Gamification, Then and Now
Nineteenth-century board games help to map public morality, from religious virtue to upward mobility.
The Rise of the Taco Truck
It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when the taco was invented, but the taco truck has grown from humble origins to inspire an entire mobile food revolution.
Why Were Americans Obsessed With Ghosts in the 1940s?
In 1940s America, two folklorists undertook the task of collecting and studying the "modern" ghost stories of their time.
The Genealogy of the Jewish Deli
The Jewish deli is a New York City tradition that has spread far beyond the city's limits. It's a tradition worthy of its own history.
What Santa Claus Looks Like
Where does the figure of Santa Claus come from? Turns out the answer is not "the North Pole." And he's not just about Christianity, either.
Thanksgiving Is a Feast of Things Forgotten
Thanksgiving is a feast so complex and semiotically dense that things are very often forgotten and rarely go according to plan.
Bringing Ancient Meals to Life
Recreating ancient meals--complete with 2500-year-old booze--is no easy feat.
There’s Class Inside That Glass of Tang
A scholar examines kitschy American foods as an entree into a conversation about class in the United States.
Vacationing with Julia Child
Want to get away this summer? Come daydream with us to the kitchen of Julia Child, in the south of France...