Food, Glorious Food
Smithsonian magazine’s coverage of food, drink and their role in our culture
Your Christmas Tree May Be Turned Into Mouthwash One Day
A new sustainable chemical process can turn pine needles into a chemical feedstock for paint, food sweeteners, mouthwash and other products
The Titles of These AI-Generated Christmas Carols Are Pure Cinnamon Hollybells
🎶 We wish you a Merry Jinglelog 🎶
Smithsonian Museums Will Remain Open in the Event of Government Shutdown
While the museums and the National Zoo will close on Christmas Day, they will operate as usual through January 1
Why We Should Bring Back the Tradition of the Christmas Orange
The appeal of a last-minute stocking stuffer
Could Erfurt Be Germany’s Most Magical Christmas Town?
A Christmas pyramid, a 65-foot tree, a 14th-century bridge and a market serving mulled wine and drinking chocolates are among Erfurt’s festive offerings
The Patents Behind Christmas Lights
This Christmas, take a moment to appreciate the many innovations that make holiday light displays and the strand of bulbs on your tree possible
Stump-Grown Christmas Trees Are the Gift That Keeps on Giving
Using the sustainable and ancient method of coppicing, evergreen Christmas trees can be regrown indefinitely
Christmas Card Addressed to Bletchley Codebreakers Discovered
The lost holiday message features the only known photograph of operatives’ September 1938 meeting, the enigmatic “Captain Ridley’s shooting party”
A Civil War Cartoonist Created the Modern Image of Santa Claus as Union Propaganda
Thomas Nast is legendary for his political cartoons, but he’s also responsible for the jolly St. Nick we know today
A Culinary History of Panettone, the Italian and South American Christmas Treat
The holiday pastry has been a multicultural phenomenon since the very beginning
Seven Places Reinventing the Christmas Tree
From rocket gardens to tumbleweeds, here are some of the most imaginative holiday trees in the United States
A Brief History of ‘Silent Night’
The classic Christmas tune was first composed as a poem, and it was set to music for the first time in the winter of 1818
The Nerdiest Christmas Cards Ever May Be These Microscope Slides Composed of Shells
The unusual holiday exchange, which lasted decades during the early 20th-century, hints at the drama between the two colleagues
Eight Dazzling Toy Train Displays to Get You in the Holiday Spirit
From Dallas to New York City, these mighty miniatures will delight even the biggest Scrooge
Berlin Exhibition Chronicles Evolution of Christmas Decorations From 19th Century to Today
Selections include swastika-adorned baubles from Nazi Germany, miniature bombs and warships popularized during World War I
The Best Places to See Reindeer Around the World
From Norway to Alaska, here’s where to see members of Santa’s herd in person
The History of Our Love-Hate Relationship With the Christmas Letter
How the “Dear Friends” missive started and how it has survived the Facebook age
Top 10 Real-Life Grinches Who Did Their Best to Steal Christmas
These historical humbugs rival Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch in their lack of holiday spirit
It’s Still Christmas in Armenia
The holiday celebrations continue through January 13. Here’s what to cook to keep the festivities going.
Page 4 of 10