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The powerful royal family was not immune to the many illnesses of the 16th century.
Samantha Arrowsmith|Dec 19, 2023

20 Regular Human Facts About ‘What We Do in the Shadows’

If you're looking for laughs, you'd be hard-pressed to do better than 'What We Do in the Shadows,' which follows four vampires living in Staten Island.
Scott Beggs|Dec 19, 2023

Move Over, Krampus: France’s Père Fouettard Is St. Nick’s Sidekick—and Possibly a Brutal Murderer

Père Fouettard, or “Father Whipper,” is a butcher whose favorite pastime is eating children. And hanging out with St. Nicholas.
Marla Mackoul|Dec 19, 2023

15 Alternative Lyrics From Old Versions of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”

Liven up your singing of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by subbing in these old—and occasionally strange—lyrics.
Paul Anthony Jones|Dec 15, 2023

10 Surprising Facts About René Magritte’s ‘The Son of Man’

René Magritte’s surrealist masterpiece is his most recognized painting—but you may never get to see the real thing.
Kristy Puchko|Dec 14, 2023

The Most Popular Christmas Movie in Each State

How many states opted for 'Elf' over 'A Christmas Story'? Did 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' get the shaft? Discover the topography of holiday movies here.
Jake Rossen|Dec 18, 2023

Meet Leatrice Eiseman: The Woman Who Chooses Pantone’s Color of the Year

The Pantone Color Institute’s global team of experts conducts color psychology research and discusses potential Color of the Year options year-round.
Marla Mackoul|Dec 18, 2023

How Did Eggnog Get Its Name?

The ‘egg’ part of ‘eggnog’ is obvious. The ‘nog’ is a little more mysterious—possibly involving noggins and/or grog.
Ellen Gutoskey|Dec 13, 2023

10 Old-Timey Ways to Say You’re Hungover

Here are 10 colorful phrases of yore to use the day after you partied a tad too passionately.
Ellen Gutoskey|Dec 18, 2023

A Brief History of Whamageddon—the Game that Forces You to Avoid Hearing Wham!’s “Last Christmas”

“Last Christmas” is now the centerpiece of a growing holiday tradition based around ... not listening to it.
Mike Rampton|Dec 17, 2023

Not the Same: How Creative Strife Led to the Creation of U2’s “One”

U2 was at a breaking point when “One,” which has been repeatedly named one of the greatest songs of all time, brought the band back together.
Kenneth Partridge|Dec 16, 2023

7 Classic Christmas Commercials Guaranteed to Fuel Your Holiday Nostalgia

Hershey's Kisses’s “Christmas Bells” is one of the longest-running Christmas commercials.
Kerry Wolfe|Dec 12, 2023

18 Fascinating Facts About Charles Dickens

Dickens’s unprecedented celebrity made him the most popular novelist of his century—but the author of Great Expectations, Bleak House, A Christmas Carol, and dozens of other works was more than just a writer.
Sean Hutchinson|Dec 14, 2023

Band Aid: The Charitable—and Controversial—History of “Do They Know It's Christmas?”

Band Aid's charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" enlisted everyone from Sting to Bananarama, but its efforts to help the Ethiopian famine didn't go exactly as planned.
Jake Rossen|Dec 15, 2023

Remembering Elizabeth Martha Brown, the Convict Who Inspired Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’

Thomas Hardy’s memorable heroine was modeled after the last woman to be hanged in Dorset, England.
Thasanya Jayasumana|Dec 15, 2023

Why Does Snow Squeak When You Step On It?

Snow crunches underneath your feet during the winter months and makes a loud sound. Turns out, science is the reason why it does.
Matt Soniak|Dec 14, 2023

10 Unusual Facts About Toy Giant Hasbro for Its 100th Anniversary

The toy giant best known for assembling G.I. Joe once owned Death Row Records.
Jake Rossen|Dec 15, 2023

1 Misconception About 9 Major Holidays

We celebrate the same holidays every year, but how much do we actually know about these annual traditions? And how much of what we think we know is actually true?
Bethel Afful|Dec 14, 2023

How “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” Went From Morbid Omen to Holiday Mainstay

The original “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” implied that you’d never have a merry Christmas again.
Ellen Gutoskey|Dec 14, 2023

Was Willy Wonka a Stone-Cold Serial Killer? One Wild Fan Theory Says Yes

Willy Wonka is undoubtedly an eccentric man. But could he and his band of Oompa-Loompas be hiding a homicidal secret?
Mike Rampton|Dec 14, 2023
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