Celebrations

The doge's barge, called the Bucentaur, returning to Venice after the "wedding" ceremony. This painting is by eighteenth-century Venetian artist Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto.

Venice Has Been Married to the Sea for Over a Thousand Years

Happy anniversary, you crazy kids

A quarter of the U.S. population (including a girl in Moline, Illinois) turned out for the Liberty Bell.

How the Liberty Bell Won the Great War

As it entered World War I, the United States was politically torn and financially challenged. An American icon came to the rescue

A Photographer Captures Papier-Mâché and Politics on Parade in Haiti's Jacmel

Michael Magers photographs high art and cutting cultural critiques during the annual Kanaval celebration

Beginning as a religious feast day, Saint Patrick's Day has become an international celebration of Irish heritage.

The Origins of Chicago's Green River, Shamrock Shakes and Other Surprising Trivia About St. Patrick's Day

From colonial patriots to mass-marketed milkshakes, the Irish religious holiday has morphed into a worldwide celebration

Flame retardants and lead in Mardi Gras beads may pose a danger to people and the environment.

The Toxic Truth Behind Mardi Gras Beads

Every year, 25 million pounds of plastic beads made by Chinese factory workers get dumped on the streets of New Orleans

The 2017 Harbin Ice and Snow World began trial operations December 21, which has attracted tens of thousands of tourists to take pictures here.

This Ice Festival in China Is a Rainbow-Colored Dream

A woman smashes her laptop at Good Riddance Day in 2015

2016 Got You Down? Trash All Your Woes on Good Riddance Day

Inspired by a Latin American tradition, Good Riddance Day is one way to say goodbye to this year’s bad memories

The Gävle Goat in 2006

For 50 Years, This Swedish City Has Celebrated Christmas Season With a Giant Straw Goat

And most of the time it meets a fiery end

Visitors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. arrive to see the grand opening ceremonies.

Thousands Converge on the National Mall For Music, Family, Remembrance and Celebration

Families from all over the country arrive to celebrate the grand opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

The Voice of Tomorrow Choir on the front porch of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture

What You Need to Know About the September 24 NMAAHC Grand Opening

Entry Passes are all gone for today, but there is plenty to see and do on the National Mall

Four Explosive Advancements for Future Fireworks

From color to sound, the next-gen fireworks are sure to wow

A Little Free Library in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Build Your Own Library at the First-Ever Little Library Festival

The book-sharing stations have popped up all across the United States

For the first time in hundreds of years, some seders might include rice and beans.

For the First Time in 800 Years, Rice and Beans Are Kosher for Passover

The Jewish Conservative movement relaxes a 13th-century ban on rice, corn and beans during Passover

The Swiss have a tradition for predicting spring: the Böögg.

In Switzerland, an Exploding Snowman Helps Predict Spring

Think Groundhog Day—but with fire

Just a fraction of the nearly 25,000 pounds of diamondback rattlesnakes displayed at the 2016 Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas.

Controversial Texas Rattlesnake Roundup Nets Largest Catch to Date

One of the world’s largest rattlesnake roundup bagged nearly 25,000 pounds of rattlers this year

Revelers sit on a wall in Mathura.

A Saturated Snapshot of This Year’s Holi Celebrations

Revelers are already soaking in shades of the spring festival

This French Town Is Covered in Citrus Sculptures

Ten-foot-tall lemon sculptures herald the Fête du Citron

Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, makes his appearance during the Groundhog Day celebration at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

A Short History of Groundhog Day

Punxsutawney Phil is part of a tradition with roots that extend back thousands of years

Villagers air red lanterns in Xingtai City, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 25, 2016. Luozhuang Township is a famous lantern production base in Xingtai.

China’s Lantern Makers Are Gearing Up for the New Year

Delicate, bright and iconic, China's lanterns symbolize celebration and good luck

The Times Square New Year's Eve Ball is tested the day before New Year's Eve atop the roof of One Times Square in New York, on Dec. 30, 2015.

Here’s Why New York Celebrates New Year’s Eve by Dropping a Ball

New Year’s Eve wasn’t always a riotous party

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