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Holidays With A Twist

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art

Nativity Scenes Celebrate Diverse Christmas Culture Around the World

Featuring devils, yurts, and Yule Lads, traditional crèche sets can tell unique stories about their communities.
Kayla Harris and Neomi De Anda December 4, 2023
A holiday gift guide for wonderfully weird individuals.
science

A Curious Collection of Weird Gift Ideas

May your holidays dazzle and bewilder.
Danielle Hallock December 1, 2023
List

7 Real-Life Locations From Christmas Movies

From an iconic leg lamp to an antique escalator in a New York department store.
Jonathan Carey December 1, 2023
A 'Triumph of Gluttony' from the bookstore Archestratus, for the puzzle fiend in your life.
holiday

The Ultimate Gastro Obscura Gift Guide

Our favorite food gifts your loved ones don’t already have.
Diana Hubbell November 30, 2023
Clear winter skies offer exhilarating sights for stargazers, from auroras to the Milky Way; the right gear makes viewing them cozy and comfortable.
astronomy

A Holiday Gift Guide for Winter Stargazing and More

From telescopes to fun and functional hats, we've got ideas for every astro-enthusiast in your life this giving season.
Rebecca Boyle November 29, 2023
From an interactive journal about protecting the Earth to an at-home Egyptian pyramid dig, these aren’t your typical kids gifts.
games

Kids Gifts For the Young and Young at Heart

A giving guide from the Atlas Obscura team.
Sarah Durn November 28, 2023
This year, celebrate the Icelandic <em>Jólabókaflóðið</em>, which means “Christmas book flood.”
mystery

Bookish Gifts for Literature Lovers

A giving guide from the Atlas Obscura team.
Gemma Tarlach November 27, 2023
Seattle, Washington

Nutcracker House

Old 'Nutcracker' sculptures from 'Where the Wild Things Are' author found new life as a seasonal attraction.
A local version of a colonial tradition, the Winneba Fancy Dress Festival rings in the new year in Ghana.
festivals

In Ghana, the New Year Starts With a Fancy Dress Masquerade

Once a colonial tradition, a creative festival has been elevated to new heights.
Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing January 11, 2023
Adam Johnson (center) dresses up as Heikki Lunta as part of the Upper Peninsula's Heikinpäivä festival in Hancock, Michigan.
holiday

The Dancing Snow God That Brings Blizzards to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Heikki Lunta even has his own song.
Daniel Bromfield January 5, 2023
Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians played "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight on December 31 for almost a half a century. Lombardo became known as "Mr. New Year's Eve"—but the song always reminded him of Easter.
music

Do Americans Sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ Because of a Frat Party?

Or maybe it was the cigars that gave us this New Year's Eve staple.
April White December 29, 2022
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura
holidays

Puzzle Monday: Ring It In Crossword

AO Puzzles December 26, 2022
One of the Lomen brothers, standing amongst the family reindeer.
food

The Rise and Fall of Alaska's 'Reindeer King'

Carl J. Lomen used legal loopholes and Santa Claus to build his meat business.
Kirstin Fawcett December 23, 2022
Glazed and unglazed <em>Elisenlebkuchen</em>.
food

German Lebkuchen Are a Labor of Love With a Centuries-Old History

Some of these gingerbread cookies take months to make.
Diana Hubbell December 23, 2022
A traditional Liberian Christmas masquerade in the streets of Monrovia in 2015.
holidays

In Liberia, Christmas Is the Time of the Dancing Devils

These masked dancers are part of traditional celebrations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast.
Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing December 21, 2022
A fir tree–flavored tonic in its natural habitat.
trees

The Estonian Island Where Christmas Trees Become Soda

On Saaremaa, a local distillery turns town-square trees into festive mixers.
Ronan O'Connell December 21, 2022
"Kentucky for Christmas" in Tokyo.
food

Around the World in Christmas Food Traditions

From pickles on the tree to live carp in the bathtub.
Diana Hubbell December 19, 2022
Public Christmas trees, like Rockefeller Center’s famous tree, didn’t start appearing in the U.S. until the 20th century.
trees

The Christmas Tree Is One of the World's Oldest and Most Evergreen Traditions

Long before your living room's seasonal centerpiece, cultures around the world marked the darkest time of year with palms, pines, and other greenery.
Troy Bickham December 19, 2022