HOLIDAYS

Happy Thesaurus Day!

Forget weight loss and penny-pinching, make a resolution to keep this year a little more unconventional. What better way to start than with a few offbeat holidays and anniversaries you can easily observe? 1. January 1: First Foot

10 Facts About Your Favorite Christmas Carols

By Glen Gower,

16 Christmas Party Beverages, Cocktails, and Jello Shots

Here are some eye-popping holiday beverages you can whip up.

Why Do We Kiss Under The Mistletoe?

It all goes back to Loki.

Contrary, Lazy, or Subversive (but Funny) Christmas Decorations

Three years ago, I posted a list of Bizarre But Clever Christmas Decorations. Since then, the internet has disseminated many ways that people have broken away from the normal methods of decorating their homes and yards, which may be simple but stand out b

5 Model Train Sets That Won’t Fit Under the Christmas Tree

In this age of video game consoles and iPads, it’s easy to forget there was a time when miniature trains were at the top of every kid’s holiday wish list. While the hobby isn’t as popular as it once was, the kids who loved miniature trains haven’t gone a

9 Bizarre Christmas Cards from the 1800s

After the first Christmas card was sent in 1843, Victorians eagerly embraced the new tradition. Here are just a few of the wonderfully weird cards we tracked down.

5 Things You Didn't Know About "The 12 Days of Christmas"

by Scott Meslow With only 12 days left 'til Christmas, we're in the heart of caroling season — and few songs would seem more appropriate than "The Twelve Days of Christmas." (Listen to the carol below.) But no matter how many times you've sung it — or

More Than You Ever Needed to Know About Mistletoe

When you sidle up to your sweetie for a smooch beneath the mistletoe this year, try not to think too much about the provenance of the plant's name. It's hardly the most romantic thing. The name mistletoe comes from the Old English mistletan (mistel, "mis

15 More Quirky Menorahs

Hanukkah begins tonight at sundown. Wanna lighten up the Festival of Lights? Check out these 15 funny, unique, and just plain geeky menorahs. 1. Circuit Board

What Country Eats the Most Turkey?

by Nicholas

11 Facts About the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons—And What It Takes To Inflate Them

At its start in 1924 (when it celebrated Christmas!), the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade wasn't a high-flying event: It was organized by employees and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. The balloons—which used to be filled with only air—made thei

4 Big Differences Between Canadian and American Thanksgiving

When you're sitting down for Turkey Day dinner, wow your relatives with factoids about a few of the differences between Canadian and American Thanksgiving.1. Canada probably did it

8 Thanksgiving Flowcharts

Holidays, especially traditional family holidays, come loaded with many decisions to make. Luckily, flowcharts give us a geeky shortcut to making those decisions. Here are eight that pertain specifically to how you handle Thanksgiving.1. Making Your

The First Thanksgiving Didn't Actually Take Place in America

Daven Hiskey runs the wildly popular interesting fact website Today I Found Out. To subscribe to his “Daily Knowledge” newsletter, click

14 Weird Old Photos Of People Wearing Masks

Whether these people were donning masks to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving (more on that later), or a fancy dress party, or to safely perform a medical procedure or act in a play, the results are spooky—and likely to give you nightmares. Happy

The White House, Washington, DC, USA, early 20th century.Artist: Underwood & Underwood

The White House of Horrors: 4 Ghosts Haunting 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Wikimedia Commons Sure, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue isn't exactly the Amityville house, but that big, drafty mansion is one of the most haunted of houses in America. Over the decades, and particularly in the early ones, the presidents and families who have

A Brief History of Political Halloween Masks (and What They Tell Us About the Election)

You can't visit a Halloween store without seeing the vinyl visages of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Dressing up as the incumbent president on October 31 dates back to the 1960s at least, though some beloved political figures, like George Washington and Ab

Boo-reaucrats: 8 Presidential Families—And Pets!—Dressed Up for Halloween

Politicians have to dress the part. Before public appearances, they meet with image consultants to ensure that they're wearing the perfect power tie and accessorizing with American flag memorabilia that's noticeable without being ostentatious. But what mi

18 Wonderful Pictures from Halloween-Themed Weddings

While many girls dream of a sunny, summer wedding, there are plenty of less-traditional gals out there who want a darker and spookier ceremony. For those brides-to-be, October is the perfect time to tie the knot. Here are a few fun photos from a number of

14 Geeky Valentine's Day Cards

Here are a few wonderfully geeky cards for the special nerd in your life.

Why Do Jews Eat Potato Pancakes During Hanukkah?

Hanukkah started Tuesday night and runs the whole week, eight nights in total. During these nights, a helluva lot of latkes, or potato pancakes, are consumed. To understand why, you first have to understand the story of Hanukkah.

11 Offbeat December Holidays You Still Have Time to Celebrate

You don't need us to remind you about the major December holidays. But you do need us to tell you that it's Monkey

Do you remember "Christmas Tree," Lady Gaga's 2008 holiday tune? Neither does anyone else.

11 Christmas Songs That Never Really Took Off

From The Beatles to Lady Gaga, some of the music world's biggest names are responsible for some of the holiday season's biggest clunkers.

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