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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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Before Halloween, There Was Samhain
This centuries-old Pagan holiday isn't necessarily scary. But those who celebrate are honoring the dead, believing their spirits have easy access to the world of the living during Samhain.
Goodbye Columbus — Hello Indigenous Peoples Day
More states are replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. What's prompted the switch and how you do celebrate it?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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?
Billions Celebrate Lantern Festival Across China
The annual festival of lights signifies the end of Chinese New Year and the beginning of spring.
Forget Thanksgiving! Lunar New Year Sees World's Largest Annual Migration
This mass migration totally dwarfs Thanksgiving travel in the United States.
Get Out the Haggis, It's Burns Night!
This beloved holiday celebrates the poet Robert Burns and is full of whisky, readings and fat juicy haggis.
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.
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
The Surprisingly Radical History of Mother's Day
Though Mother's Day seems to be filled with sweetness and light, it had a rather heavy beginning, arising as a post-Civil War plea for peace. So how did the holiday change over the years?
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?
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