traditions

It's getting closer to the big day. Halloween rivals Christmas for the amount of money spent on decorating, costumes and parties. However, with all the things you can buy for Halloween decorations, the pumpkin is still at the center of all the action.

David Sedaris’ reading of the “Santaland Diaries” is an NPR tradition. Twenty-six years ago, he first shared his tale of being Crumpet, one of Santa’s helpers in Macy’s.

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with family and friends and share a meal together. For many U.S. families, that means roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry, and pumpkin pie. But for some refugee families, the holiday can be a time to share native dishes and new holiday traditions.

Ahh, the big floral holiday is almost upon us. Valentine's Day is one of the biggest flower-giving days of the year. It's estimated more than 250 million roses are sold on this day alone, traveling from as far away as Chile. And while roses are thought of as the go-to Valentine's Day flower, there are other blooms that make nice alternatives to the rose.

Xiomara Vega moved to Connecticut from Puerto Rico with her three-year-old daughter after Hurricane Maria knocked out the electricity in her home. She’s trying to make a new life there, but she doesn’t want to forget her old one. And celebrating Three Kings Day -- the Christian holiday also known as the Epiphany -- is a big part of that.

Nearly 175 years after it was first published, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens remains a holiday classic. The story has been retold many times in movie, TV, and stage adaptations.

You see the signs all around the state. Live Christmas trees for sale. They're beautiful, providing an old fashioned charm to our homes for the holidays. Some, such as balsam fir, have a woodsy smell, while others, such as blue spruce have a blue tinge.

Oh, by gosh by golly, it's time for mistletoe and holly. Yes, holly shrubs are embedded in our holiday traditions and have a rich history.

Pumpkin pie, roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and football -- Thanksgiving Day’s four basic elements. While pro football dominates the airwaves, it’s the hometown high school games that genuinely capture the spirit of the day.

Musical masters of a remarkable vocal technique called “throat singing” perform in Connecticut on Thursday evening. They’re members of the group called Alash.

Chartwell Dutiro is a Zimbabwe native and leading authority on the mbira tradition. He is also an experienced collaborator. This hour, we hear about his recent partnership with Timbila -- a band co-founded by Afropop Worldwide producer Banning Eyre. 

Well, the leftovers still fill the refrigerator, there's still reams of wrapping paper to recycle, and there's the Christmas tree. If you purchased one of the more than 20 million live Christmas trees sold this year, you're probably wondering what to do with it now. 

Whether it's red or white, boxed or bottled -- few beverages stimulate the senses quite like a glass of wine does. Still, the science behind how the human body "tastes" wine -- well, it's more complex than you might think. 

I recently returned from a trip to India, and while visiting a friend in his garden outside Delhi, I was struck by one brilliantly colored, red plant. This five-foot-tall and -wide plant looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, it was a poinsettia.

This year, Hanukkah and Christmas fall on the same weekend.

A growing tradition among American-Jews nationwide, has been to spend Christmas day indulging in Chinese food. But for the last decade, in the New Haven area a new tradition has emerged -- an annual concert of klezmer music performed by The Nu Haven Kapelye.

Hartford Stage's adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" has become a Connecticut tradition, thanks in part to actor Bill Raymond's portrayal of the character Scrooge. But after 17 years, Raymond has said he will step away from the role after this year. 

Oh by gosh by golly, it's time of gifts for your favorite gardener. I may not be much of a singer, but I know gifts a gardener in the family might like.

One of the simplest and most rewarding activities to bring in some holiday cheer this time of year is to make your own wreath. You can go to local garden centers and take a wreath-making workshop, or buy a pre-made wreath. But I like to construct my own wreath made from materials around my home. 

The documentary "Flory's Flame" gets its Connecticut premiere this Saturday at the University of Hartford.

The film explores the life of composer and performer Flory Jagoda, who is credited with preserving the traditional Sephardic music of the Balkans, an art form that was nearly wiped away by the Nazis during World War II.

South African classical guitarist Derek Gripper is obsessed with the lilting and intricate music of the West African instrument known as the kora. Gripper, who performs this Friday night at Wesleyan University, has translated many kora compositions for guitar.

The big day is upon us. Halloween is here and one of the traditions is to carve a Jack O'Lantern. I like tradition, but if you're interested in something different this year in Jack O'Lanterns,  try decorating some other winter squashes, too.