Needle drop is one of the traits plant scientists at the Christmas Tree Research Center at Dalhousie University are hoping to improve.

Can Science Produce a Longer Lasting Christmas Tree?

LED Christmas lights make the needles hold on longer, and other discoveries from the world’s only Christmas tree research center

The National Menorah and one of the state Christmas trees near the White House in 2009.

Someday, Maybe We’ll Have Hanukkah in July

Hanukkah and Christmas fall on the same day this year because not everyone follows the same calendar

Holiday spices have a long history, stretching back hundreds of years. (Alamy)

History of Now

How the Crusades Helped Create Your Gingerbread Latte

Spices have been shaping cuisine for thousands of years, especially around the Christmas season

The Innovative Spirit fy17

The Patents Behind Christmas Sugar Confections

The popularity of candy canes and ribbon candy has a lot to do with 20th-century machines that sped up production

Nazi Christmas ornaments

History of Now

The Nazis Fought the Original War on Christmas

As they rose to power, party leaders sought to redefine the holiday to suit their own political needs

The first edition of A Christmas Carol. The illustration on the left is of Mr. Fezziwig's ball, one of Scrooge's good memories.

Why Charles Dickens Wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’

The beloved story sold 6,000 copies in its first week in print and 15,000 in its first year

Marshall Field's was as much a part of Chicago's soul as the Lakefront and the Cubs.

For Generations of Chicagoans, Marshall Field’s Meant Business, and Christmas

The midwestern mainstay transformed commerce into a communal holiday spectacle

Cool Finds

Each Christmas, Iceland’s Yule Cat Takes Fashion Policing to the Extreme

The Jólakötturinn will make you thankful for those Christmas socks

New York City’s Holiday Vintage Subway Trains Are Back

Go back in time, underground

Cool Finds

Listen to This Holly, Jolly (and a Little Creepy) A.I.-Penned Christmas Song

A neural network at the University of Toronto wrote a holiday ditty based on an image of a Christmas tree

The 45-foot Christmas tree is installed in Boston Common.

Trending Today

A Century-Old Boston Christmas Tree Tradition Costs Canadians Big Money

Turns out that Boston’s city Christmas tree is a very valuable gift

The record for lights at a home, lawn included, is 601,736 bulbs.

Untangling the History of Christmas Lights

This bright idea was ahead of its time

Trending Today

What Exactly Was the Christmas Star?

The Star of Bethlehem may not have actually been a star

Trending Today

Listen to Bob Dylan Read ‘’Twas the Night Before Christmas’

A favorite voice interprets a classic

The entrance to the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur mall is covered with sparkling archways.

Giant Christmas Displays Are Taking Over Malls Throughout Asia

These malls know how to get into the holiday spirit

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

Coast Redwood trees are one of the more than 200 species threatened by extinction around the world.

Trending Today

Meet the World’s Most Threatened Christmas Trees

Some conifers’ survival is endangered by disease, deforestation and competition

The Catalan Nativity character known as Caganer in the Santa Llucia Christmas Market, Barcelona, Spain.

Catalonia

Catalonian Nativity Scenes Feature a Man Pooping in the Manger Scene’s Corner

Kids also celebrate Christmas by beating a log until it poops out treats

Cool Finds

A Brief History of Figgy Pudding

The dense, spicy dish has been giving good cheer for centuries

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