Kick your holidays into high gear with these facts about America’s most famous dance troupe: the Rockettes, a part of Christmas for millions. The Missouri Rockets The Rockettes’ performance home base has been Radio City Music Hall in New York City since the 1930s, which explains its association with the city that never sleeps. But […]
People all over the world celebrate the holidays in different ways, but there are some standards of the holiday that are nearly universal. Here are the cities and towns that can make a claim as the birthplace, chief production area, or “capital” of different aspects of Christmas. Candy Canes If you’re sucking on a red-and-white, […]
Here are some facts about Thanksgiving that are darker than the turkey’s dark meat, and more alarming than your aunt’s green gelatin casserole. Be Glad You’re Eating Turkey We often think of the Pilgrims as the inventors of Thanksgiving. And while they certainly popularized the idea with a feast with Native Americans in 1621 in […]
Here’s the lowdown — and adorable origin story — of the world’s newest and fluffiest holiday. A day just for dogs There are so many holidays to celebrate different members of the family — Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Grandparents Day, for example. A seven-year-old boy decided that we need a day just for dogs. […]
How are you celebrating All Hallow’s Eve? Trick-or-treating, taking someone trick-or-treating, or bobbing for apples? You probably won’t get up to some of these old-fashioned things. Apple Wedding A Scottish tradition that spread to New England, and rarely done in either spot these days: apple peeling. Revelers would engage in a little game where the object was to use […]
In countless movies, TV shows, and plays — particularly Shakespeare’s spooky Macbeth — witches are depicted stirring up a cauldron full of a nasty and powerful potion that will make others do who knows what. All the ingredients inevitably come with creepy, witchy-type names…but there’s really not all that weird. Here’s what (fictional) witches are really using when […]
Here’s a look into the history and origins of the lauded Mexican fast food item. A burrito is a Mexican or Mexican-inspired food, and since Spanish is the main language in that country, burrito is a Spanish word. It translates to English literally as “little donkey”—burro means donkey and the ito makes it diminutive. What’s […]
As the world prepares to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day—and all things Irish—here’s a look at some of the things that can only be found on the Emerald Isle. Halloween as a National Holiday? Think Halloween is a big deal in the U.S.? It’s bigger in Ireland. It’s the only place in the world where Halloween […]
It’s Presidents Day, a time to celebrate our nation’s former leaders…and to acknowledge that some of them were just as strange as the rest of us…if not stranger. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) …had a bit of a stealing problem. When he visited William Shakespeare’s birthplace in England (with fellow future president John Adams) in 1786, he […]
Here in the U.S., we celebrate Valentine’s Day by exchanging heart-shaped pieces of paper, giving roses and chocolate, and professing our love. In other counties, they do it a little bit differently. South Korea In the place where the Olympics are being held right now, women romance their special someone by giving them candy and […]
The holidays aren’t over yet…they’re just getting started. Here are some quirky “celebrations” coming up this month. January 12: National Pharmacist Day First responders, emergency workers, and military personnel are heroes, sure, but pharmacists perform low-key heroics every day. This is the day to acknowledge and even personally thank your pharmacist for always having your […]
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without the stockings hung by the chimney with care, a punch bowl full of eggnog, and the game where you slap your friends on their backside. That one, and many others, are once steadfast yuletide traditions that slowly disappeared. Aluminum Christmas Trees In the 1950s and 1960s, any sort of […]
You know the songs, but you probably didn’t know these fun facts about them. When the carolers hit your house, regale them with some trivia about their tunes! “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” The song is built around a joke that’s never completely explained, but that most listeners understand: A child witnesses his mother […]
Yes, there are (somehow) even more holidays coming up this month. December 2: Earmuff Day Some places get so cold in the winter that the regular get-up of coat, hat, scarf, and gloves just isn’t enough — earmuffs must be worn over the old hearin’ flaps to keep them warm. Early December is when a […]
Here’s a look at a Thanksgiving tradition as much a part of the holiday as football, eating way too much, and naps. Christmas Parade? The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has always been affiliated with the Macy’s department store chain, but it wasn’t always affiliated with Christmas. The first parade was held on Thanksgiving Day 1924, […]
The turkey (or ham) is usually the star of the show, but we think that the other foods that make up the traditional Thanksgiving dinner are all something to give thanks for. Stuffing Sure, you could make your own stuffing, or you could buy a box, add it some butter and hot water and be […]
When out and about dealing with spooky ghosts this Halloween, you’ll likely hear a boo or two. Here’s why those spirits and sprites do boo they way they do. Full disclosure: None of us here at Bathroom Reader HQ have actually seen a ghost…let alone hear one. But in old books, movies, and TV shows, […]
Here in the U.S., we dress up in costumes, beg for candy from our neighbors, and listen to “Monster Mash.” Here’s how the most spooktacular of holidays is celebrated around the globe. Great Britain The tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns came to America with immigrants from the British Isles. For as long as anyone can remember, […]
