Trends & Traditions

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A Collection of Baseball Firsts

Who hit the first grand slam? Who was the first pinch hitter? Presenting the nine players of Smithsonian’s "They Did It First" All-Star Team

Despite living in multiple cities throughout the decades, this sports fan can't root against his home team.

Last Fan Standing

Why I'll always root for the home team

At last count, Velveteria, the Museum of Velvet Paintings has nearly 2,500 velvet paintings.

Museums With Their Own Niche

Subjects as wide-ranging as lunchboxes, roller skating, and Bigfoot have museums dedicated solely to their study and appreciation

According to The Breadfruit Institute at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii, breadfruit grows in almost 90 countries.

Cooking With Breadfruit

The tropical fruit is a daily food staple in cultures where the tree grows, including Hawaii, the Caribbean and Central America

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Sheep, Chicks and Geese Scurry at the County Fair

As photographer Dan Nelken has catalogued, the county fair is the place for family farms to showcase their prized livestock

A freelance humorist gets a lesson on Darwinism from his daughter.

Darwin for Dads

A daughter tries to help one member of an endangered species survive

From the runway, to the office, and now stored away in women’s dresser draws, pantyhose have gone through several life cycles.

50 Years of Pantyhose

Love them or hate them, the once-ubiquitous women’s accessory was a revolutionary invention that helped transform women’s fashion

The first Great Six-Day Bicycle Ride Across Iowa was in 1973. It was created by journalists and bike enthusiasts John Karras and Don Kaul.

The Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa

Now in its 37th year, RAGBRAI is the longest, largest and oldest touring bike ride in the world

Washington, D.C., July 4, 2509: An exact replica of the United States' Capitol is built using C-Span videos.

There Oughta Be a Law

Centuries hence, historians may wonder: Where exactly did Congress store all those pork barrels?

Zongzi, also known as jung, contains rice, beans, sausage, pork and bamboo leaves.

Jung and Zongzi Recipe

Learn how to cook this traditional Chinese delicacy in a family recipe passed down from older generations

Hong Kong rowing teams compete during one of the many races that take place during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The Legends Behind the Dragon Boat Festival

Celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, Duanwu Jie honors storied history with culinary treats

Graphic designer Jessica Helfand collected over 200 scrapbooks dating from the nineteenth century to the present.

The Cherished Tradition of Scrapbooking

Author Jessica Helfand investigates the history of scrapbooks and how they mirror American history

A brief look at a few of the brilliant minds who just missed this year's cut for the MacArthur "Genius" Grant.

Near Misses in the Genius Department

A brief look at the brilliant minds that just missed this year's cut for genius grants

"I still wonder why that young woman gave up her seat. It's not as if our bodies bear visible proof of our years."

Do Not Go Gentle

The feisty man's guide to aging anything but gracefully

Group of people cheering and waving Irish flags during the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City.

Unusual St. Patrick's Day Celebrations

Leprechauns and green shamrocks are only a part of celebrating St. Patrick's Day for Irish communities around the world

"The Devil may wear Prada, but as Mao once observed, if there is "great disorder under Heaven, the situation is excellent."

Mao Zedong: King of Kitsch

With Mao-abilia everywhere, the "Great Helmsman" may have done more for the Chinese people in death than in life

All in the family (Bob Baldwin (left: c. 1965) and Jim Alexander (right: c. 1960) led different lives-with very different endings.

The Surprising Satisfactions of a Home Funeral

When his father and father-in-law died within days of each other, author Max Alexander learned much about the funeral industry

With the concave shape of the asphalt lanes, the path of the ball can be unpredictable. Veteran players, however, have learned to use the physics of the wheel-like disk and the curvature of the lane to their advantage.

Weave, Wobble and Roll: Feather Bowling

The unusual Belgian sport has a small but loyal following in Detroit

Partaking in an old but ambiguous rite, blue "devils" (in Paramin, with mouths colored by dyed bubble gum) offer spectators a deal: pay, or get rubbed with body paint.

Up Close at Trinidad's Carnival

What’s behind the raucous pre-Lenten rite? An intrepid scholar hits the streets of Trinidad to find out

It has been reported that by the end of the century, redheads will be extinct.

Requiem for the Redhead

The next great extinction—Carrot Tops

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