Trends & Traditions | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian.com

Meet Sesame Street’s Global Cast of Characters

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:45:02 GMT

Over the course of the 40 years that the program has been on the air, Sesame Street has spawned versions in countries around the world

Museums With Their Own Niche

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:06:40 GMT

Subjects as wide-ranging as lunchboxes, roller skating, and Bigfoot have museums dedicated solely to their study and appreciation

The Last Page - UBI in the Knife and Gun Club - Oct09

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The secret language of doctors and nurses

Indelible Images - Double Play - Oct09

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The famed Chicago Cubs infielders were immortalized in verse—as well as through Paul Thompson's lens

The Last Page - Home Sweet Homepage - Nov09

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Why surf the Web when you can live there?

Presence of Mind - Historical Laughter - Nov09

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Those who don't have power tend to make fun of those who do. But what happens when the power shifts?

The Road to Repatriation

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:40:43 GMT

The National Museum of the American Indian works with Native Tribes to bring sacred artifacts home again

Extreme Running

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:00:12 GMT

Made popular by a recent James Bond film, a new urban art form called free running hits the streets

The Drive-In Theater Turns 75

Fri, 30 May 2008 07:00:00 GMT

The continued attraction of viewing movies under the stars

Four for a Quarter - Photobooths - Sept08

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Photographer Nakki Goranin shows how the once ubiquitous photobooth captured the many faces of 20th-century America

Weave, Wobble and Roll: Feather Bowling

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:01:17 GMT

The unusual Belgian sport has a small but loyal following in Detroit

Roller Derby’s Sisterhood

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:10:34 GMT

Ithaca’s SufferJets may have ironic skate names and elaborate uniforms, but on the track, it’s all business

Object at Hand - Chia Pet

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:06:26 GMT

For 26 years, marketing whiz Joe Pedott's green-pelted figures have been holiday-season hits

At Home with the Darwins

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:57:25 GMT

Recipes offer an intimate glimpse into the life of Charles Darwin and his family

The Last Page - Darwin for Dads - Aug09

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:00:00 GMT

A daughter tries to help one member of an endangered species survive

Choosing Civility in a Rude Culture

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:00:00 GMT

Professor Pier M. Forni has devoted his career to convincing people to conduct their lives with kindness and civility

The Last Page - Let a Thousand Bobbleheads Bloom - March09

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:00:00 GMT

With Mao-abilia everywhere, the "Great Helmsman" may have done more for the Chinese people in death than in life

The Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:51:41 GMT

Now in its 37th year, RAGBRAI is the longest, largest and oldest touring bike ride in the world

After an Inauguration, the Stars Come out to Play

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:00:39 GMT

Ever since George Washington danced after his inauguration, the ceremony has brought big names in the arts to the capital city

Unusual St. Patrick's Day Celebrations

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:14:55 GMT

Leprechauns and green shamrocks are only a small part of celebrating St. Patrick's Day for Irish communities around the world

The Cherished Tradition of Scrapbooking

Thu, 14 May 2009 09:57:58 GMT

Author Jessica Helfand investigates the history of scrapbooks and how they mirror American history

Jung and Zongzi Recipe

Fri, 15 May 2009 08:33:40 GMT

Learn how to cook this traditional Chinese delicacy in a family recipe passed down from older generations

The Last Page - There Oughta Be a Law - July09

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Centuries hence, historians may wonder: Where exactly did Congress store all those pork barrels?

50 Years of Pantyhose

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:19:57 GMT

Love them or hate them, the once-ubiquitous women’s accessory was a revolutionary invention that helped transform women’s fashion

The Last Page: Requiem for the Redhead - Feb09

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The next great extinction—Carrot Tops

Presence of Mind - Which Way Out? - March09

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:00:00 GMT

When his father and father-in-law died within days of each other, author Max Alexander learned much about the funeral industry

The Last Page - Do Not Go Gentle - Apr09

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The feisty man's guide to aging anything but gracefully

History's "Global Languages" -- Million Word March Sidebar

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:23:41 GMT

The feisty man's guide to aging anything but gracefully

The Million Word March

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:25:52 GMT

What defines a word? Lexicographers and other experts don’t always agree

Spin Cycle - Como, Italy Sidebar

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Silkworm farming, or sericulture, was a backbreaking job that often required the participation of entire families

A Tasting of the Grape, Among Other Things

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:00:00 GMT

An amateur wine competition in Manchester, Vt., features vintages that surprise the palate

On the Job: Westminster

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:17:52 GMT

A Westminster Dog Show judge talks about his canine career

Heaven Scent

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:03:58 GMT

A 600-year-old pharmacy started by Florentine monks is now a trendy global marketer of perfumes and medieval elixirs

The Last Page - Nov08

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Politicians made more sense when they relied on oracles and omens says Joe Queenan

The Last Page: Your Name Here

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:00:00 GMT

If you're not yet a Hall of Famer, maybe you're just not trying

Last Page - Amazon Warriors - Dec08

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:00:00 GMT

Thanks to the Internet, everyone's a book critic

Last Page - Dream On

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Why your nightmares hold the key to workplace success

Last Page: Moses at the Bat

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:00:00 GMT

In the Big Inning...

Indelible Images: The More the Merrier - Jan09

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:00:00 GMT

Photographer Neal Slavin captures the night some Santas bent the rules

Interview: Eric G. Wilson

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Why the pursuit of happiness naturally includes melancholy

For Hire: Truffle Hunter

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 03:29:43 GMT

Into the weird world of mushroom delicacy

For Hire: Master Brewer

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:46:16 GMT

A few rounds with beermaker Will Meyers

The Art of Pizza

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:52:52 GMT

Cooking up the world's most authentic pie in Naples, Italy

Port Uncorked

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:57:29 GMT

The sweet wine rejuvenates its image

Trends and Traditions

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:58:45 GMT

The sweet wine rejuvenates its image

Sheep, Chicks and Geese Scurry at the County Fair

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:19:08 GMT

As photographer Dan Nelken has catalogued, the county fair is the place for family farms to showcase their prized livestock

A Collection of Baseball Firsts

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Who hit the first grand slam? Who was the first pinch hitter? Presenting the nine players of Smithsonian’s "They Did It First" All-Star Team

Rug-of-War

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:25:21 GMT

For nearly thirty years, Afghani weavers have incorporated images of war into hand-woven rugs

Snowman Gone Wild

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:43:38 GMT

Before the age of Frosty, the snowman was abused by children and exploited by advertisers

Cooking With Breadfruit

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:34:27 GMT

The tropical fruit is a daily food staple in cultures where the tree grows, including Hawaii, the Caribbean and Central America

The Last Page - Last Fan Standing - Sept09

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Why I'll always root for the home team

The Last Page - Honorable Mentions - May09

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:00:00 GMT

A brief look at the brilliant minds that just missed this year's cut for genius grants