Holidays

Don't forget about Big Al the Alligator and Scramble the Duck's predicting powers either.

Around January 25, winter-bound villages in Iceland celebrate the return of the sunlight.

Go behind the scenes of celebration, from molten metal to sticky cakes.

Once a colonial tradition, a creative festival has been elevated to new heights.

The local Epiphany celebration of Grado, Italy, is inspired by a mysterious band of 16th-century pirates.

Or maybe it was the cigars that gave us this New Year's Eve staple.

These masked dancers are part of traditional celebrations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast.

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

This is how you do the holidays in the desert.

Las patinatas—"the skating"—dates back to the 1950s.

Dive into the origins of a Swedish holiday tradition that evolved from sinister pagan lore to a celebration of light, warmth, and music.

At Milwaukee’s Krampusnacht, we go in search of the essence of Santa’s unholy enforcer.

In Mooloolaba, Australia, Saint Nick wears sunglasses.

At least a half dozen communities in North America have claimed the title. 

A gift guide from the Atlas Obscura team.