131 Items Tagged

Holidays With A Twist

Watch This Yule Log Burn in the Name of Science

Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service's Fire Sciences Laboratory.

Jessica Leigh Hester December 20, 2019

Actor Alexander Khvylya plays Ded Moroz at a New Year performance the Kremlin in 1969.

How Santa Survived the Soviet Era

Of all the variations on the beloved character, Russia's Ded Moroz might have the strangest history.

Dan Nosowitz December 19, 2019

Colonel Sanders has never been more festive.

How a White Lie Gave Japan KFC for Christmas

One cunning business maneuver created a tradition and saved a franchise.

Luke Fater December 13, 2019

This contemporary yet classic strawberry shortcake from convenience store chain Lawson costs 2,980 to 4,600 yen (US$27-$46), depending on the size.

Every December, Japan Is Awash in Elegant Christmas Cakes

Romance, magazines, and technology made delicate confections a must-have.

Makiko Itoh December 11, 2019

Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum

This impressively large collection includes crackers shaped like Jimmy Carter, Mickey Mouse, and more.

Via dei Presepi

Every day is like Christmas on this street where the traditional Neapolitan nativity scene comes to life.

Tecopa, California

Dumont Dunes North Pole

Peek inside this sandy mailbox and you'll spot kids' letters to Santa.

Christmas Eve Carp

Some families keep their holiday meal fresh by letting it live in their bathtub.

Pepper plants made for a hotter holiday.

When the Christmas Plant Was a Pepper, Not a Poinsettia

Chilis were once holiday must-haves.

Anne Ewbank December 20, 2018

Even some cartoonish dessert lampreys have scary teeth.

13 Delightful Christmas Foods and Traditions Around the World

Celebrate the holidays with elf-appeasing pudding and desserts shaped like sea monsters.

Sam O'Brien December 10, 2018

Mari Lwyd

In Wales, midwinter is the right time to look a gift horse in its gaping skull-mouth.

Tangub City, Philippines

Tangub City Christmas Symbols Festival

An annual festival full of illuminated replicas of iconic landmarks from around the world.

Rovaniemi, Finland

Santa Claus's Main Post Office

Roughly 17 million letters to Santa have found their way to this Arctic Circle post office.

A Christmas pickle nestled between other tree ornaments.

The Mysterious Tradition of Hiding a Pickle on Christmas Trees

Find a pickle, win a special gift.

Paula Mejia December 22, 2017

Donald Duck is (inexplicably? unsurprisingly?) the most popular Disney character in Sweden.

In Sweden, There Is No Christmas Without Donald Duck

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.

Natasha Frost December 22, 2017

Collagen fibers (green) and fat cells (red).

Have a Microscopic Christmas

Thanks to a visualization tool being used to develop stem cell therapies.

Vittoria Traverso December 21, 2017

Mount Ingino Christmas Tree

The world's largest "Christmas tree" is illuminated by hundreds of lights stretching 2,000 feet up the slope of Mount Ingino.

Relics of St. Nicholas in a small box displayed at Antalya Regional Museum, Konyaaltı, Turkey.

Where in the World Are Santa Claus's Bones?

The remains of St. Nick can be found on multiple continents.

Matthew Blitz December 21, 2017