World Mar 16 Why the color of St. Patrick’s Day changed from blue to green St. Patrick’s Day usually conjures images of partying, Catholicism, Irish nationalism and, perhaps most famously, the color green: green clothes, green shamrocks, green beer and green rivers. But the holiday used to be a solemn feast day when you’d be… By Bryan McGovern, The Conversation
Nation Dec 26 Why ‘better late than never’ applies to holiday gift-giving, too Many people who took part in a series of studies overestimated the negative consequences of sending a late gift. By Rebecca Walker Reczek, Cory Haltman, Grant Donnelly, The Conversation
World Dec 26 PHOTOS: Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations around the world Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday urged “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions” plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine,… By Silvia Stellacci, Colleen Barry, Associated Press
Nation Dec 24 Watch 2:54 U.S. military services musicians perform Christmas classic ‘Jingle Bells’ This Christmas Eve, we continue a tradition we started a few years ago with members of the U.S. military presenting a holiday song. This year, musicians from the military services perform the Christmas classic "Jingle Bells." This video was produced… By Dan Sagalyn
Dec 24 How to make your home merry and bright in an environmentally friendly way By Sarah Beckford Metallic tinsel, glittery ornaments, plastic holly that really stays green forever – they look good on your Christmas tree, holiday table, mantel or front door. They’re not such a good look for the planet. Continue reading
Dec 20 A quick guide to Kwanzaa By Graham Lee Brewer, Associated Press The holiday, which serves as a nationwide communal event reinforcing self-determination and unity in the face of oppression, spans seven days from the day after Christmas through New Year’s Day. Continue reading
Dec 16 How to support grieving loved ones at the holidays By J. Kim Penberthy, The Conversation Holidays and special occasions can amplify the pain, leaving those grieving feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Continue reading
Nov 28 Watch 6:00 Love it or hate it, pumpkin spice is everywhere this time of year. How did it take over? By Paul Solman, Maea Lenei Buhre While this season’s politics and headlines may lead to heated exchanges over the Thanksgiving table, economics correspondent Paul Solman looks at the history of a different controversy that is ubiquitous during the holidays: pumpkin spice. Continue watching
Nov 27 3 ways empathy can help you handle conflict during the holidays By Casey Kuhn Even if you think the other person will not be empathetic to your side of a discussion, if you model that empathetic behavior, you’re more likely to see the other person mirror it back. Continue reading