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Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

A vibrant parade on the National Mall with participants in colorful costumes, carrying flags and banners, in front of the United States Capitol building. Text is overlaid on the image that reads: Culture Of, By, and For the People

Smithsonian Folklife Festival Goes National for the United States’ 250th Anniversary

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, the Smithsonian is taking its oldest and largest public event—the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival—on the road to communities across the country and three U.S. territories.

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The Dance of the Feather Is a Flight Between Tradition and Modernity

The dance tradition has survived five centuries of cultural changes and fused Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past with its present

In a crystal dish, beside a plate of pancakes, butter formed in the shape of a lamb with a red ribbon around its neck, red flag sticking out from its back, and a black peppercorn for an eye.

Behold the Butter Lamb of God: A Polish Catholic Easter Tradition Beloved in Buffalo, New York

A butter lamb has taken center stage on my family’s Easter table for as long as I can remember.

alt="An elder woman with dark skin and short white hair holds up a framed twelve-inch gold record, smiling. Behind her is a seated crowd under a festival tent."

A Century of Ella Jenkins: Tributes to the First Lady of Children’s Music

To celebrate Ella Jenkins on her hundredth birthday in August, we asked a group of musicians how Ella has inspired them.

A man in white dress sits with a thoughtful expression on his face outdoors, green and red foliage out of focus behind him. Old color film photo.

A Man of Peace: Grand Master Kim’s Vision for Chicago and the World

Grand Master Kim believed that peace begins when individual people express the harmonious energy of peace in their daily lives.

A line of drummers wearing red vests and white shirts stand in the dessert on a clear, blue-skied day.

Journey to the International Oasis Festival in Tozeur, Tunisia by Quad, Carriage or Car

The forty-third edition of the festival, held December 24 to 27, 2022, showcased the city’s agriculture, artisans, and music.

Four men stand together on a tented stage playing percussive instruments. They are dressed in brightly patterned clothes and are filmed by people holding cellphones.

Mouled, Music and Cultural Memory in a Tunisian Festival

Mouled is the celebration of the birth of Mohammed, Islam’s prophet. Worldwide, Muslims gather to hear poems and stories about the prophet’s life, recite the Qur’an, and enjoy festive music and foods.

Two women decorate a large array of cookies laid out on a table.

Celebrate National Cookie Day With This Scottish Treat

In our family, Christmas would not be complete without our cookie-baking and decorating tradition

A clear bowl filled with Italian seafood pasta sits on a table with red and green placemats.

Fra Diavolo Is a Devilish Dish for an Italian American Christmas

Fra diavolo is a spicy tomato sauce served over linguine and shellfish that roughly translates to “among the devil.

Freshly backed, round, golden brown tortas sit to cool in their crinkled metal baking tins.

Torta—Filipino Christmas Cake, I Think

For the majority of the year, I am half Filipina. But during Christmas, I try to embrace this identity fully through a few small rituals.

Three adults stand and two small children stand around a table with plated. The table is covered by a red table cloth and has a large candle in the center with food arranged around it.

Learn to Make Potatis Korv Sausage for Your Festive Swedish Smörgåsbord

I can’t remember a year in my life where my Grandma Lucille laid out the smörgåsbord and the korv was missing.

A plate full of golden brown potato pancakes are placed on a dining table. Behind them are bowls of sour cream, apple sauce, salt, and a menorah with three candles lit.

Are You Team Apple Sauce or Sour Cream? A Smithsonian Staffer Shares Her Family's Latke Recipe

It’s Hanukkah and time to dig out the three-by-five index card with my mother’s recipe for latkes.

A young girl poses outside a building, wearing a dark coat, layers of skirts, and a kerchief over her hair, holding a broom in one hand and a kettle in the other. Black-and-white photo.

The Swedish Witch Trials Teach Us How to Confront Dark Heritage

At first glance, the tradition of Påskkärring, or “Easter Hags,” seems quite innocent, but deeper study reveals a dark history, one of oppression and persecution.

Digital illustration of a large mothlike figure, flying above a forested area and a single car driving down a road at nights. Its eyes are glowing red.

West Virginia's Mothman Leads Cryptid Renaissance

The creature has risen from local appearances to the national stage as a leader in the cryptid revival of the last twenty years.

A woman wearing traditional Armenian dress bends down to tend to an outdoor stove while preparing a meal.

Collaboration and Community: Working Together for the Future of Armenian Festivals

Festivals allow for pauses in our fast-paced routines to celebrate human creativity.

Visitors pick out crochet toys to purchase at the My Handmade Armenia Festival.

Reviving Tradition With the My Handmade Armenia Festival

The My Handmade Armenia festival aims to not only help artisans but to create new opportunities for tourists too—from purchasing extraordinary items to taking home a tangible and traditional piece of Armenian cultural heritage.

Bright lights and large crowds were ever-present at the Weihnachtsmarkt in Dresden, Germany, 2014. (Photo by Pete Reiniger)

A Taste of the German Christmas Market at Home: Glühwein mit Schuss

Normally at this time of year, the German-speaking lands of Central Europe would be bustling with Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets) or Christkindlmärkte (Christ Child markets), filled with food, drink, good cheer, and other longstanding traditional activities. But nothing seems to be normal in 2020, so almost all of those markets never opened.

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