Articles about the origins of cultural traditions, celebrations, and customs
Did Betsy Ross really sew the first American flag? How did the thirteen stars grow to fifty? Why have Americans been so fiercely protective of their flag, even considering it illegal to burn? And how did a nylon flag end up on the moon? Explore the history, controversies, and cosmic journey of the Stars and Stripes.
How did White Day—a celebration where men reciprocate Valentine's gifts—emerge in Japan and spread across East Asia? Tracing from a marshmallow company's 1970s marketing idea to a region-wide phenomenon, this is the story of how modern consumer culture created an entirely new holiday.
Why do nations honor those who die in war with ceremonies and memorials? From ancient Athens' public funerals and Pericles' famous oration to the birth of the Unknown Soldier tradition after WWI, this piece traces how the practice of state commemoration took shape across history.
What transformed a New York messenger's stripped-down work bike into a global urban subculture icon? The fixie's arc runs from 1980s Manhattan delivery routes through Brooklyn hipster aesthetics, Tokyo's NJS collector obsession, courtroom battles over brakeless riding, and the birth of fixed gear freestyle.
Childhood was not a naturally given state. It is a historical construction — discovered by thinkers, bounded by legislators, and won by activists. This article traces how children went from chimney sweep apprentices and factory floor workers to rights-bearing subjects recognized by 196 nations, from the 1924 Geneva Declaration to the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.