The contributions of Latino Americans and the influence of Hispanic American culture extends far beyond the history and borders of the US. Fittingly, the celebration and exploration of these heritages and histories must extend beyond Hispanic Heritage Month. In this article, we’ll focus on eight key terms crucial to understanding and exploring both the richness and joys of these cultures and identities as well as …
Many of us associate Labor Day with the unofficial end of summer vacation, some department store sales, and perhaps a sense of confusion over whether or not to wear white. (Who exactly said it’s inappropriate to wear white?) Labor Day is also a time for many to celebrate with friends and family at backyard barbecues, and many teachers and students are heading back to school …
Few days light up the US like Independence Day—literally, in the case of how many fireworks shows go on all over the country. The holiday also goes by various iterations of the date it takes place every year: July 4, July 4th, and the Fourth of July. Arguably the most patriotic of US holidays, Independence Day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on …
Every year near the start of summer, people around the country celebrate Juneteenth. The holiday is far from new—and it commemorates an event that happened more than 155 years ago—but awareness and interest in Juneteenth has steadily increased over the years. With that awareness and interest comes an opportunity to learn more about the past and present of Black life in America. Here’s the important history …
If you live in the United States, there’s a good chance that you’re familiar with Cinco de Mayo. You may even know that it means the “fifth of May,” and that it’s a holiday celebrating an important event in Mexican history. There’s also a good chance that you’re familiar with how Mexico is often tokenized on this day with, well, lots of beer and sombrero …
Two important Muslim holidays stand out as some of the most important dates on the Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr in the spring and Eid al-Adha in the summer. They are separate festivals, and each commemorates a different pillar in the Five Pillars of Islam. However, both are commonly shortened to simply Eid, and the greeting Eid Mubarak (roughly meaning “Happy Eid” or “Blessed Eid”) can be used for both. …
There are a lot of reasons to love trees. They provide us with shade, fruit, beautiful flowers, and clean air. In addition to all of these perks, many of them also have fascinating names. Trees take their names from famous people in history, stories in mythology, and even the special extracts and resins they produce. Some of them are hundreds of feet tall. Others have …
If you’re anything like us—and hello, you’re here, reading this—you’re probably a book lover. Whether those to-read piles on the brink of teetering over are yours or your bestie’s, parent’s, or partner’s, we’re not here to judge the unread stacks. But when it comes to the great responsibility of sharing the love of books through gifts, there are so many options beyond books themselves. To …
The pumpkin spice flavor used in coffee drinks and so many other foods popular in fall is typically a mixture of spices (or flavorings) including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice. Does pumpkin spice contain pumpkin? It’s called pumpkin spice not because it has pumpkin in it but because it’s the spice mixture traditionally used to flavor pumpkin pie and other pumpkin-based baked goods …
Every March, people around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with parades, street parties, festivals, sing-alongs, arts exhibitions, and yes, green rivers (such as the Chicago River, dyed green with what’s essentially food coloring). What began as a feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has evolved into a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and heritage—and it’s hard to resist the temptation to look …
The first records of the word valentine in its modern sense come from the 1400s. Valentines and Valentine’s Day get their name from feast day of Saint Valentine, but there are at least two saints named Valentine, one of whom became a martyr around the year 270 CE. The name Valentine comes from a Latin word meaning “strength.” There are many legends about it, but …
Punxsutawney Phil is the official mascot of Groundhog Day, but is he really a groundhog? Or is that a gopher hole out of which he emerges to see his shadow? Is a woodchuck even a thing? Or is it just a made-up part of the tongue twister? In this article, we’ll dig into the differences between gophers, groundhogs, and woodchucks, discuss how the terms can …