This season, join us at Traveling Boy as we take a look at the different Christmas and holiday traditions around the globe.

In their letters to Santa Claus, kids across the US are still asking for toys, clothes, Legos and video games. But in a year filled with illness and uncertainty, a review of letters addressed to the North Pole and collected through the Post Office’s Operation Santa program reveals the pandemic is weighing heavily on children.

Jonah wants nothing from Santa this year except for a cure for coronavirus. Anthony told Santa he wants a magical button he could press to transport him away from the weary reality of the pandemic. Jasmyne’s Christmas list is short and to the point. “This year, I would like end of Covid-19, world peace, climate control, new Xbox,” it reads.

It’s travel award season on the island of Ireland! In recent weeks, the island has been awarded a number of exciting accolades. Both Dublin and Galway have topped the Condé Nast friendliest cities in Europe list, while EPIC The Irish Immigration Museum has been awarded Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction by the World Travel Awards for the second year running.

The Horror Film Franchise started out scary and clever but devolved into cheap thrills trash. John Carpenter dominated horror films for years, yet like most genres it has exploded with sub-genres of films that can still interrupt a good sleep. Holly Dracula, there are too many good ones out there!

The top horror films as compiled by the TBoy Spciety of Film & Music.

You might be an American traveling abroad if... you wear a baseball cap, you wear white socks with sandals, you have perfectly straight white teeth, you inappropriately applaud at a symphony, you say “Bro” or “‘Sup,” you wear Fanny Packs while raveling abroad and more...

You might be an American traveling abroad if… you wear a baseball cap. Baseball is the American pastime, right? At least, it was at one point, and it’s still thought of that way, even though we watch more pro football than baseball at this point.

The annual display of colorful fall foliage clogs scenic byways this time of year as onlookers travel for “leaf peeping” getaways. As the trees put on a memorable show for us, behind the scenes, it’s due to the slowing of chlorophyll production... It’s easy to assume that things like money and a luxurious lifestyle lead to happiness, but research shows that it’s the more simple experiences — like practicing gratitude or spending time with friends — that promote a sunny outlook.

The annual display of colorful fall foliage clogs scenic byways this time of year as onlookers travel for “leaf peeping” getaways. As the trees put on a memorable show for us, behind the scenes, it’s due to the slowing of chlorophyll production.