A pile of letters wait to be loaded in a sorting machine at a USPS processing and distribution center.

Have Bad Handwriting? The U.S. Postal Service Has Your Back

Don’t worry, your Christmas gifts and cards will make it to their destination, even if your writing looks like chicken scratch

Everybody Loves Lists

Our Top Ten Stories of 2015

From treasures buried in glaciers to the racial history of a vanished city in Oregon, here are the most-read stories on Smithsonian.com this year

Artist Sidney Mobell created this gold and jewel-encrusted Monopoly set in 1988. Following strict guidelines put forth from Parker Brothers, the game's manufacturer, he used 24-karat gold and 165 precious stones to create the set, which is valued at about $2 million.

From Teeth to Toilets, This Dazzling Exhibit of Gold Artifacts Has the Midas Touch

An exhibit at New York City’s Museum of American Finance tracks the allure of gold through the centuries

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Everybody Loves Lists

The Best History Books of 2015

Beyond the boldface names are these chronicles from the past year that are well worth your time

A Stormtrooper Mask

Austria

These Are the “Star Wars” Exhibitions You Are Looking For

Grab your light saber and celebrate the art of the movie series at museums around the world

On December 17, pilgrims flood the streets of the Cuban town of Rincón, home to a leprosarium and a church dedicated to St. Lazarus.

Cuba’s Fascinating Babalú-Ayé Procession Honors African and Catholic Traditions

On December 17, Cubans perform a ritual pilgrimage for a powerful deity that can bring good health or can take it away

A pair of six-panel folding screens entitled Waves of Matsushima, Tawaraya Sōtatsu, early 1600s

A Renowned, But Forgotten, 17th-Century Japanese Artist Is Once Again Making Waves

Long neglected, the 17th-century Japanese artist Tawaraya Sōtatsu influenced Western art 400 years later

Ralphie from A Christmas Story gets his decoder ring from Little Orphan Annie.

American Children Faced Great Dangers in the 1930s, None Greater Than “Little Orphan Annie”

Advertisements for Ovaltine were just part of the problem

The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, once partially owned by a member of the Chicago mafia syndicate.

Eat (and Drink) Your Way Through Sinatra’s Chicago

See why the Windy City was without a doubt his kind of town

The first Christmas Card

The History of the Christmas Card

Borne out of having too little time, the holiday greeting has boomed into a major industry

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The ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ Special Was the Flop That Wasn’t

In 1965, CBS gambled big on an animated spectacular that’s now become a holiday tradition

The Museum of Feelings can pretty much be summed up by this photo.

Fear and Loathing at the Museum of Feelings

Can a corporate marketing stunt fulfill the raised expectations of a “museum”?

Sponsor: National Portrait Gallery

These Actresses Were Never Nominated for an Oscar But Can Still Earn Your Vote

The National Portrait Gallery will hang the winner on its walls this winter

Kay WalkingStick's five-decade career is honored in a major retrospective, “Kay WalkingStick: An American Artist,” at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

A Long Overdue Retrospective for Kay WalkingStick Dispels Native Art Stereotypes

At the American Indian Museum, the new show traces a career that included minimalist works to monumental landscapes

A Brief History of Sending a Letter to Santa

Dating back more than 150 years, the practice of writing to St. Nick tells a broader history of America itself

Grateful Dead, 2015, "Fare Thee Well" concert, Chicago

We’re Looking for the Best Rock ‘n’ Roll Photos. What’s in Your Collection?

For those who photograph rock, we salute you

Le Moulin Jaune, or The Yellow Mill.

Go Down the Rabbit Hole in This Fantastical French Park

A clown’s surreal playground is now open to the public

The manuscript found in the attic

An Intern Saved a Museum by Finding This Revolutionary War Treasure in the Attic

The obvious lesson: never throw anything away

The Best Photography Books of the Year

These photographers see things differently and invite you into unfamiliar worlds

Fried insects, anyone?

Five Ways to Start Eating Insects

The idea may be hard to swallow, but crickets and mealworms will likely be part of our sustainable food future

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