Culture

Russian Winter Holiday Traditions

Russian Winter Holiday traditions and celebrations are the longest and most anticipated of the year, running from the end of December until mid-January. The Russian New Year's and Russian Orthodox Christmas season is marked with what a Westerner would call a Christmas tree, but in Russia is called a "New Year Tree," Novogodnyaya Yolka. Read More >>

Russian Salad Olivier Recipe

Alesya Nekrasova

Russian Salad Olivier The original recipe for the traditional Russian Salad Olivier was invented in the 1860s by a chef of Belgian origin, Lucien Olivier, of the Hermitage, one of Moscow’s most celebrated restaurants. Read More >>

Russian Herring Under a Fur Coat Salad Recipe

Alesya Nekrasova

Selyodka pod Shuboj salad (literally, Herring Under a Fur Coat) is a beloved and traditional Russian recipe, consisting of 5 layers of salted herring and boiled vegetables (along with a lot of mayonnaise) traditionally served on New Year's Eve. Read More >>

A Brazilian New Year’s Eve: Fun Traditions & Superstitions

Madison Rittenhouse

A Brazilian New Year’s Eve: Fun Traditions & Superstitions Have you ever heard the Portuguese expression Ano novo, vida nova? Read More >>

How to Say Merry Christmas in 25 Different Languages – Including Klingon!

Pimsleur Team

How to Say Merry Christmas in 25 Different Languages We at Pimsleur wish you multilingual tidings of good cheer this holiday season. Read More >>

Christmas in Prague

Molly Shunney

Christmas in Prague: The City of a Hundred Spires. Read More >>

Bachata – Pimsleur’s Guide to Latin Music

Rebecca Dossantos

Welcome back to our series on exploring Latin culture and language through music! Read More >>

Christmas in Brazil: Learn Brazilian Holiday Traditions and Expressions

Rebecca Dossantos

Ever wondered how Christmas in Brazil is celebrated? Read More >>

Reggaeton – Pimsleur’s Guide to Latin Music

Rebecca Dossantos

We continue our Latin music series with a deep-dive into the origins of Reggaeton, what the Reggaeton Beat is, and where Reggaeton is heading! Read More >>

Salsa – Pimsleur’s Guide to Latin Music

Rebecca Dossantos

I’m sure you’ll agree that no matter where you are, Latin music is gaining speed on billboards everywhere. Read More >>

Belgian Beer Culture – a UNESCO Treasure

Paolo Dagonnier

Notes from the Beer Capital of the World Don’t know if you noticed, but "Belgian," "beer," and "bloody-hell-that’s-good" all start with the same letter. Read More >>

History of Halloween: The Origin of English’s Spookiest Words

Erin Donnelly

The end of October is approaching, making now a good time to brush up on the history of Halloween language. Read More >>

Japanese Bento – Fun and Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids

Masako Fujiyama-D'Auria

Summers always go by too quickly, and now that fall is here you might be busy looking for fun and healthy school lunch ideas for your kids. Read More >>

Bologna – Hip Bars and Good Eats

Paolo Dagonnier

Just 35 minutes by train from Florence, 75 from Milan and 87 from Venice, Bologna Italy is an unsung gem on most tourists’ travel routes. Read More >>

Navigating French Slang – Verlan

Paolo Dagonnier

Trop relou, j’ai pas pu aller à la teuf hier! Read More >>

6 Unusual New Year’s Eve Traditions Around the World

Kelly Saux

New Year’s eve traditions come in many flavors. You may ring in the New Year by watching the ball drop on TV, toasting a glass of champagne, or sharing a kiss with your loved one. Read More >>

How Latin Dancing Can Help You Learn to Speak Spanish

Brian Amador

There are many challenges for an English speaker trying to learn how to speak Spanish. Adjectives and nouns are placed in a different order. Read More >>

Top 10 Unusual Sites to Visit when you Travel to Italy (Part 2)

Francesco Castellano

Beyond the Gondolas and the Colosseum: Top 10 Offbeat Sites to See When you Travel to Italy In choosing my Top 10 places to see on your travel to Italy I purposely avoided Rome, Florence, and Venice, the cities most visited by tourists on their first travel to Italy. If you've missed Part 1 of my Top 10 places to visit when you travel to Italy, you can check it out here. Otherwise, let's continue with the 5 remaining off the beaten path destinations in Italy. Read More >>

Set Yourself Apart When You Travel to Mexico: 10 Things You May Not Know

Brian Amador

When you travel to Mexico you can find spectacular scenery, mind-blowing pre-Colombian ruins, and beautiful colonial cities and towns. Read More >>

Top 10 Literary Destinations for When you Travel to Russia

Mariah Astulfi

If you are planning to travel to Russia and are interested in literary history, the places on this list deserve a spot on your itinerary. Russians are very proud of their rich literary heritage, and this is reflected in their well-curated and oft-frequented museums, houses, and estates dedicated to Russian authors. Read More >>