traditions

Skiers participate in last year's "Santa Sunday" event at the Sunday River resort in Newry, Maine.

Unique ways Americans celebrate the holidays, from skiing Santas to Festivus feats

9:43am December 08, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Here's how communities across the U.S. put their own spin on Christmas, Hanukkah and even Festivus celebrations — from Santas who ski and surf, to trees made of tumbleweed, sand and lobster traps.

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Sharmistha Chaudhuri (center, wearing pink), 35, at her wedding in Kolkata, India, in January 2020. Chaudhuri found some Indian wedding traditions retrograde, so she hired four feminist priestesses to officiate at hers. They performed a multilingual, egal

Hindu priestesses fight the patriarchy, one Indian wedding at a time

9:20am October 15, 2021

by Lauren Frayer

The priestesses are part of a feminist push to make Hinduism more inclusive. Some have begun officiating at Indian weddings stripped of patriarchal traditions: No more "donating" brides to in-laws.

This year, fiambre was made in the garage. Family members came to pick up their share instead of coming together for a festive meal.

From Around The World: How To Have A Happy(ish) Pandemic Thanksgiving

1:02pm November 24, 2020

Folks in other countries have figured out ways to hold a safe traditional celebration at a time of quarantines and lockdowns. Here are a few hacks they've devised.

Adam Roseman, 52, and Rick Rosenthal, 66, pose after their StoryCorps interview in Atlanta.

He Is Jewish, But Being Santa Is His Calling

12:37pm December 07, 2018

Rick Rosenthal has been playing the role of Santa for almost seven years. At StoryCorps, he recalls how it all began.

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NPR is looking to speak with people who have reinvented their holiday traditions after the death of a loved one.

National

How Have Your Holiday Traditions Been Impacted By The Loss Of A Loved One?

4:56pm December 05, 2018

by Cameron Jenkins

How has your family carried on holiday traditions or created new ones after the death of a loved one? NPR wants to hear from you.

A cold, crisp glass of apple cider helps wash down those deliciously oily donuts, still hot from the fryer.

Donuts And Apple Cider: An Autumn Marriage Made By Autos And Automation

7:00am October 05, 2017

by Deena Prichep

For many people, it's just not Fall without this tasty combo. And when the first cars hit the roads, farm stands began selling the drink along with a fried treat made by a new machine.

A Victorian family gathers to stir pudding in a Christmas card illustration from the 1870s. The Victorian era put a premium on hospitality, which may have helped create the tradition of leaving out treats for a visiting Santa.

How Did Santa Get Hooked On Cookies And Milk?

4:20pm December 22, 2015

by Kylie Mohr

Turns out the tradition of leaving cookies and milk for Santa hasn't left much of a trail of crumbs to trace through history. But it might start with the early cookies of 13th-century Europe.