How a whip-wielding butcher became St. Nick's sidekick.

Revel in Réveillon all December long in the Crescent City.

Their syrupy death is medicinal for humans, too.

From a homemade Harry Potter garden gnome to a vintage scary clown ornament, readers share their favorites.

Wilhelm Füchtner's iconic 1870s design began a legacy that continues in the same small workshop in Germany's Ore Mountains.

These socially connected, multimedia 18th-century assemblages were more than the sum of their parts.

From the Polish embassy in Switzerland came a campaign that spared many from Nazi extermination.

A subtle, if temporary, change to one of the world’s biggest websites underscored a modern triumph of paleontology, and how we understand life on Earth.

Evidence deep within the planet suggests that remnants of Earth's catastrophic twin might still lie below.

What a strange spate of "gas attacks" tells us about what was really lurking in mid-century America.

Feast on broken rice, late-night noodles, and whipped egg coffee.

The kamayan, also known as a boodle fight, has a long, curious history.

Featuring devils, yurts, and Yule Lads, traditional crèche sets can tell unique stories about their communities.

May your holidays dazzle and bewilder.

It’s not a Christmas trick, but the colorful effect could change everything.

Jack and his handler Collette Yee found challenges, meaning, and each other in their work helping scientists better understand orcas, bats, and more.

What you really need this store-hopping season are tales about the “Aisle of Shame” and the shop cats of Hong Kong.