For Taylor Swift fans, December 13, which falls on a Friday this year, will be a day of celebration. It is, after all, their beloved singer's 34th birthday. But for the millions who suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia — the fear of Friday the 13th — it will be the unluckiest day of the year. The origins of this superstition remain unclear. However, experts have some theories....
Read news articleHanukkah, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, is a joyous eight-day winter festival. It begins on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. This usually falls between late November and late December. In 2024, Hanukkah celebrations will start at sundown on December 25, coinciding with Christmas Day, and conclude on January 2, 2025. This overlap of the two holidays last occurred in 2005 and will not happen again until 2035....
Read news articleDía de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a vibrant and colorful Mexican celebration honoring life and death. Observed annually on November 1 and 2, it offers an opportunity to remember and pay tribute to loved ones who have passed....
Read news articleEvery fall, Americans buy tens of millions of decorative pumpkins. Some are carved into spooky jack-o'-lanterns, while others are used simply for display. Unfortunately, the interest in these colorful gourds fades soon after Halloween. Experts estimate that over one billion pounds of pumpkins — more than 80 percent of the 1.3 billion pounds purchased annually — end up in landfills....
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