A Brief History of “Auld Lang Syne”
On New Year’s Eve, after the ball has dropped, revelers queue up "Auld Lang Syne"—that song that makes you cry, even though you don’t understand it and know almost none of the words.
On New Year’s Eve, after the ball has dropped, revelers queue up "Auld Lang Syne"—that song that makes you cry, even though you don’t understand it and know almost none of the words.
New Year’s Eve in Times Square is one of the most famous traditions in New York City. Learn how Manhattan's most colorful party came to be.
As midnight approaches on December 31, more than a few of us will pop open a bottle or two of champagne to help ring in the New Year. Here are a few nuggets you can share with fellow revelers.
Boxing Day occurs on December 26, and continues to be a big day for shopping.
The meaning of ‘Bah, humbug!’ is a little more layered than what people normally attribute to Ebenezer Scrooge of ‘A Christmas Carol.’
Other momentous events have happened on December 25, like Washington crossing the Delaware and the birth of Jimmy Buffett.
The record for solving the puzzle is 30 seconds. Can you beat that time?
You know Ralphie Parker’s plight by heart, but can you spot the many flubs in Bob Clark’s ‘A Christmas Story’?
Each December, "Baby, It’s Cold Outside"—a ’40s-era American standard that some modern listeners hear as a depiction of sexual misconduct—invites a barrage of controversies, radio bans, and think pieces.
The hardy plant’s ability to stay vibrant through the winter made it a natural choice for pre-Christian winter festivals, but why is holly now associated with Christmas?
These obscure Christmas songs from the early 20th century might become your new favorite carols.
George Washington's preferred eggnog recipe calls for four kinds of booze—and none of them in small quantities.
Thirteen bearded wild men descend upon Icelandic homes to reward children who behave and punish those who don’t.
Whether you’re a fan of winter or wish it would go away, here are 25 things to note about the winter solstice, a.k.a. the shortest day of the year.
Père Fouettard, or “Father Whipper,” is a butcher whose favorite pastime is eating children. And hanging out with St. Nicholas.
Your favorite homebody is sure to appreciate any of the gifts on this list.
Figgy pudding might be a fixture in Christmas carol lyrics, but you've probably never seen it in person. So just what is this British dish we've been singing about for all these years?
Liven up your singing of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by subbing in these old—and occasionally strange—lyrics.
How many states opted for 'Elf' over 'A Christmas Story'? Did 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' get the shaft? Discover the topography of holiday movies here.
Stressed about what to give to mom this year? From fitness trackers to DNA testing kits, the best gifts for moms run the gamut, but they can help make her holiday season even more meaningful.
The ‘egg’ part of ‘eggnog’ is obvious. The ‘nog’ is a little more mysterious—possibly involving noggins and/or grog.
“Last Christmas” is now the centerpiece of a growing holiday tradition based around ... not listening to it.
Dickens’s unprecedented celebrity made him the most popular novelist of his century—but the author of Great Expectations, Bleak House, A Christmas Carol, and dozens of other works was more than just a writer.
Band Aid's charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" enlisted everyone from Sting to Bananarama, but its efforts to help the Ethiopian famine didn't go exactly as planned.