CULTURE

The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra Turns Produce Into Musical Instruments

This record-breaking band specializes in vegetal instruments—from celeriac bongos to pepper horns.

Let the luck of the Irish hit your TBR pile.

11 Essential Books by Irish Authors That Are Worth Reading

This St. Patrick’s Day, revisit literary classics by Irish authors like James Joyce and Roddy Doyle, plus discover a few new writers along the way with this roundup.

Everybody gets to be Irish after they smooch this stone.

Where Does the Phrase ‘Gift of Gab’ Come From?

This St. Patrick’s Day, discover the origins of this old Irish idiom and how it all ties back to the Blarney Stone in Ireland.

The 20 Most Popular Royal-Inspired Baby Names

These are the most popular aristocratic baby names in 2025, from Amelia to George

Celebrating 40 Years of Studio Ghibli: The Art of Anime - Vol VI comes to Heritage in March

Anime Art Auction Features Rare Cels From Studio Ghibli Films and More

A stunning collection of original cels and signed memorabilia from popular anime is heading to auction in late March.

The spelling is a bit peculiar at times, too.

21 Things You May Not Know About the U.S. Constitution

How well do you really know the U.S. Constitution? Discover things you might not have realized about this influential document, like its dictator-friendly loophole.

An illustration accompanying "The Haunted Cellar," published by Thomas Crofton Croker.

Meet the Clurichaun, the Leprechaun’s Lesser-Known (But Equally Impish) Cousin

Here’s a crash course in these infamously impish creatures, from how to tell one from a leprechaun to which clurichaun stories are worth reading.

Newlyweds have been saving their wedding cakes for hundreds of years.

Why Do People Freeze Wedding Cake?

Freezing a portion of a wedding cake is a centuries-old tradition. If you’re going to freeze the top layer of your wedding cake, make sure you do it right.

Here’s Why Some People Wear Orange—Not Green—On St. Patrick’s Day

You might be used to people wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, but some sport orange instead. Here’s why.

The District of Columbia comes out on top.

The Best and Worst States for Workplace Culture, Mapped

Midwestern and northeastern states were most likely to have positive workplace cultures.

Why Do Bridesmaids Traditionally Wear the Same Dress?

Bridesmaid traditions can get pretty bizarre, but the real reason behind why they usually wear the same dress is perhaps the most fascinating of all.

You must be a lucky one of you find a four-leaf clover.

Why Are Four-Leaf Clovers Considered Lucky?

While the shamrock mainly has religious ties, the four-leaf clover—often mistaken for the same plant—is often associated with luck. We explain why.

How Did Latin America Get Its Name?

Latin isn’t widely spoken in Latin America, so why is it called that?

The names of all three of these folks have gotten the adjective treatment.

11 People Whose Names Became Adjectives

From David Lynch to Queen Elizabeth I, these folks achieved a type of lexical immortality when their names became adjectives.

Consider these destinations for your next solo trip.

The Top 10 Destinations for Solo Travel in 2025

This list of 2025’s best solo travel spots features destinations like Spain, Egypt, and New Zealand.

Ancestral Puebloan ruins in Chaco Canyon National Historical Park.

How Pack Rats Solved a Chaco Canyon Mystery

Chaco Canyon was once the vibrant religious center of a Native American culture whose collapse long remained a mystery—until pack rat middens revealed an important clue.

8 of History’s Greatest Love Affairs

History is full of sweeping love affairs, from Antony and Cleopatra to Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin and many more. Discover some of the most passionate here.

A child witnessing the will-o’-the-wisps.

10 Captivating Creatures From Celtic Mythology

Although there are a few distinctive beasts that are place-specific, many ghosts, fairies, and goblins pop up in similar forms across the various Celtic mythologies.

Ashlee Simpson, Milli Vanilli, and Luciano Pavarotti.

8 Unforgettable Lip-Sync Incidents

From Milli Vanilli to Mariah Carey and beyond.

Fossilized human footprints in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park are between 21,000 and 23,000 years old and pre-date the Clovis people in North America.

8 Ancient Archaeological Sites That Pre-Date the Clovis People

Archaeologists used to think that the Clovis people were the first inhabitants of the Americas some 13,500 years ago. The evidence from these ancient sites says otherwise.

The torrid love affair you've never heard of.

Certified Stinker: The Leonardo da Vinci Musical Financed by Guano

‘Leonardo: The Musical: A Portrait of Love’ didn’t exactly soar on stage. But don’t blame the bird poop that helped get it there.

7 Fascinating Facts About Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’

He wrote the book partially in response to European writers like Joseph Conrad, who Achebe said depicted Africa “as ‘the other world,’ the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization.”

A scrimshaw jagging wheel/pie crimper made from a sperm whale tooth—just one example of an unusual love token from the days of yore.

10 Unusual Love Tokens from History

In past centuries, you might have given your valentine a bent coin, jewelry made out of hair, or a carved whale tooth instead of a bouquet of roses.

How ‘Destination Dupes’ Will Help You Ditch the Crowds and Save Money on Your Next Vacation

Hoping to travel on a budget? You may want to rethink that trip to Rome.

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