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Christmas

The protagonist of Louisa May Alcott's “A Christmas Dream, and How It Came True,” embarks on a journey much like Ebenzer Scrooge's in A Christmas Carol.

A Forgotten Louisa May Alcott Story Showcases the Author’s Twist on Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’

Written in 1882, “A Christmas Dream, and How It Came True,” covered many of the same themes as Dickens’ classic, albeit with a different audience in mind

Irving Berlin sings at the dedication of Los Angeles City Hall in 1928

Tragedy Struck Composer Irving Berlin on Christmas Day. Years Later, He Would Write One of the All-Time Holiday Classics

“White Christmas” is one of the world’s best-selling tunes and continues to be in rotation more than eight decades later

The Radio City Rockettes seen backstage before Saks Fifth Avenue's holiday light show and window unveiling, November 24, 2025

After a Century, the Rockettes Are Still Kicking Their Way Into American Hearts

In 1925, the dance company got its start in St. Louis, and it has since grown to be a Christmas season staple

The crowd stood beneath a large mistletoe installation for the world record attempt on December 13.

Thousands of Couples Gather Under the Mistletoe in Washington, D.C. to Kiss Their Way Into a New World Record

A total of 1,435 couples almost tripled the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people kissing beneath the mistletoe

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Dig In to the Traditions Behind Two Holiday Dishes That Make the Season Even More Delicious

Two culinary traditions from two island nations reveal what glues communities and families together across time

Astronauts Tom Stafford (left) and Wally Schirra (right) demonstrating with two model space crafts during an interview in the 1960s

Sixty Years Ago, When Instruments Were Played in Space for the First Time, It Was ‘Jingle Bells’ All the Way

Astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra delighted mission control with their rendition of the Christmas classic

Smithsonian magazine's picks for best photography books of 2025 include Birds of a Feather, Blue Sun and Trembling Earth.

The Best Books of 2025

The Ten Best Photography Books of 2025

Our favorite titles this year invite readers to take in the beauty of nature and our cultural rituals

The painting was rehung in its original place at the church during a ceremony earlier this month.

This Painting Hung at a Church in Mexico for 200 Years Before It Was Stolen in 2001. Now, It’s Finally Returning Home

Titled “St. Francis of Assisi,” the 1747 standing portrait of the church’s namesake was stolen in 2001, along with several other items

New York City, 1984. Advertising is a recurring theme in Friedlander’s photography, and no figure appears more often in store windows than Old St. Nick. 

A Famed Street Photographer Chronicled What Christmas Looks Like Across America Over the Course of Decades

Lee Friedlander’s new book, “Christmas,” collects his work from all over the country on the topic of our sentimental and materialistic connection to the holiday

Why is the Midwest covered with prairies instead of forests? 

Why Aren’t There Forests in the Midwest? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve Got Questions. We’ve Got Experts

Ma’amoul is a traditional Middle Eastern cookie often enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays, made by combining semolina flour with butter and milk, forming it into a dough, and filling it with nuts or dates.

The History of Ma’amoul, a Middle Eastern Cookie That Is a ‘Love Letter’ to Our Ancestors

Stuffed with nuts or dates, the shortbread cookie is enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays

The weeklong exhibition showcases items submitted by members of the public.

The Museum of Bad Gifts Is a Celebration of Outlandish Objects, From Ceramic Clowns to Cat Nail Clippings

Presented like pieces of fine art, the peculiar presents are mounted on the walls of a gallery in Toronto. Many of them will ultimately be sold at auction

Volunteers in Pennsylvania discovered a valuable Elizabeth II coin wrapped up in a dollar bill in one of their red kettles.

Anonymous Donors Across the Country Are Dropping Valuable Coins Into the Salvation Army’s Red Kettles

Many donors search their pockets for spare change, but some generous individuals are giving away historic coins worth thousands of dollars during the charity’s annual fundraising campaign

The Original Vienna Snow Globe Factory produces roughly 300,000 snow globes per year.

How an Experiment to Amplify Light in Hospital Operating Rooms Led to the Accidental Invention of the Snow Globe

The origins of the decoration lie in Vienna’s 17th district, where the inventor’s descendants are still making them for collectors around the world

The giant Santa statue near the Santa Claus House in the town of North Pole, Alaska

Why Is Santa From the North Pole? Here’s How the Legend Originated and Why Different Towns Lay Claim to It

Santa Claus is usually good news for tourism—and locales all over the world embrace their proximity to the Christmas figure

Sculptures of Grýla, mother of the 13 Yule Lads, and Skyrgámur, a Yule Lad fond of Icelandic yogurt

Before the Yule Lads Evolved Into Icelandic Versions of Santa Claus, They Terrorized Children Into Following the Rules

Today, the 13 brothers are said to leave presents in well-behaved youngsters’ shoes. But they used to be depicted as frightening monsters

A young girl puckers up to plant a kiss on a plastic Santa.  

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Ho, Ho, Ho! 15 Festive Photos of Santa Claus to Get You Into the Christmas Spirit

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and ol’ St. Nick is spreading holiday cheer for all to hear

The title page of the first edition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol

On This Day in History

‘A Christmas Carol’ Marvelously Captured the Holiday’s Victorian Spirit and Inspired New Traditions for Centuries to Come

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 reform

The mailbox for letters to Santa Claus at the home of the Parsons family in Pennsylvania, on December 10, 2020

Ask Smithsonian

Kids Send Thousands of Letters to Santa Each Year. Here’s What Really Happens to Them

The United States Postal Service and volunteers have responded to North Pole holiday correspondence over the past century

The stone marked with the name "Ebenezer Scrooge" is located in a graveyard at St. Chad’s Church in Shrewsbury, England.

Vandals Destroy Ebenezer Scrooge’s Fictional Tombstone Featured in a Film Adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’

Located in an English churchyard, the stone was inscribed with the name “Ebenezer Scrooge” for the 1984 movie. Police are investigating the vandalism, which occurred earlier this month

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