December 26, 2022

A LOOK BACK  Our Favorite Climate Stories  At Atlas Obscura, we believe in wonder. Curiosity, too. They’re two of the better angels of our nature as a species. For thousands of years, human wonder and curiosity led our ancestors to explore, innovate, experiment, and adapt. And we need those traits now more than ever. In a year when headlines about the ongoing climate crisis could be dire and overwhelming, we took heart in meeting people around the world who are tackling these challenges with creativity, goodwill, and determination.  READ MORE → UNUSUAL PETS The Pet Squirrel Craze In 1722, Benjamin Franklin was busy penning an eulogy. Specifically, an eulogy for his friend’s pet squirrel, Mungo. Back then, mourning a squirrel’s death wasn’t uncommon; in the 18th- and 19th centuries, squirrels were fixtures in American homes, especially for children. By the 1700s, a golden era of squirrel ownership was in full swing. Squirrels were sold in markets and found in the homes of wealthy urban families, and portraits of well-to-do children holding a reserved, polite upper-class squirrel attached to a gold chain leash were proudly displayed. Squirrel that fact away for future use. READ MORE → GERMANTOWN, MARYLAND Zen College Pagoda The American Zen College was founded in 1976 by Zen Master Gosung Shin on a 12-acre farm near Germantown, Maryland, with the purpose of practicing and teaching Zen Buddhism. The building of the college included the erection of an impressive 30-foot-tall pagoda carved out of Indian limestone and flanked by statues of the Buddha. It’s also one of only two sites in the United States containing remains of the Buddha. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES How Trees Communicate Trees can’t speak, but they're constantly communicating. In this three-part lecture series with Annie Novak, we’ll explore what tree communication actually means—rooting our understanding of this extraordinary natural phenomenon in plant evolution, biology, and chemistry. ENROLL TODAY → FOOD HISTORY A Quest For Vanished Bananas The Gros Michel was once the OG banana that was the standard across the United States from 1870, when it sold for $2 a bunch in Jersey City, until the late 1950s, when the ruinous fungus Panama disease all but wiped it out. Today, the banana is virtually gone from the consumer market in the United States—finding it will be at best a challenge, and perhaps impossible. And yet, one of our reporters went on a quest to find one anyway. READ MORE → ZVËRNEC, ALBANIA St. Mary’s Monastery This monastery is usually referred to as St. Mary’s Monastery, but its full name is Monastery of Dormition of Theotokos Mary. This appellation refers to the last night of St. Mary on earth before being summoned to heaven—the term “theotokos” is a title that can be translated as “mother of god” or “bearer of god.” Constructed during the 13th century, the church of the monastery is one of 200 religious buildings that Albania has recognized as a “culture monument.” READ MORE → GERMANY Springerle These delicate biscuits have been a part of the Bavarian holiday spirit since the 14th century, possibly even earlier. The name springerle translates to “little knight” or “little jumper,” which people have postulated either refers to the jumping-horse designs imprinted on some cookies or the springy rising action of the springerle dough. READ MORE → ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO Tumbleweed Snowman Albuquerque is known for a lot of things, but heaps of snow is not one of them. So every year, to celebrate the holiday season, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority builds an enormous snowman out of the city’s ever-present tumbleweeds. READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA TRIPS Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia For many living in Slovenia, forest-to-table dining has been a way of life for centuries. Situated at the foot of the Alps, Slovenia is home to sweeping alpine landscapes and diverse flora—along with countless culinary experts who harvest and prepare these plants in a variety of ways. Guided by experts including a local grandmother known as the ambassador of dried pears and our guide’s mother-in-law, an experienced mushroom forager, we’ll munch our way through the forests, foothills, and pastures of Slovenia. BOOK NOW →