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Holidays

The Latest

Home Depot Debuts App-Controlled Ultra Skelly, Kicking Off the Halloween Season

The home improvement chain knows what you need: a 15-foot scarecrow that talks.

Why Do Some People Celebrate Christmas in July?

10 Dazzling Fireworks Effects You Should Know

8 Other Things That Happened on July 4

Map Shows the Most Popular Red-White-and-Blue Foods By State

From patriotic pancakes to trifle towers, these are the festive, Fourth of July foods people are Googling.
CaLea Johnson|

When John Adams Predicted the Wrong Independence Day

When John Adams penned a letter to future first lady Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776, he guessed how future generations of Americans would celebrate Independence Day with remarkable accuracy—but he got the date wrong.
Erik van Rheenen|

5 Ways to Keep Your Dog Calm This Fourth of July, According to Experts

Fourth of July fireworks and parties can be distressing for dogs—and their pet parents. Here are tips that can help.
Nicolas Rivero|

Christmas

Mystery Donors Are Dropping Rare Coins Worth Thousands Into Salvation Army Kettles

The red buckets are getting more than loose change.
Jake Rossen|

Family Wakes Up to Missing Dog Ringing Their Doorbell on Christmas Eve

When Brooke Comer received a Ring notification at 2:30 a.m., she didn’t expect to see her lost dog.
CaLea Johnson|

Can You Solve This Old-Timey Riddle? #18

This riddle dates back to the 1860s—can you figure out the answer?
Paul Anthony Jones|

How to Properly Dispose of Wrapping Paper

Can wrapping paper be recycled? As you may have guessed, correctly disposing of wrapping paper can be a bit complicated.
Zoë Randolph|

The Mysterious Origins of the World’s Most Famous Christmas Poem

Clement Clarke Moore is widely believed to be the author of “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” But the Livingston family of New York begs to differ.
Stacy Conradt|

How ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Went From Box Office Dud to Accidental Christmas Tradition

‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ Frank Capra’s Christmas classic, was destined to be forgotten ... until a clerical error turned it into a holiday tradition.
Jay Serafino|

Tune Twist Quiz #22

It’s time to play Tune Twist, where we translate the lyrics of popular songs into multiple languages and then back into English. Can you figure out what the song is, or who performed it?
mentalfloss .com|

6 Simple Tips for Returning or Exchanging Gifts

There are many perfectly valid reasons for wanting to exchange or return a present. These simple tips should help point you in the right direction.
Mark Mancini|

Halloween

20 Things You Might Not Have Known About ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’

The classic holiday mash-up wasn’t directed by Tim Burton—but Tim Burton was supposed to have a cameo in it.
Kristy Puchko|

Des Moines, Iowa, Will Let Kids Trick or Treat on Halloween for the First Time Since 1938

Begging for candy on October 31 was banned after kids set one too many fires.
Jake Rossen|

‘Phantom of the Paradise’: How Brian De Palma’s Flop Rock Opera Became A Cult Classic

The movie did not strike a chord with most audiences upon its release, but these days, it boasts some famous fans.
Jon O'Brien|

Hanukkah

11 Illuminating Facts About Hanukkah

Every winter, Jewish people around the world spend eight nights lighting candles, eating latkes, and spinning dreidels. But what’s Hanukkah really all about?

The Surprising History of the Hanukkah Dreidel

Why Are Blue and White the Colors of Hanukkah?

The Reindeer Rule: Why You’ll See Rudolph in Public Christmas Displays

Thanksgiving

10 Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Travel

While we can’t promise that your journey to grandma’s house this year will be enjoyable, we know of a few travel tips to make it less stressful.
Emily Petsko|

The Most Popular Holiday Desserts in Each State, Mapped

See if your favorite holiday treat is on the list.
CaLea Johnson|

Why Do the Lions and Cowboys Always Play on Thanksgiving?

Why do the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys always take to the field for a Thanksgiving football game? Because it’s tradition! But how did this tradition begin?
Ethan Trex|

10 Facts About Your Favorite Thanksgiving Foods

From canned cranberries to the world's largest helping of mac and cheese, these fun food facts will wow your Thanksgiving guests.
Michele Debczak|

July 4th

5 Unofficial Rules Native English Speakers Don't Realize They Know

It can be shocking to realize that we are able to follow rules that no one ever taught us explicitly.
Arika Okrent|

5 Ways the English Language Breaks Its Own Rules

English, the language of Shakespeare and the internet, is often touted for its flexibility and adaptability. But with great flexibility comes great inconsistenc
Brett Reynolds|

77 Common Mispronunciations

You're going to be astonished how many of these you hopefully already know, but I'm sharing them because many millions of people don't. It's not Aw-ree, for instance, it's ah-wry (awry)
Alvin Ward|

6 Grammar Rules You Can Break

We’re taking Strunk and White and grammarians everywhere to task in the latest episode of The List Show.
mentalfloss .com|

Weird Holidays

Why Rabbits Are Growing Scary ‘Tentacle’ Warts on Their Heads in Colorado

Colorado residents are spotting rabbits with bizarre horn-like growths.
CaLea Johnson|

Up in the Air: When ‘Balloon Boy’ Took Flight

In 2009, the world was captivated by a little boy seemingly trapped in a runaway aircraft. As a new Netflix documentary reveals, the truth was a lot stranger.
Jake Rossen|

15 of the World’s Funkiest Fungi

There's a big wide world beyond common molds and mushrooms—and some of it is very strange.
Lorraine Boissoneault|
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Learn More About Holidays

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