Christmas traditions

The fun — and confusion — of celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah on the same date

7:00am December 23, 2024

Christmas and Hanukkah rarely fall on the same date, but this year they do. One mixed-faith family in Oakland, Calif., doubles down for double whammy holiday.

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Hundreds of musicians display their tubas after completing TubaChristmas Dec. 18, 2003, in Chicago.

In which we toot the horn of TubaChristmas, celebrating its 50th brassy birthday

4:47pm December 22, 2023

by Neda Ulaby

Every year, musicians across the country gather for what has become known as TubaChristmas — concerts range from just a few tubas to hundreds of them. (The record is 835.)

People wearing face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus keep social distancing as they wait to enter a KFC restaurant in Yokohama near Tokyo on May 14, 2020.

World News

These are some Christmas traditions around the world, from fistfights to KFC

5:07am December 14, 2023

by Ayana Archie

Some of these traditions' origin stories and how they are implemented can vary by region or households, but they nonetheless help bring holiday cheer to those who celebrate.

Childhood friends. From left to right, Valeria Lemos, Daniel Molina Acosta, Paula Rueda, Paula Molina Acosta; bottom row, Carmen Molina Acosta, Veronica Lemos

Holidays are about tradition. What happens when everything starts to change?

10:49am December 25, 2022

by Carmen Molina Acosta

Carmen Molina Acosta shares a personal perspective on what the celebration of the Novena de Aguinaldos means for her Colombian community and how it has changed over the years.

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On Santa Lucia Day in Sweden, it's tradition to dress as the Sicilian saint and serve coffee and lussebullar (saffron buns) in her honor.

World News

In Sun-Starved Sweden, Bright Yellow Saffron Spices Up Winter

7:00am December 23, 2016

by Deena Prichep

So how did these prized threads from the crocus flower end up lacing through dark northern winters? It's a story of high-value seasonings, Sicilian saints and pagan rituals.

Billie Mochow's gingerbread sculpture was among the top 10 winners. Mochow says she is a self-taught baker.

These Elaborate Gingerbread Creations Prove That Baking Is An Art

12:34pm December 21, 2016

by Tove K. Danovich

At this national contest in North Carolina, these intricate and gravity-defying works of edible ingenuity might just make Hansel and Gretel think that warring with a witch was worth it.

A monk prepares fruitcakes at Assumption Abbey in Ava, Mo. The bakery makes about 6,000 pounds of fruitcake per year.

For Cash-Strapped Monks, Selling Fruitcakes Is A Saving Grace

11:52am December 20, 2016

by Jodi Helmer

While monks aren't trying to dominate the fruitcake market, they have made enough money to help support their solitary way of life. And there might be a little competition between monasteries.