266 Items Tagged

Holidays

Dance performances are a major part of Yhyakh celebrations.

In the Siberian Arctic, New Year Comes in June

Yhyakh is the summer holiday we all need.

Andrew Coletti June 17, 2024

Made of paper, bamboo, and found items, enormous, fearsome ogoh-ogoh figures are carried during Ngrupuk parades the night before Balinese New Year and then burned.

Meet the Creatures and Creators Behind Bali’s Parade for Banishing Evil Spirits

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

Roxanne Hoorn May 1, 2024

A Victorian-era sitter is clamped into position using a metal frame before having his portrait taken.

7 Crazy True Stories About the Victorian Era

Plus three that are, sadly, just myths.

April White February 23, 2024

Cascade, Colorado

The North Pole

This vintage theme park is peak Christmas kitsch—and it's open all summer.

Swimmers on Coney Island prepare for a plunge on January 1, 1914.

7 Surprising Traditions to Celebrate the New Year

Welcome 2024 with a (lemon) pig or a polar bear (plunge).

April White December 29, 2023

Frau Perchta is often called the Christmas Witch, but that is just one aspect of who she is: a powerful winter goddess who has endured a centuries-old campaign to vilify her.

Fearsome Frau Perchta Is an Ancient Alpine Winter Goddess

Today, she's commonly called the Christmas Witch or even "the female Krampus"—but she is so much more.

Victoria Linchong December 29, 2023

The Christmas Goblins of Greece Play Devious Tricks All the Way Till January

But don’t worry—polar plunges and putting children in ovens helps banish them.

Vittoria Traverso December 22, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

The Atlas Obscura Crossword: O, Christmas Tree

AO Puzzles December 22, 2023

Arctic reindeer deal with weeks of total darkness in the winter and full sun in the summer by overriding their circadian rhythm.

Reindeer Can Sleep and Chew (Their Cud) at the Same Time

To make it through the long, cold Arctic winters, reindeer can get their beauty sleep while they stock up on calories.

Roxanne Hoorn December 22, 2023

The Chinese television series <em>The Untamed</em> wasn't necessarily a common subject of fanfiction. The Yuletide fan exchange might have helped make it much more popular.

The Yuletide Fanfiction Exchange Is a Holiday Marvel

For two decades, fans have been waking up on Christmas morning to custom, obsession-feeding gifts from strangers.

Elizabeth Minkel December 19, 2023

Ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg are so-called warm spices and the quintessential flavors of winter holidays.

How Ginger, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg Became Winter Spices

These tropical "warm spices," which flavor many Christmas cookies and other holiday favorites, are mainstays of traditional medicine.

Serina DeSalvio December 18, 2023

Santa school exterior

7 Places Dedicated to the Story of Santa Claus

From a school for Santas to the post offices that manage the man in red's mail.

Jonathan Carey December 15, 2023

Published in the January 4, 1957, edition of <em>Collier's</em> magazine, "Christmas Party" was a murder mystery novella written by Rex Stout where oddball detective Nero Wolfe has to figure out who killed an esteemed furniture designer.

How Christmas Murder Mysteries Became a U.K. Holiday Tradition

In these Christmas tales, Santa has a very low survival rate.

Eleanor Davis December 15, 2023

Looming over the people he visits, clacking his jaws and dancing wildly, Turoń may look terrifiying, but he just wants to deliver blessings.

Meet Turoń, Poland's Dancing Bull-Beast of Winter

The ancient tradition of Turoń bestowing blessings has faded but, like the creature itself, it may be resurrected.

Emma Cieslik December 15, 2023

A bowl of cinnamon-topped Risengrød.

9 Festive Holiday Treats and Where to Find Them

Tree cakes and gingerbreads and brioche baby Jesuses, oh my!

Diana Hubbell December 14, 2023

Nicknamed the "Christmas Tree Boat," the evergreen-laden <em>Rouse Simmons</em> disappeared beneath Lake Michigan waters in November 1912.

The ‘Christmas Tree Boat’ Shipwreck That Devastated 1912 Chicagoans

Marine archaeologists are beginning to understand what really happened to Captain Santa's ill-fated ship.

Jonathan Feakins December 13, 2023

Turtle doves are two of the many birdy gifts bestowed by a true love during "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

Where Did the 12 Days of Christmas Come From?

The answer is the Moon.

Rebecca Boyle December 13, 2023

Torches are made from trees that were sick, dying, or were felled during winter storms.

The Italian Town That Welcomes Winter With a Procession of Fire

Every December, thousands of torches transform Agnone into the fire capital of the world.

Asia London Palomba December 13, 2023