Carl Pettit

Christmas traditions around the world can be quite different from what we’re used to at home.

Santa Claus, who without a doubt really does exist, doesn’t have time to make a personal appearance in every Hollywood movie about Christmas ever made. Instead, he relies on a number of talented actors to portray him on the silver screen.

Globes and angels and stars are fine, but for the folks who like to be a little more imaginative with their Christmas-tree decorations—whether from boredom or budget—we’ve come up with a list of five unusual ways to help get the creative wheels in your noggin spinning:

The microwave oven is a wonderful time saver. When you want to defrost a chicken, warm up a bowl of soup, pop some popcorn or cook an instant burrito, you can’t beat microwave technology.

We’re not talking about giving someone a parakeet for his or her birthday. We’re talking about flipping someone the bird, or the middle finger — a time-honored insult that has been around for thousands of years. Here’s a little more information about how this very telling gesture got started, in all its variations.

When you say, “I’ll take a raincheck,” you’re telling someone that you can’t accept his or her offer or invitation now, but you’d be happy to accept it down the road. The phrase can also be used sarcastically, by letting someone know you’d prefer to delay something unpleasant until the future, or as a promise for out-of-stock goods. But how did this expression make it into our lexicon?

Luge racing is literally the “fastest sport on ice.” These days, men and women alike hurl down ice tracks at ridiculously high speeds in pursuit of an adrenaline rush, and perhaps a little glory to boot. Here are some facts you might not know about the sport?

When you have a chip on your shoulder, it means you’re in a foul mood because of some injustice, imagined or not, you believe another person or group of people have directed against you. It also implies that you can easily become upset. But what exactly is the origin of this popular expression?

Crisp air, serene natural settings and exhilarating hikes await you this winter in Jackson Hole, WY. Home to Grand Teton National Park and the stunning Grand Teton Mountains, Jackson Hole’s spectacular wilderness habitats and jagged mountain vistas make for some of the most wonderful snowshoeing adventures around.

A peeping Tom is a person who secretly watches someone else, so how is it possible the expression has its roots in taxation?

We all know the superstition about throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck when you knock some over, but do you how that tradition came to be? Well, would you believe it was originally done to keep the devil away?

Waiting for the snow to fall? Are your dreams full of journeys across the white, through serene forests? The Montreal River, in upper Michigan, rich with cross-country ski trails, just might be the answer you’re looking for. In fact, when you combine all the trails together, you get more than 60 km of skiing pleasure, the longest located in Ironwood, MI.