Rites of Spring

Hide your dog; hide your children.

From the Midwest to a tiny town in Italy, the tradition of weather-predicting onions lives on.

Servers wore strawberry hats and green gowns while guests feasted on shortcake, sherbet, and ice cream.

Let spring's wild rumpus begin.

The humanoid anteater slurps its victim’s gray matter as if devouring termites in a mound.

Cryptic characters lurk in California's mountains. Or maybe it's just the weather.

The Yara ma tha who is more terrifying than any vampire.

Turns out some monsters are real—and pretty cute.

From Ancient Egypt to 'Donnie Darko', beware the bunny.

On the night before the Balinese New Year, villagers bring monsters to life—and then burn them.

Some say the true death worm has already been found—slithering beneath the sands of the Gobi.

Plus fireworks, music, and maybe a goddess or two.

It’s a tradition that goes back centuries.

Do not follow the woman in white.

Floralia was a celebration of spring, flowers, and so-called prostitution.

The 18-foot-long, dog-headed beast-fish didn't seem so unbelievable to Africa's early white colonizers.

The ground-breaking documentary blended academic research with salacious scenes of torture and nudity. Censors weren't having it.

We find scary stories pair well with brighter days.