4/20 Become the Stoner's Holiday?

Nope, it's not the police code for marijuana possession. It has a way cooler origin story.

By Nathan Chandler Apr 19, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

Why Is April 1 a Day to Celebrate Foolishness?

Why is April 1 a day to celebrate foolishness and play pranks on each other? How did this tradition begin?

Holidays / Other Holidays

How Mardi Gras Works

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 HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Holidays / Other Holidays

Billions Celebrate Lantern Festival Across China

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

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Feb 18, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

Forget Thanksgiving! Lunar New Year Sees World's Largest Annual Migration

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

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D. Feb 5, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

Get Out the Haggis, It's Burns Night!

This beloved holiday celebrates the poet Robert Burns and is full of whisky, readings and a fat juicy haggis.

By Dave Roos Jan 24, 2019 Holidays / Other Holidays

How Much Will Americans Spend on Thanksgiving This Year?

Think you can feed your family of 10 at Thanksgiving for less than $50, total? The American Farm Bureau Federation says you can.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Nov 21, 2018 Holidays / Other Holidays

Can You Ace This Thanksgiving Myths Quiz?

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 Holidays / Other Holidays

A Quick and Dirty History of Spring Break

How did spring break become a booze-fueled rite of passage for American college students? Can we blame this one on the ancient Greeks?

By Dave Roos Mar 16, 2018 Holidays / Other Holidays

10 Holiday Controversies

Whether it's the Nativity display in the public square, the store clerk who says "Happy Holidays" or the tacky holiday sweater, there's something to offend everyone in the season of goodwill.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus Holidays / Other Holidays

Though Few Admit It, National Fruitcake Day May Be a Fave Fake Holiday

The lowly fruitcake, dense and full of nuts and candied fruit, has marked its time as a culinary scapegoat. Now it has a day to call its own.

By Laurie L. Dove Dec 24, 2015 Holidays / Other Holidays

5 Ways to Celebrate National Bologna Day

National Bologna Day is no baloney. This annual October 24 "holiday" offers fans an unapologetic way to pay homage to the most democratic pressed meat of our time.

By Laurie L. Dove Oct 24, 2015 Holidays / Other Holidays

What Does Mother's Day Have to Do With the Civil War?

Though Mother's Day seems to be filled with sweetness and light, it has a surprisingly radical history, arising as a post-Civil War plea for peace. So how did it change?

By Laurie L. Dove Holidays / Other Holidays

10 Weird Ingredients People Put in Thanksgiving Dressing

We love pepperoni and mozzarella on our pizza, so why not throw it in the bird? Yep, stuffing (or dressing) doesn't have to be boring. Are you daring enough to mix it up?

By Maria Trimarchi Holidays / Other Holidays

10 Wonderful Scents Associated with the Holidays

Incorporate these scents into your home for a lovely seasonal fragrance.

By Blythe Copeland Holidays / Other Holidays

How Passover Works

The story behind Passover is a classic one: of slavery and freedom, unheeded warnings, horrific wrath and great rejoicing. It's remembered during an eight-day festival that begins with the meal called the Passover Seder.

By Julia Layton Holidays / Other Holidays