284 Items Tagged

Holidays

The yellow buns are bright as the morning sun.

Detangling the Devilish Origins of Scandinavia's St. Lucia Buns

The story of this saffron-hued swirl has become as twisted as its dough.

Sam O'Brien December 11, 2020

9 Unusual Places to Experience Christmas Any Time of the Year

Gifts that keeps on giving.

Jonathan Carey December 11, 2020

The cocktail is warm, hearty, and festive.

This 19th-Century Cocktail Still Fights Cold Nights in the Midwest

The Tom and Jerry is a Christmas staple.

Rohini Chaki December 10, 2020

Moose Milk is smooth, creamy, and potent.

Meet 'Moose Milk,' the Wintry Cocktail of the Canadian Military

Knock out the year with an elixir that can pacify an army.

Rachel Rummel December 15, 2021

It's a pie. It's a pudding. It's a forgotten holiday classic.

Bake Luxurious 19th-Century Marlborough Pie

This apple custard pie is a forgotten New England classic.

Rohini Chaki November 18, 2020

Spomenik Prvoj Štafeti

Kragujevac, Serbia

Spomenik Prvoj Štafeti (Monument to the First Relay)

This statue honors the first Relay of Youth.

Permanently Closed

Black Canyon City, Arizona

I-17 Mystery Christmas Tree

Every year, festive decorations appear on this juniper tree located in the median strip of a busy highway.

Rocchetta Mattei in Grizzana Morandi, Italy.

Looking for Inspiration to Explore the World in 2020?

Atlas Obscura staff highlighted their must-sees for the coming year (and we'd love to see your lists, too).

Samir S. Patel January 3, 2020

We've all gotten used to the strangeness of calendars, but some argue they don't have to be quite so strange.

Why Calendars Are So Weird, and What Might Be Done About It

Imagine a calendar that is the same every year—sort of.

Dan Nosowitz December 31, 2019

Are you feeling lucky?

Twelve Grapes

A New Year's Eve tradition of scarfing down 12 grapes for good luck.

An employee prepares French dragée candies, which fit into a lineage of wedding and confetti edibles.

The Edible History of Confetti

Before the paper variety, nuts, hops, and dates rained down—and put out the occasional eye.

Christa Weil Menegas December 30, 2019

A modern spread of Reveillon delights.

Réveillon Dinner

This French Creole Christmas Eve tradition takes midnight munchies to a whole new level.

Cougnole de Noel.

Cougnou

This Christmas bread is formed in the shape of the baby Jesus.

To Sua Ocean Trench in Samoa.

As the Year Winds Down, Let Us Help You Dream About Your Next Adventure

Through the new year, Atlas Obscura will highlight our staff’s favorite places of the moment.

Samir S. Patel December 20, 2019

The tree in London's Trafalgar Square is already the butt of jokes.

Don't Blame Cities' Giant Christmas Trees for Being Droopy and Bald

If they're Norway spruce, that's just their nature.

Jessica Leigh Hester December 17, 2019

Mr. Snowball.

Kaukauna, Wisconsin

The North Pole of Kaukauna

This animatronic Christmas village within an industrial park creates a whimsical juxtaposition.

First Lady Grace Coolidge in 1926 with what was meant to be dinner.

Why President Coolidge Never Ate His Thanksgiving Raccoon

A tradition as American as apple pie, and older than the Constitution.

Luke Fater November 26, 2019

Yemas de San Leandro

Hidden behind a wall, Spanish nuns distribute their signature sweets on a revolving tray.