toy train

Why We Give Children Toys for Christmas

Giving children toys for Christmas first became a thing in early nineteenth century England.
People enjoying their evening on a beach on Honolulu, Hawaii.

Mele Kalikimaka! How To Say “Merry Christmas” In Hawaiian

Translating "Merry Christmas" into Hawaiian offers insight into the language's modest inventory of consonants.
Louis Prang Christmas

Christmas, Inc.: A Brief History of the Holiday Card

Americans still purchase approximately 1.6 billion holiday cards a year. What about this old-fashioned tradition appeals to so many?
Christmas Lights

The Class Perceptions of Christmas Decorations in Great Britain

In the U.K., Christmas decorations are often associated with the lower-class, and such visibility has been scorned and criticized.
Hitler salutes marching Nazis in Weimar – Oct 1930

What Christmas Meant to the Nazis

The Nazi regime used Christmas to foster among the German people a sense of national unity and pride.
Starbucks Red Holiday Cup

The First “War on Christmas”

The controversy over Jesus’s birthday has gone on for centuries.
A partially opened red gift box with an undone golden ribbon

Psy-Q: Is Christmas Gift Giving Wasteful?

Is Christmas Gift Giving Wasteful?
Stockings hung above a fireplace next to a Christmas tree and presents

Oh, Christmas Tree!

The ubiquitous Christmas tree has a history, and it isn't biblical.