Christmas is a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. Most Christians celebrate the holiday on December 25. (Fun fact: it is actually celebrated on January 7 in the Orthodox Church due to the use of a different calendar.) Everyone knows this holiday as Christmas, right? But did you know there’s also another name for it? First, what does …
Do you call it a sub? A grinder? A hoagie? A poor boy? That all depends on where you live. The Dictionary of American Regional English has been more than 40 years in the making. In the early 60s, lexicographers and linguists led by the University of Wisconsin at Madison sprawled all over the country in search of unique words. They found zin-zins (a duck …
As the lyrics to the beloved Christmas carol “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” go: “He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice / Santa Claus is coming to town.” Well, if you thought Santa Claus was keeping tabs on who was good or bad, wait until you meet Krampus. Who is Krampus? In Austria, Hungary, and many other parts of Central Europe like Croatia …
So, about that season formerly-known-as lent … Originally, spring was known as lent, or the lenten season, which came from the Old English lengten, which means “to make longer or greater in length.” It is no surprise that the season was originally named after the fact that the days were getting longer. After all, back then natural sunlight and candlelight would have been the only light …
Christmas is that special time of year that brings us joy—and at least a month and a half worth of hummable, merry carols to us all. Yes, Christmas is a magical time of good cheer, indeed! We’ve got mistletoe (for sneaking kisses), ugly-sweater competitions, and of course, the timeless traditions of decorating a tree, hanging up lights, and reminding kids to be nice so that Santa …
