For pranksters and mischievous older siblings all around the world, April Fools’ Day, also called All Fools’ Day, is as eagerly anticipated as Christmas. After all, what other holiday encourages you to think up practical jokes and fool’s errands, from swapping your spouse’s keys to tricking your friend into thinking their car got towed? (Not cool, Steve.) But how did this odd, prank-centric holiday come …
Good Friday is part of Holy Week, the week before Easter Sunday. It falls between Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday. Good Friday is the most important day of this week, as it commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Given the day’s significance, it seems odd that we would use the word good to refer to this day. However, there is a, well, good reason …
Say cheese! There are a ton of different cheeses out there, and many of them have unique toponyms, or names that are derived from the name of a place. In fact, many cheeses are officially designated by international cheese organizations—yes, that’s a thing—as so-called “protected cheeses,” meaning only a specific place can legally make a certain kind of cheese. Whether they are protected or not, many …
If you’ve ever been to a Japanese restaurant, particularly in the US, there are certain familiar items you’re expecting to see: miso soup, tongue-tingling wasabi, warm sake, plenty of rice, and equal amounts of fish and other carefully prepared bite-sized portions. But did you know that you don’t actually need fish (uncooked or otherwise) in order to call the dish you’re eating sushi? Those little …
Every spring, the skies explode in bursts of color as people around the world celebrate the Hindu holiday Holi. Friends, family, and strangers alike gather together to joyfully toss brightly colored powders, water, and water balloons, and it doesn’t take long for revelers to be covered in color from head to toe, and the streets to become a wild haze of blue, yellow, red, and green. It’s quite …
If it’s spring, it must be time for our fancy to turn to thoughts of basketball and, of course, March Madness—an interesting term, if we’ve ever heard one. Would you be surprised to find out the term March Madness didn’t originate with basketball? The phrase seems to date back to the 1800s and is thought to be connected to the much older expression mad as a March hare. But …
March 17 marks the annual celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, or Lá Fhéile Pádraig in Irish. The holiday honors its fifth-century namesake, Saint Patrick, Ireland’s shamrock-loving patron saint, who is believed to have died on this date in 461 CE. For those curious about the origin of the holiday, the basic facts we have gathered here—from the lowdown on Saint Patrick to the official language …
As anyone who is familiar with Christian holidays knows, winter is jam-packed with important observances. Christmas is well known, but there are many occasions with great religious significance leading up to spring that are less familiar to many: Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, and Lent. In the simplest sense, all of these days are lead-ins to the central Christian festival of Easter. Some are …
Depending on where you live, Christmas comes at a time of year that is cold, dark, and not very pleasant. What makes it all bearable, though, is that you can get together with friends and family to share meals, exchange gifts, and just hang out. But, what happens when the conversation starts to run dry? Don’t fret, we put together a list of some of …
There are few figures as recognizable as Santa Claus. His red-cheeked and cheery visage is seen on TV, on posters, and at malls across the United States in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Though his name and image are just about everywhere, do you know why Santa Claus is called by that name—or Saint Nick, Saint Nicholas, Santa, or any of the other similar monikers? …
For many, Cyber Monday provides the perfect shopping solution: all the holiday deals with none of the holiday crowds. But, where did the name Cyber Monday come from? Cyber Monday is an annual event during the holiday shopping season that’s devoted to online shopping. Online retailers are known for offering deals and discounts on the day. The annual Cyber Monday takes place on the Monday after …
Halloween is actually just the beginning of a string of otherworldly holidays. The tricks, treats, and customs of Halloween, now mostly secular, are based in part on ancient Celtic and Christian festivals. But did you know that the Halloween customs extend past October 31? In fact, the day after Halloween is a celebrated day in many parts of the world. What is All Saints’ Day? November …