Columbus Day has always been a controversial holiday in the United States. In this video, Sigrid goes back in time to get some historical background, which sheds a new light on its significance.

What do people traditionally do on Memorial Day and Labor Day? Let's find out.

Sigrid talks about two important US holidays, Memorial Day and Labor Day. They are quite different in what they commemorate, but they're combined here because many Americans see them as bookends to the summer season.

Let's have a look at which countries are members of the European Union and where they are on the map.

The European Union has been in the news a lot lately, so let's take a look at what it's all about. What is a "union" and what's the purpose of this one?

We continue to explore the phenomenon of hurricanes. Why are they so dangerous? And do they serve any purpose?

In recent years, we've seen an increase in the intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes due to global warming. But how and why do hurricanes form? Sigrid provides a basic explanation of this phenomenon.

Sigrid explains how a spelling bee normally proceeds. There are fixed rules and there are options.

Ever year, the winter solstice comes on December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. Not only is it the first day of winter, it's a turning point, as the days will then get longer.

Sigrid talks about "The Elementary Spelling Book" by Noah Webster, which was the basis for the American English dictionary and a big part of the development of spelling bees in the United States.

Let's find out more about an American activity aimed at school kids: the spelling bee. What is it and how does it work?

Inauguration Day was special this year. In this video, Sigrid recalls some of the highlights and what was particularly striking to her as she watched it. Best of all, you can watch Amanda Gorman recite "The Hill We Climb" right here on Yabla!

In the United States, a presidential inauguration takes place every four years. The US now has a new president, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first woman vice president. Part 1 of this video takes a look at the day before the inauguration.

Lots of English words can serve as nouns, verbs, or adjectives depending on the context. Sometimes even the pronunciation changes. Let's look at the slogan "Black Lives Matter" in both a grammatical and historical context.

We keep seeing the "Black Lives Matter" slogan all around — what's it all about? Well, it's a long story. Here's part of the story in a nutshell.