Holidays

Everyone loves a good holiday, no matter whether you're commemorating a special occasion or just looking for a day out of the office. Read about important holidays in these articles.

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

By Dave Roos

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

By Dave Roos

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

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Cinco de Mayo is more than margaritas. Learn how the first Cinco de Mayo celebration in the U.S. was in 1863, as a show of solidarity with Mexico against French rule.

By Julia Layton & Kathryn Whitbourne

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

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Nope, it's not the police code for marijuana possession. It has a much cooler origin story. Find out about the meaning of 420.

By Nathan Chandler

Why is April 1 a day to play pranks on others? How did this tradition begin? And are you going to prank someone on April Fool's Day?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

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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 Kathryn Whitbourne

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

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

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

By Dave Roos

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On Christmas Eve, Icelandic families traditionally settle down to a cozy night of exchanging gifts of books and reading. It's all part of jólabókaflóð or the Christmas Book Flood.

By Dave Roos

We tallied up how much dough it costs the big guy to give every kid in the world toys. And it's way more than we expected.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Our theory on St. Nick's sweet ride: It's rustic on the outside and state-of-the-art on the inside. Learn more about the advanced technology we think runs Santa's sleigh (and those reindeer).

By John Fuller & Cherise Threewitt

Yes, you read that right. There are several options for renting Christmas trees. They're more eco-friendly and way more convenient.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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The price of the average American Thanksgiving increased about 14 percent over last year. Why so much? Blame the supply chain crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, of course.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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

Checking your kids' candy for poison or sharp objects? Locking up your black cat so it doesn't get snagged by a Satanist? Maybe you can relax after finding out the real stories behind these urban legends.

By Dave Roos

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

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Parson Brown? Yuletide? Do you have a clue what the lyrics of Christmas carols are talking about?

By Christopher Hassiotis

Each country has its own unique way of celebrating the Christmas season. Learn about Christmas traditions around the world, from England to Ethiopia.

By Sarah Toast

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

Get your ugly holiday sweater fill in one go with these nine horrid knits.

By Yves Jeffcoat

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Experts and parents are divided on whether to encourage children's belief in Santa Claus.

By Alia Hoyt

Forget caroling, feasting and having any sort of fun at all on "Foolstide," the catchy but hateful nickname some Puritans gave Christmas in the New World.

By John Donovan