Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Rituals and Traditions

Production shot of "Chinglish"

“Chinglish” Dramatizes China-U.S. Muddles

In the new Broadway play by David Henry Hwang, an American in Beijing misinterpreting the signs

The author runs on empty as he pushes his bike over rough terrain in the Murat Mountains.

Rose Hips and Hard Times

Sultan packs me a goody bag with tomatoes, cheese and peppers so hot I can’t even touch them. I suggest paying and she tilts her head back—”not a chance.”

Sunlight bursts through a ceiling of rainclouds above the lonely west shore of Lake Burdur.

Gandhi’s Wisdom Falls Short

Then, from behind me, came a staccato war cry—“Aaaack!”—as my host sent a boot into the dog’s rib cage

A potential buyer must carefully inspect the rugs at the Navajo rug auction.

Where to Get a Great Rug, and a Helping of Navajo Culture

Connoisseurs of Native American textiles know to go to the Crownpoint, New Mexico, Navajo Rug Auction

Friends are easily made - and tea quickly served - while tasting cheese at the town bazaar.

What to Eat and Drink in Turkey

My favorite place in any large town is the fruit bazaar, where all this goodness is crammed together into a circus of fragrant, colorful mayhem

Downtown Los Angeles

Downtown L.A. Edges Toward Livability

In downtown L.A. the vibe remains edgy, but that’s the point

The floating fishing villages in Vietnam's Halong Bay

The World Monuments Fund 2012 Watch List

The latest Watch List from the World Monuments Fund cites 67 invaluable places in need of attention, in some cases protection from tourists

No doubt about it, bears had been in this area.

The Bear and the Bullet

The truck came by slowly and a spotlight swept the river bottom. “My God—they’re hunting me!”

Turkish tea

Tea and Bear Talk in Turkey

“It’s too dangerous,” said a villager. “There are bears.” His boys growled and clawed the air

People who eat too many croissants for breakfast or visit during August.

Swimming in Paris

Lap-swimming in Paris takes cultural openness and skimpy bathing attire

Fishermen pass the hours along the Bosporus Strait. They occasionally catch sardines.

Istanbul: The Maddest City in Europe

“That’s the fattest stray dog I’ve ever seen.” A lot has changed here since Mark Twain wrote about the city, but there’s still plenty of mayhem

A relic from the communist era lies along the road to the Kabata Hut.

Uphill All the Way in the Rhodope Mountains

I have my dinner—cheese, a four-pound organic tomato, a sack of figs and a jar of pickled chanterelles—and I’m ready to get lost on the mountain roads

Spring-fed fountains are refreshing rest spots in the Bulgarian countryside.

Europe

What to Drink in Bulgaria

The fountains are a marvel of local social infrastructure; the spouts pour out spring water along almost every mile of mountain roads

Cracking Open the History of Fortune Cookies

That crunchy confection whose unobtrusive vanilla flavor is always a welcome complement to a heavy, savory meal

None

How to Celebrate Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere

None

Fruitcake 101: A Concise Cultural History of This Loved and Loathed Loaf

None

Food Fit For the Dead—And the Living

Every September for 86 years, Santa Fe residents have gathered to witness the burning of Zozobra.

Zozobra: The Boogeyman of Santa Fe

Each year, New Mexicans gather around a giant burning effigy, casting off their bad memories into the consuming bonfire

Pumpkin Carving Ideas From Around the Smithsonian

Print out and tape these stencils to your Halloween pumpkin for a different kind of jack o’lantern

None

Giving Thanks at Sukkot

Page 34 of 37