Celebrations | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/celebrations/RSS feed for CelebrationsenTue, 16 Jun 2026 12:57:27 +0000America's 150th Birthday Celebration Was Deemed the Nation's 'Greatest Flop.' What Went Wrong With the Sesquicentennial?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-150th-birthday-celebration-was-deemed-the-nations-greatest-flop-what-went-wrong-with-the-sesquicentennial-180988946/Philadelphia politicians hoped to replicate the success of the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Instead, the 1926 world's fair lost millions of dollars, essentially bankrupting the city on the eve of the Great DepressionTue, 16 Jun 2026 12:57:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-150th-birthday-celebration-was-deemed-the-nations-greatest-flop-what-went-wrong-with-the-sesquicentennial-180988946/How a Deadly Circus Fire on the 'Day the Clowns Cried' Traumatized a Community—and Led to Lasting Safety Reformshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-deadly-circus-fire-on-the-day-the-clowns-cried-traumatized-a-community-and-led-to-lasting-safety-reforms-180986888/On July 6, 1944, a blaze broke out at a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey show in Hartford, Connecticut. At least 167 people died, and hundreds were injuredThu, 03 Jul 2025 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-deadly-circus-fire-on-the-day-the-clowns-cried-traumatized-a-community-and-led-to-lasting-safety-reforms-180986888/Would You Wear a Wedding Dress Made of Disposable Paper? These 1960s Brides Donned Them to Save Money—and Make a Daring Fashion Statementhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/would-you-wear-a-wedding-dress-made-of-disposable-paper-these-1960s-brides-donned-them-to-save-moneyand-make-a-daring-fashion-statement-180986663/Created with synthetic textiles, the "nonwoven" gowns could be shortened for the reception or easily packed away for the honeymoonTue, 27 May 2025 13:19:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/would-you-wear-a-wedding-dress-made-of-disposable-paper-these-1960s-brides-donned-them-to-save-moneyand-make-a-daring-fashion-statement-180986663/See Charles Dickens' Rare Manuscripts, Teenage Love Letters and a Copy of 'David Copperfield' That Traveled to Antarcticahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-charles-dickens-rare-manuscripts-teenage-love-letters-and-a-copy-of-david-copperfield-that-traveled-to-antarctica-180985811/To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Charles Dickens Museum in London is staging an exhibition of historic objects that shed light on the writer’s life and legacyMon, 13 Jan 2025 21:42:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-charles-dickens-rare-manuscripts-teenage-love-letters-and-a-copy-of-david-copperfield-that-traveled-to-antarctica-180985811/Before the Yule Lads Evolved Into Icelandic Versions of Santa Claus, They Terrorized Children Into Following the Ruleshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-the-yule-lads-evolved-into-icelandic-versions-santa-claus-they-terrorized-children-into-following-rules-180948162/Today, the 13 brothers are said to leave presents in well-behaved youngsters’ shoes. But they used to be depicted as frightening monstersTue, 17 Dec 2013 15:38:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-the-yule-lads-evolved-into-icelandic-versions-santa-claus-they-terrorized-children-into-following-rules-180948162/'A Christmas Carol' Marvelously Captured the Holiday's Victorian Spirit and Inspired New Traditions for Centuries to Comehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-christmas-carol-marvelously-captured-the-holidays-victorian-spirit-and-inspired-new-traditions-for-centuries-to-come-180985649/Published on this day in 1843, at a time when Christmas was undergoing great transformation, Charles Dickens' novel centered the virtues of kindness, charity and reformThu, 19 Dec 2024 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-christmas-carol-marvelously-captured-the-holidays-victorian-spirit-and-inspired-new-traditions-for-centuries-to-come-180985649/New Yorkers Step Into Life-Size Replicas of Iconic Edward Hopper Paintingshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-yorkers-hop-into-iconic-hopper-paintings-for-the-artists-142nd-birthday-180984746/Three of the realist painter's most famous artworks came to life in an interactive installation in ManhattanTue, 23 Jul 2024 15:59:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-yorkers-hop-into-iconic-hopper-paintings-for-the-artists-142nd-birthday-180984746/How Jewish Soldiers Celebrated Passover in the Midst of the Civil Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-jewish-soldiers-celebrated-passover-in-the-midst-of-the-civil-war-180984183/A group of Union men from Ohio held a makeshift Seder in the western Virginia woods in 1862Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-jewish-soldiers-celebrated-passover-in-the-midst-of-the-civil-war-180984183/This Is When Washington, D.C.'s Cherry Trees Are Predicted to Bloom This Yearhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-when-washington-dcs-cherry-trees-are-predicted-to-bloom-this-year-180983892/"Peak bloom," which typically falls in late March or early April, refers to the day when at least 70 percent of the trees have blossomedTue, 05 Mar 2024 18:42:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-when-washington-dcs-cherry-trees-are-predicted-to-bloom-this-year-180983892/A Brief History of How Carnival Is Celebrated Around the Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-how-carnival-is-celebrated-around-the-world-180983771/Here’s how Venice, Rio de Janeiro, Trinidad and Tobago, New Orleans, and Quebec City mark the pre-Lenten seasonMon, 12 Feb 2024 12:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-how-carnival-is-celebrated-around-the-world-180983771/