The banishment of Nian marks the origin of the Lunar New Year

After suffering for years as Nian destroys their crops and eats their children, villagers are visited by a mysterious stranger who reveals that the monster is afraid of loud noises and fire. The villagers use the information to drive Nian out, celebrating their victory every year after with fireworks, feasting, and more.

New Year's Eve celebrations date back to ancient Babylon

Rather than celebrating in winter, the Babylonians honored the vernal equinox, a day in late March with equal amounts of darkness and light that signaled the start of a new year. They celebrated with Akitu, an 11-day festival.

Firecrackers on Lunar New Year originated to ward off evil spirits

Many countries have attempted to ban firecrackers, though some rolled back those restrictions for the sake of the holiday. This tradition, along with numerous other practices, has evolved for decades since the origin of the festival.

The Lunar New Year lasts 15 days, with specific rituals for specific days

On the first night, loved ones gather to celebrate their honor and say goodbye to the successes and tribulations of the old year. On the fourth day, the God of the Kitchen is honored to prevent kitchen accidents. And beginning on day 12, people prepare for the final Festival of Lanterns.

The Hungry Ghost Festival in Asia honors the dead

A tradition in East and Southeast Asia, the Hungry Ghost Festival primarily involves offering food and other treats to the dead. The festivals' practices uphold the Buddhist ideals of generosity and compassion, directed even toward specters.

One New Yorker saved $1,600 during her 'no-buy January'

A social trend in recent years encourages participants to buy essentials only for the month (an abbreviation of the even more radical no-buy year). Hannah Marder gave the fast a go, fastidiously dividing her purchases into wants and needs and managing to save roughly $1,600 over the month.

A clean house is essential for celebrating the Lunar New Year

The earliest recorded instance of this cleaning ritual is from 241 B.C.E. By sweeping out dust and dirt and getting rid of clutter and unwanted items, it’s believed that you won’t carry extra burdens into the new year and will have space for the prosperity and fortune coming your way.

Day of the Dead is celebrated across the world

While almost all celebrations involve cemeteries and altars, many countries also have their own unique traditions, including Bolivia’s staircase-shaped bread to help lead souls to heaven, and Haiti’s voodoo-influenced rituals.

Research shows that during total solar eclipses, some animals change their behavior to match their nighttime activities.

Guatemala's Day of the Dead tradition fills the sky with colorful kites

In a tradition that has lasted over 3,000 years, Guatemalans launch giant kites into the air on the eve of Day of the Dead. The colorful kites honor the dead and carry messages of hope, love and peace to the world.

Life during three months of polar night

In Norway's Svalbard archipelago, night reigns from November to January, as with many communities living within the polar regions. Contrary to popular assumptions about such places, many residents of the region describe the long darkness as peaceful, a time to slow down and draw nearer to neighbors and community. Read more on life in polar night, specifically in the Svalbard town of Longyearbyen, in this essay from a resident there.

A vegetarian diet is part of the Lunar New Year tradition

In keeping with China’s long history of Buddhism, which encourages vegetarianism, particularly on the first and 15th day of the lunar month, many people eat a plant-based diet (or at least a plant-based meal) on the first day of the Lunar New Year. The custom is supposed to increase participants’ good karma, bringing them extra blessings for the year to come.

The Lunar New Year is a major driver in China's economy

The annual festival brings in billions of dollars in both foreign and domestic tourism. The 2026 holiday includes an additional day, something Chinese officials hope will provide an even bigger boost to the country's somewhat stubborn national retail sales.

Explained: The Year of the Rabbit

One of the world's largest holidays, this visual guide will help you welcome the Year of the Rabbit and celebrate the new lunar year.

A trip to Burning Man offers many once-in-a-lifetime experiences

Burning Man operates on a de-commodified, gift-based economy and allows drugs, nudity, and other unconventional practicers. Burners return to their normal lives with wild stories that can't be replicated outside of the festival.

Firework-related celebrations include an annual summer celebration in El Salvador, where residents throw kerosene-soaked balls to commemorate a 1658 volcanic eruption.

Burning Man Explained

Every year, tens of thousands of people journey into the Nevada desert to build a temporary city centered on radical creativity, art, and community at Burning Man.

The last day of the Lunar New Year culminates in the Festival of Lanterns

The Festival of Lanterns celebrates the first full moon of the year. Elaborate, colorful light displays are held throughout China, with many regions having their own unique traditions, from the candle-lit lanterns in the south to the elaborate lighted ice sculptures common in the northeast.

Lunar New Year is celebrated around the globe

“Lunar New Year” is a catchall term that encompasses celebrations in several Asian countries. The date of the new year can vary by location depending on which calendar—lunar, lunisolar, or solar—is being used, but many of the traditions are shared across borders.

Muslims fasting in Iceland face more than 20 hours of daylight during summer Ramadan

In countries near the Arctic Circle, Ramadan's rule of fasting from sunrise to sunset can cause some unique challenges for the extended periods of daylight in the region. Icelandic Muslims have developed pragmatic workarounds—some follow the hours of Mecca, others adjust locally. It's an edge case that illuminates how a 7th-century practice gets negotiated across radically different geographies.

Congestion from Lunar New Year holiday travels can last around 40 days

American Thanksgiving or winter holiday travels aren't nearly as busy as Chunyun, the annual travel rush kicked off by the Lunar New Year. It's widely considered to be the largest mass migration of humans in the world. Millions of people travel within China to be home for the traditional family reunion meal.

Niagara Falls stopped flowing for a full day in 1848 due to ice

In March 1848, ice jams halted the Niagara River entirely for over 24 hours, allowing people to walk on the riverbed—a rare event that drew international headlines.

The solstice has been celebrated globally for millennia.

The myth of Santa Claus has partially caused a consumption-oriented holiday season

Yahoo pulled together a humorous collection of social media posts from people who seem to have forgotten that the holidays aren’t only about getting presents. The article is a sobering reminder to spend time with loved ones and show gratitude during the special season.

Burning Man is more than a decadent hippie festival

Burning Man is often associated with lawlessness, debauchery, and controversies, but the actual festival has many complex parts, including an ethos that promotes radical self-acceptance and caring for your community.

Photos from Burning Man 2023

The annual Burning Man festival occurs in August where over 70,000 people gather in the austere setting of the Black Rock Desert playa in Nevada. The city is set up for a week in concentric circles where attendees set up their habitats and art...

The winter solstice has been celebrated globally for millennia

From gatherings at Stonehenge in the UK to celebrations of the triumph of Mithra in Iran, cultures around the world have marked the shortest day of the year in a variety of ways for a very long time. Here are eight known to us today that endure.

A town in Peru holds a massive fistfight on Christmas

In Santo Tomás, Peru, Christmas Day features Takanakuy—organized public brawls where residents settle disputes through ritualized fistfights. The tradition, rooted in Andean customs, acts as a communal reset before the new year.

’Buy Nothing’ is a growing movement of hyperlocal gift economies with over 5 million global members

In anticonsumerist "Buy Nothing" groups, members can offer up or receive gifts, from plants to toys and more. Similar to Freecycle, the group emphasizes connection beyond just the material swapping as a means of creating community.

Ramadan tends to reduce Gulf productivity, but increases reported happiness

Economists have documented a measurable dip in productivity and output in Muslim-majority countries during Ramadan. But surveys consistently show the opposite on subjective well-being, with people reporting they feel better and more connected.

Null Island: the most real fictional island you can almost visit

This article explores Null Island, which can be found on most maps at exactly 0° latitude and 0° longitude. If someone were to paddle out to those coordinates, they'd find themselves in front of a buoy named Soul off the west coast of Africa. User...

Twelve ways the world celebrates springtime

Celebrating the seasonal change is rarely filled with as much relief and hope around the world as spring. This list compiles some famous and lesser-known springtime traditions from diverse cultures.

Hear today's call to prayer and special 'duas' sung by the muezzin

The call to prayer is a distinctive sound marking the start and end of the fast each day, playing a key cultural role in the rhythms of the period. This archive collects "duas" (or supplications, or a prayerful petition) for each day in the year, with timely prayers and recitations sung by the muezzin, or cantor, in gorgeously intricate melodic intervals.

Hawaii lived under martial law for nearly three years after Pearl Harbor

After the attack, Hawaii was placed under sweeping military rule—curfews, censorship, warrantless arrests, ID papers, and mass detentions transformed everyday life. More than 2,000 people were arrested within 48 hours of the attack, and the islands remained under martial law for nearly three years.

A 101 on why Ramadan is the holiest time of the Muslim year

As a spiritual guide for members of the Brandeis University community, this overview surfaces the highlights to orient readers on Ramadan logistics, practices, and obligations. It's a useful start for those interested in learning the basics around fasting rules, exemptions, the significance of iftar and suhoor, and common greetings.

Visa data shows Muslim spending spikes at night during Ramadan

Fasting during the day reschedules economic activity to the night. Visa's spending data shows a surge in Muslim-majority markets during Ramadan at night as restaurants and retailers orient themselves around iftar. The pattern has become a significant target for advertisers and brands.

When planning a vacation, consider avoiding the peak tourism season at your destination.

The American missionary and the uncontacted tribe.

When a 26-year-old American missionary set out for a lush island in the Indian Ocean last year, it was with one objective in mind: to convert the uncontacted Sentinelese tribe, who had lived for centuries in isolation, free from modern technology, disease, and religion. John Chau's mission had ambitions for a great awakening, but what awaited instead was tragedy.

Lunar New Year has a rich tradition of visual symbolism

Explore centuries of art related to the holiday—from the dragon robes worn by royalty to the calligraphy symbols thought to bring prosperity and fortune. Ancient artistic practices like woodblock printing, painting, and dance weave together to create the visual language of the Lunar New Year.