There’s a tradition around this time of year in Wales called Mari Lwyd. It starts with a knock at the door in the winter night, and it only gets spookier from there. Plus: feeling harried after the holidays? Tree.fm features the sounds of forests from around the world so you can commune with nature wherever you are.

The midwinter majesty of the Mari Lwyd (Wales.com)

Tree.fm

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Happy Hanukkah! The eight day Festival of Lights takes place toward the end of each year, but due to some unusual circumstances, there won't be a Hanukkah at all in 3031 (!) Plus: Untapped New York has some recommendations for NYC menorahs you might want to check out.

This Year's Dates for Celebrating Hanukkah are Odd—Here's Why (Newsweek)

9 GIANT MENORAHS THAT WILL LIGHT UP FOR HANUKKAH IN NYC (Untapped New York)

Merry Christmas! On this day of giving, you deserve a treat: a holiday favorite in Caribbean countries known as black cake. Plus: Christmastime in Budapest, Hungary means a chance to ride the Light Tram.

In the Caribbean, It's Not Christmas Without Black Cake (HowStuffWorks)

Long Exposure Photos of Budapest Trams Lit Up with 30,000 LED Lights (Colossal)

There are lots of different kinds of celebrations on Christmas Eve. In Iceland, book lovers take part in Jólabókaflóð , which means "the Christmas flood of books." And they're not exaggerating. Plus: Iceland may have a flood of books at Christmas, but New York City’s got a whole lot of unique outdoor Christmas trees.

Jólabókaflóð: the Christmas flood of books (Iceland Air)

Alternatives to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in NYC (Untapped New York)

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Today in 1814, the incorporation of the city of Cleveland, Ohio. There’s a famous sign on top of a building so that people flying in airplanes can see the message “Welcome to Cleveland," though that sign’s not actually anywhere near Cleveland. Plus:

Today in 2021, an acrobat from Vietnam set a world record for most consecutive stairs climbed while balancing a person - his brother and fellow acrobat - on his head.

'Welcome to Cleveland' sign's 15 minutes of fame lasts 37 years (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Brothers reclaim record for climbing stairs with one balanced on other's head (UPI)
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Today in 1988, a report in the New York Times noted that restaurant chain Denny's was shutting its doors for Christmas Day, only to run into a little hiccup around those doors. Plus: Kazumasa Yamashita’s Face House was an attraction in Kyoto that looked exactly like what its name suggested.

Diner Chain Has to Buy Locks for First Holiday Closing (New York Times)

Face House in Kyoto, Japan by Kazumasa Yamashita (Architectural Review)

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Cuetlaxochitl, flor de Noche Buena, poinsettia, estrella federal… here’s the story of a plant with a lot of names. Plus: today in 1997, the US release of the movie “Titanic,” and there’s a guy in Florida who’s trying to collect a titanic number of VHS copies of the film.

The checkered history of the poinsettia’s namesake and the flower’s origins get new attention (Seattle Times)

A ‘Titanic’ Megafan Has 1,560 Copies on VHS. He Won’t Stop Until He Has 1 Million (Variety)

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Today in 1966 CBS first broadcast a holiday classic, “Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” It came to the small screen largely because a giant in the cartoon industry happened to be an old friend of the author. Plus: today in 1998, rocker Alice Cooper opened a rock and sports-themed restaurant and club in Phoenix, Arizona he called Coopers’town,

How Dr. Seuss Stole Christmas (Saturday Evening Post)

Alice Cooper'stown restaurant is closed after 18 years in downtown Phoenix (AZCentral.com)

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