Danish children celebrate their birthdays by receiving a “cakeman.” The festive dessert is a cake baked and decorated to resemble the birthday child.
After blowing out the candles, the birthday boy or girl gets to sit in wide-eyed wonder as he or she is symbolically decapitated and disembowled and guests feast upon the sugary entrails.
Congratulations, Doctor! You’ve Been Promoted to Mister
In Britain, becoming a surgeon can mean giving up the title “Doctor” and returning to “Mister.” Discover how medieval barber-surgeons, centuries of professional rivalry, and some remarkably stubborn traditions created a medical system where surgeons prefer “Mr.,” dentists want “Dr.,” and professional prestige occasionally depends on which door you’re allowed to use.
The Times Square Ball Drop Started With Sailors. Naturally, Things Got Out of Hand
Every New Year’s Eve, millions watch the Times Square ball drop. But the tradition’s origins have nothing to do with celebrating the new year. Discover how a nineteenth-century invention designed to help sailors navigate the oceans became one of the world’s most famous celebrations.
When Politeness Had Rules: The Strange Etiquette Rules Everyone Once Knew and We Somehow Forgot
From bowing and calling cards to chaperones and gloves, discover the strange old etiquette rules everyone once knew—and why they disappeared.
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