Trends & Traditions

In each place that Steven Raichlen visits in his quest for great barbecue, he finds not only history and great food, but a look at who we are.

A Worldwide Quest for Barbecue

Steven Raichlen made a career teaching Americans all about barbecue, then an international tour taught him new ways to grill

"While classified ads in the newspaper are mostly limited to local opportunities, Craigslist lets me go global."

Will Work for Brain Scans

Your dream job—part-time zombie? candle consultant?—is only a click away

For two years, photographer Dona Schwartz chronicled the newly blended family members' interactions in the shared space of their kitchen.

Home is Where the Kitchen Is

Photographer Dona Schwartz viewed her family through her camera lens in the hub of their household: the kitchen

An American speaks to a group of French nationals and tries to purge his vocabulary of American idioms.

A Novice's Guide to Foreign Idioms

If you think learning foreign idioms is easy, just try combing the giraffe

For every hybrid sport that gets the Olympic seal of approval, there are dozens of others languishing in obscurity.

Hybrid Sports in a League of Their Own

From underwater hockey to chess boxing, could these unheralded hybrid sports be ready for prime time?

Cooking Up a Storm

In case you haven't heard, the DC region got some serious snow this past weekend...some have been referring to it as "Snowpocalypse" or "Snomaggedon"

Admirers present valentines to a girl who is pretending to be sleeping, c. 1900s. In the 18th and 19th centuries, British children celebrated Valentine's Day by going door to door, singing songs.

Ten Out-of-the-Ordinary Valentine’s Day Customs

From the festivals of ancient Rome to modern campaigns, the holiday hasn’t always been about roses and candy

The Postal Service is not exactly known for its speed. I mean, the USPS just got around to issuing a Bob Hope stamp last spring, six years after his death.

Stamp Tact

How the post office can lick other countries at their own game

Otto Wolf readies meats for the smoker at the Glasbrenner Butchery, a shop near Stuttgart owned by one of a dwindling number of master butchers in Germany.

For German Butchers, a Wurst Case Scenario

As Germans turn to American-style supermarkets, the local butcher—a fixture in their sausage-happy culture—is packing it in

The homeowners association is thought to be a moder phenomenon, but a recent archaeological excavation near England suggests otherwise.

Ancient Homeowner Association Rules

What if these meticulously planned communities are not just a modern phenomenon?

Crop circles are seen by many to enchant a mystical landscape: here, a circle pattern from 2009, 200 feet across, in a Wiltshire wheat field.

Crop Circles: The Art of the Hoax

They may not be evidence of UFOs, ancient spirits or secret weapons, but there is something magical in their allure

Rabbit Goody's studio has created historically accurate fabric for a number of iconic costumes.

Homemade Clothes for Hollywood - Made Movies

Rabbit Goody has been the go-to weaver for historically accurate fabric for the movie industry’s biggest period dramas

Shopping, no matter the state of the economy, remains our true national sport.

Shopping Maul

The first rule of holiday shopping: There are no rules

Pablo Cano, a Miami-based artist who creates marionettes, sent this holiday card to Miami art critic Helen L. Kohen in 1989.

Artists' Homemade Christmas Cards

Seasonal greetings from artists such as Alexander Calder and Philip Guston celebrate the handmade holiday card

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Meet Sesame Street's Global Cast of Characters

Over the course of the more than 50 years that the program has been on the air, Sesame Street has spawned versions in countries around the world

The Internet seems to be the place to be, no matter how bad the smell or low the water pressure, so I guess we're here to stay.

Home Sweet Homepage

Why surf the Web when you can live there?

Lytton Strachey picked his moment to make sport of Thomas Arnold and other Victorians.

Historical Laughter

Those who don't have power tend to make fun of those who do. But what happens when the power shifts?

Born in America during the 1930s, roller derby’s popularity rises and falls with periodic regularity.

Roller Derby’s Sisterhood

Ithaca’s SufferJets may have ironic skate names and elaborate uniforms, but on the track, it’s all business

"In the bad old days, when medical life was more free-wheeling, "MASH"-style humor was commonplace."

UBI in the Knife and Gun Club

The secret language of doctors and nurses

First baseman Frank Chance was known as "the Peerless Leader."

Portraits of Baseball's Tinker, Evers and Chance

The famed Chicago Cubs infielders were immortalized in verse—as well as through Paul Thompson's lens

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