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Sleigh It Ain't So: How to Talk to Kids About “the Santa Question”
When kids ask if Santa is real, is it time to come clean?
CHRISTMAS
Why Watching Holiday Movies Makes Us Feel Good, According to Science
Holiday movies play to our nostalgia bias, a cognitive process that makes us long for past times because we think they were somehow better than now.
Why Do We Only Say “’Tis the Season” During the Holidays?
Nobody will think you’re talking about baseball season, open season, or any other season. But why?
An Eye-Popping History of the Red Ryder BB Gun From 'A Christmas Story'
Ralphie Parker's thirst for an air rifle was borne out of a real toy trend and a fake cowboy.
The 50 Best Christmas Movies of All Time, According to Rotten Tomatoes
‘Elf,’ ‘A Christmas Story,’ and ‘A Muppet Christmas Carol’ all made the list. So did ‘Die Hard.’
The Tragic Tale of Charles Dickens’s Last Christmas Turkey
Charles Dickens appreciated a prize turkey as much as Ebenezer Scrooge did. And on Christmas Eve 1869, his was missing.
How Did Elves Become Part of Christmas?
Myths about elves predate Christmas and Christianity itself.
20 Gifts We’re Giving During the 2022 Holiday Season
Here's what our friends and family are getting this Christmas, from natural history sticker books to a tubs of gourmet salt flakes.
Carol of the Bells: How a Ukrainian Protest Song Became a Christmas Staple
"Carol of the Bells" was adapted from the Ukrainian composition “Shchedryk,” a New Year’s ballad that doubled as a cry for independence in the aftermath of World War I.
Can You Spot the Sheep Among the Santas?
In this Christmas hidden object brainteaser, Hungarian artist Dudolf has concealed a single sheep amid a flock of Santas.
Why Do We Celebrate Christmas on December 25?
Jesus’s birthday is subject to interpretation, and there are plenty of intriguing theories to explain how we landed on December 25 to celebrate Christmas.
11 Holiday Cookies From Around the World
From pizzelle to vanillekipferl, cookies are an important part of holidays no matter where you celebrate.
11 Illuminating Facts About the Leg Lamp from ‘A Christmas Story’
As ‘A Christmas Story’ has grown in popularity, so has one of its most recognizable props: the leg lamp, that glowing gam otherwise known as “a major award.”
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.
$#@!* Santa! The 20 Most Expletive-Filled Christmas Movies of All Time
Some holiday favorites are fun and festive. Others have an F-bomb count to rival 'Goodfellas.'
Santa Slays: When 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' Caused a Public Panic
'Silent Night, Deadly Night,' 1984's killer Santa slasher, led some psychologists to worry kids might develop panic disorders and even regress in their toilet training.
Watch Queen Elizabeth II Deliver the First Televised Christmas Broadcast
The transition from radio to a televised broadcast marked a new era for the monarchy.
Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas Movie? A New and Official Trailer May Finally Answer the Question
Debating whether ‘Die Hard’ is a Christmas movie has become as popular a yuletide tradition as trimming the tree. A new trailer may offer a definitive answer to the decades-long debate.
What Does “Bah, Humbug!” Actually Mean?
The meaning of ‘Bah, humbug!’ is a little more layered than what people normally attribute to Ebenezer Scrooge of ‘A Christmas Carol.’
20 Merry Monikers for Santa and Santa-Like Figures Around the World
Whether he’s coming to town, doublechecking his list, or kissing your mom, that rotund, rosy-cheeked gift bearer is probably Santa Claus to you. But around the world, he goes by many different names.
The Complicated, Controversial History of "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
Each December, "Baby, It’s Cold Outside"—a ’40s-era American standard that some modern listeners hear as a depiction of sexual misconduct—invites a barrage of controversies, radio bans, and think pieces.
The Pagan Origins of Christmas Ham
The tradition of eating ham on Christmas dates back to Nordic animal sacrifices.
Why Does Santa Claus Say “Ho Ho Ho”?
No word on how Santa feels about the Jolly Green Giant’s appropriation of his trademark phrase.
Thomas Nast, the Political Cartoonist Who Illustrated Santa Claus
Thomas Nast’s illustrations of Santa for ‘Harper’s Weekly’ shaped the Father Christmas we know today.