Thanksgiving originated as a celebration of a successful harvest. Here are a few examples of harvest celebrations from around the world. Germany: Oktoberfest celebrates the end of the grape harvest. Festivities officially begin when the first barrel of beer is tapped. A large parade of colorful floats bring the festivities to a climax on the [...]

Students with hearing loss in grades six through 12 are eligible to compete for cash prizes of up to $500 in the Rochester Institute of Technology’s (RIT) Third Annual National Science Fair for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Students. Students can complete individually or in two- or three-person teams. To qualify, students must submit an entry form [...]

OCEAN PRIDE A summery feast on a wintery evening Want a taste of summer in November? Nothing says summer food more than crabs, and crabs are what Ocean Pride Restaurant does best. Steamed crabs. Crabmeat cocktail. Crab salad. Crab cakes, soup, dip or imperial. Crabs are the only way to go here. That’s exactly what [...]

A few minutes of face time with Santa is always a holiday highlight, but beginning Nov. 17, visitors to The Mall in Columbia will have the opportunity to experience a Christmas wonderland. The mall is one of only three in the nation to host “Santastic,” an interactive display based on Santa and his magical holiday [...]

Anyone familiar with American Girl books knows that Addy was a Civil War era girl, Samantha’s stories take place at the turn of the century and Molly learns to adapt to life during World War II. Now a new character has joined the American Girl family, and it turns out she has quite a bit [...]

If there’s a stuffed animal lover on your holiday shopping list, IKEA has a gift that will please any child — and help one less fortunate. From Nov. 3 through Dec. 24, IKEA will donate $1 to UNICEF and Save the Children for every stuffed animal they sell in their stores. There are ponies, dragons, [...]

Bumper pads were designed to make cribs safer, but a recent study indicates just the opposite might be true. Pediatric researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., found the risk of accidental death or injury to an infant from using bumper pads outweighs the possible benefits. In the study, which appears [...]