CULTURE

Americans Went to the Library Nearly Twice as Often as the Movies in 2019, Gallup Poll Finds

Library visits also outranked concerts, sporting events, and a slew of other activities by even greater margins.

7 Sweet Valentine’s Day Traditions From Around the World

From love spoons to obligatory chocolate-giving, here are some ways people will be celebrating Valentine’s Day around the world this year.

“Setting Sun on the Seine at Lavacourt” by Claude Monet

Paris Musées Digitized More than 100,000 Major Artworks and Made Them Downloadable

Paris Musées oversees some of the most famous art institutions in Paris, and it's making thousands of out-of-copyright works in its collection available online.

American Girl Doll Introduces Joss Kendrick, First Doll With a Hearing Aid

And they’ve paired up with 17-year-old soon-to-be Olympic surfer Caroline Marks to promote her message.

A Mari Lwyd—a ghostly horse figure brought door-to-door between Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Wales

11 Unusual Christmas Traditions Around the World

We all know about the typical American Christmas trappings—Santa, the tree, fruitcake, etc. But what about traditions elsewhere in the world that might seem a little strange?

Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen in Greta Gerwig's Little Women (2019).

Why Little Women Still Matters, More Than 150 Years Later

Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women' has been adapted more than two dozen times, for film and television but also for the stage, as an opera, and as a Japanese anime series. What makes the tale so timeless?

Participants standing in front of an altar during Día de los Muertos

20 Halloween-Like Traditions From Around the World

While Americans are dressing up and trick-or-treating around Halloween, other countries are playing with fire and partying at Dracula's castle.

16 Soothing Facts About Muzak

Ted Nugent once called Muzak an “evil force causing people to collapse into uncontrollable fits of blandness.”

KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock via Getty Images

More Than 1500 Museums Across the Country Will Be Free to Visit on Museum Day

On September 21, more than 1500 museums across America will celebrate Museum Day by offering free admission to all visitors.

10 Illuminating Online Courses You Can Take in August

From mastering mindfulness to making macarons, there’s an online class on this list for every type of student.

Andreas Modess, iStock / Getty Images Plus

7 Facts About Sweden's Midsummer Celebration

The big Swedish bash is held every year and is the subject of a new horror film, 'Midsommar.' But the real celebration isn't usually spooky. Usually.

12 Unique Sleeping Habits Around the World

Sleeping at work or in public is surprisingly common in Japan. And in Scandinavia, parents take their babies outside to nap—even in frigid temperatures.

13 Bizarre Descriptions of the Ancient World According to Herodotus's Histories

According to Herodotus—known as "the Father of History" as well as "the Father of Lies"—the ancient world was a very weird place.

The Eccentric Entrepreneur Who Put Bhutan on the Map With Talking Postage Stamps

In 1972, Bhutan released a set of stamps that could be used to mail a letter—or be played on a turntable.

How to Exercise Like Franz Kafka

The Bohemian writer was interested in more than one kind of metamorphosis.

Understanding Matpakke—Norway's National Packed-Lunch Obsession

How a bland sandwich became a Norwegian delicacy.

Katalin Szegedi, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

5 Ways Grimm's Fairy Tales Changed After the First Edition

We rounded up some of the more surprising aspects of the first edition that were later cleaned up or scrubbed from the text altogether.

Encyclopedia Britannica volumes on display at the New York Public Library

You Can View a Rare First Edition of Encyclopedia Britannica Online

The first edition featured 39 pages on horse diseases.

By Acme News Photos, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Orson Welles's War of the Worlds Broadcast Might Not Have Caused Mass Panic

It was 80 years ago that a radio broadcast caused the public to panic ... but did it really?

The facades of Le Ciel and L'Enfer Cabarets in Montmartre, Paris

"Enter and Be Damned!": The Macabre Clubs of Belle Epoque Paris

Get your cholera-themed beverages right here!

Climate Change Is Threatening Nearly All UNESCO Sites Around the Mediterranean

While some can be relocated, that's not an option for many.

Courtesy of Mammoth Screen for BBC and MASTERPIECE

10 Revolutionary Facts About Poldark

3. Before he was melting hearts as Ross Poldark, Aidan Turner spent a decade competing in ballroom dancing competitions.

The Salem witch trials were a troubling time in Colonial America.

10 Ways to Identify a Witch

7. Note the number of pets she has.

Eleanor Roosevelt holds a Spanish-language version of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

11 Inspiring Facts About Eleanor Roosevelt

On Eleanor Roosevelt's wedding day, then-President Theodore Roosevelt walked her down the aisle. Read on for more surprising facts about the first lady and diplomat.

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