The Problem with Happy Funerals

Many funerals today are not about mourning death but a “celebration of life.” As our culture discards all-black attire and other formalities ...

Most People Prefer ‘Merry Christmas’

Debates about acceptable holiday greetings occasionally roil American retail stores and cable news shows. But when it comes to cards, most people prefer ...

Sheriff Struck by New Year’s Eve Celebratory Gunfire

Ohio Sheriff Matt Treglia was out in a cruiser on New Year’s Eve, trying to capture proof of the local tradition of celebratory gunfire. But as ...

Study Links Happiness to Early Holiday Decorating

They may go overboard with their tidings of comfort and joy, but as it turns out, the early Christmas decorators among us may actually be doing themselves—and ...

New Year's Celebrations from Around the World

How do you prepare for the New Year? Here are some interesting New Year's traditions from around the globe:

• In Siberia it is tradition to dive into a frozen lake while holding a tree trunk, which is placed underneath the ice.

The Untapped Power of Smiling

We're actually born smiling. 3-D ultrasound technology now shows that developing babies appear to smile even in the womb. After they're born, babies continue ...

Lost Ring Returned After 40 Years

Jim and Jane Flynn have a story familiar to all too many couples. During a fun day on the lake in 1967, Jim's wedding ring slipped off of his finger ...

Finish the Race, Then Celebrate

Your heart pounding, your muscles aching, you see the finish line approaching as you lead the race. With overwhelming joy, you start to celebrate your ...

The Joy-Sapping Power of Stress

One would think that leading a football team to a national title victory would give a sense of satisfaction and celebration. But Urban Meyer, former coach ...

Tony Campolo Throws a Party for a Prostitute

In his book The Kingdom of God Is a Party, Tony Campolo relates an experience he had late one night in Hawaii.

Up a side street I found a little place ...