Well, there’s a new Barbie in town, and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Scratch that—it is like someone you’ve seen before, and the likeness is uncanny. People are going absolutely nuts for it too, and when I say “people,” I mostly mean women of a certain age, like me.

Ahead, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about this buzzy new Barbie doll that will have you singing Mattel’s praises and jumping for joy if you manage to snag one. Read on to discover why this Barbie is so cool and where you can get your hands on one.

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What is the new Barbie generating all this buzz?

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Get out the smelling salts, ladies, because the latest Barbie doll is Lenny Kravitz. The ultra hip and incredibly lifelike “Kenbassador” celebrates the multi-hyphenate singer and pop-culture icon—and looks great doing it, right down to his sexy stubble and tight blue jeans.

According to Mattel, the “wildly cool doll replica of this artist honors his boundary-breaking spirit and captures a signature look from his ‘Blue Electric Light’ tour in amazing detail, including tattoos, a nose ring and authentic locs.”

They didn’t mention the abs, but he’s got those too.

The Lenny Kravitz doll is part of Mattel’s Barbie Signature Kenbassadors Collection, which honors influential men who are making a difference in sports, music and culture. The Kenbassador line was launched last year to celebrate the still-spry Ken on his 65th birthday.

Why are people losing their minds over this doll?

Did I mention the abs? This doll is gorgeous, just like Kravitz, and he looks like he could jump right off his collectible stand and rip into a guitar solo. It’s particularly popular with a certain demo.

• “I got mine yesterday and I am on my way to see @lennykravitz tonight!!! I am so excited!” said Crystal, an exuberant commenter on Instagram.
• “I think mama’s gonna start her own Barbie collection 🤩,” an IG swooner named Trixie said.
• “Omg I’m going to buy 2. One for me and one for my mom,” said one half of a multi-generational Kravitz-loving family.

A few commenters wanted to know why it didn’t come with his signature giant scarf, which occasionally envelops Kravitz’s slender frame like a big warm hug.

• “Someone needs to knit him his giant scarf,” said a Redditor who seemed concerned that he might get cold.
• “Does it come with a giant scarf?” another fashionista on Instagram asked.

To be clear, he does not come with the scarf, but he definitely reps the accessories, including sunglasses, a necklace and some super sweet ankle boots. Beggars can’t be choosers, guys.

Barbie Signature Kenbassadors Lenny Kravitz Ken Doll

$70.20 at Walmart

How popular is it already?

Very. The Lenny Kravitz Kenbassador sold out on Amazon within hours of its release, according to Billboard. No word on when the site will restock the official cache, but Amazon resellers are asking $100 or more for the rocker replica.

The doll is sold as a collectible and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Mattel isn’t labeling it as a limited edition, so here’s hoping they crank up the mesh-tank-top production line so we can all get our hands on one.

What else makes this Lenny Kravitz doll so special?

Kravitz is only the second Kenbassador in the Mattel lineup, so it’s a huge honor. LeBron James kicked off the franchise in 2025 with a doll that stood a full half-inch taller than both regular Ken and Kravitz Ken. We don’t think this sizing is to scale.

Has Lenny said anything about this honor?

Yes, he has, and his response was very Kravitz-like: “So cool.”

Kravitz was also involved in the creative process, he told People: “We got it down to all the details of the boots and the jeans and the belt with the holes and the rivets and the tops that I’ve been wearing [on tour]. The glasses are exact replications of the vintage glasses from the late ’60s that I’ve been wearing.”

He even created a sweet homage to his late mother, Roxie Roker. (If you were alive in the 1970s, you’ll know her as Helen Willis on The Jeffersons.) “The necklace around the [doll’s] neck was a necklace that belonged to my mother that I wear.” Kravitz Ken also sports a tattoo of Roker on his forearm, just like in real life.

How can you get a Kravitz Ken for yourself?

For now, you can buy one on Walmart or directly from Mattel, which still has them available (for around $70) as of this writing. If you’re holding out for Amazon or Target, you’ll have to keep refreshing the page. They’re sold out.

Sources:

• Mattel: “Barbie Signature Kenbassadors Lenny Kravitz Ken Doll”
• Billboard: “The Lenny Kravitz Barbie Is Flying Off the Shelves Just Hours After Its Release — Here’s Where to Buy”
• Vogue: “Lenny Kravitz Revives His Ginormous Blanket Scarf in His First TikTok”
• Instagram: “@Barbie”
• Reddit: “Lenny Kravitz officially approves of his Mini-Me! Did you get him (or plan to)?”
• People: “Lenny Kravitz Calls It ‘So Cool’ to Become Only the Second Man to Get His Own Ken Doll (Exclusive)”

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The post Move Over, Kids—This Barbie’s for Us! Here’s Why Mattel’s New Doll Is Making Adult Women Everywhere Lose Their Minds appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Then comes the pain.

Not ordinary pain either. A strange electric shock shoots down your arm, your fingers start tingling, and you’re left clutching your elbow and wondering why this injury hurts so much. You’re also wondering, perhaps more importantly, why on earth anyone decided to call it the funny bone.

To get to the bottom of both mysteries, we turned to two experts. Madeline Tadley, MD, a hand and upper-extremity surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, explains the science behind that jolt of pain. And language expert Martha Barnette, the longtime co-host of A Way with Words, helps unravel the surprisingly colorful history behind the phrase itself.

Read on for the unfunny details.

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What is the funny bone, exactly?

Let’s start with the biggest betrayal of all: Your funny bone isn’t actually a bone—it’s a nerve. “The ulnar nerve is one of the major nerves that provides function to the hand,” Dr. Tadley explains. “It provides sensation to the small and ring fingers and controls the small muscles of your hand for fine movements.”

The nerve begins higher up in the body and travels down your arm, continuing all the way to your hand and fingers. The trouble begins when it reaches your elbow. “When it reaches the elbow, the nerve passes directly behind the bony bump on the inside of the elbow, called the medial epicondyle,” Dr. Tadley says.

Just behind that bump is a groove called the cubital tunnel, where the ulnar nerve travels. And unfortunately, there isn’t much padding there. “There is a thin layer of tissue forming the roof of this tunnel, making the nerve relatively close to the skin and vulnerable to this injury,” Dr. Tadley explains.

Translation: Your elbow has a major nerve sitting in a particularly exposed spot, just waiting for you to accidentally introduce it to a doorframe.

How did the funny bone get its name?

“We don’t know who coined the term,” Barnette says. But there are two likely explanations for the name funny bone, and both may have played a role.

The first has to do with the strange sensation you get when you hit the inside of your elbow. Today, we usually think of funny as meaning amusing, but in the early 1800s, the word could also mean odd, peculiar or strange, Barnette explains. And if you’ve ever hit your elbow just right, you know the sensation is definitely strange.

Then there’s the joke that anatomy practically begged people to make. The long bone in your upper arm is called the humerus, which sounds a lot like humorous. And humorous, of course, means funny.

Barnette says there’s no way to know which explanation came first: “Chances are that both evolved around roughly the same time.” Which makes sense. Once people had a weird sensation called funny happening near a bone with a conveniently joke-ready name, the pun was probably irresistible.

How long have people been using this term?

The earliest recorded reference to someone’s funny bone appears in the 1826 British play A Trip to Bath, or, A Peep at the Assemblies, when a character declares, “I wish you’d keep your funny-bone out of my ribs.” Barnette points out that the phrase appears so casually that audiences were apparently expected to understand it already, which means “funny bone was probably floating around well before then,” she says.

And the jokes kept coming. The following year, the London Morning Post ran a gag about a man trying to figure out what a surgeon meant by the phrase os humorous. (Os is a Latin term, often used in medicine, that means “bone.”) His companion guessed that it might mean the funny bone.

How did it gain widespread popularity?

The term funny bone had something going for it that many anatomical terms simply don’t: It’s memorable. Say “ulnar nerve,” and people might look at you blankly. Say “funny bone,” and everyone knows exactly what—and where—you mean. The name is simple, descriptive and just playful enough to stick.

And stick, it did. Over time, funny bone took on a life beyond the elbow, acquiring a metaphorical meaning related to a person’s sense of humor. That’s the sense behind the expression tickle your funny bone, which remains in use today.

The phrase eventually made its way into popular culture. In 1965, the game Operation introduced generations of children to a removable piece called the funny bone. Players had to extract it with a tiny pair of tweezers without touching the sides of the game board—a fittingly nerve-racking way to learn about the body’s most famous “bone” that isn’t actually a bone.

That kind of cultural exposure helped cement the phrase in the popular imagination. Modern dictionaries recognize both meanings—the sensitive spot at the elbow and a person’s sense of humor. And that’s the funny thing about language: Once a catchy name takes hold, anatomical accuracy doesn’t necessarily matter much. Barnette compares it to heartburn. The word has been around for centuries, even though we now know the burning sensation doesn’t come from the heart.

Why does it hurt so darn much when you hit your funny bone?

Here’s where the funny bone stops being funny. “Nerve pain is different from the pain you feel when you strain a muscle or break a bone,” Dr. Tadley says. When you hit your “funny bone,” you briefly compress the ulnar nerve against the humerus, sending pain and tingling down into your fingers. “The painful nerve sensations are often described as burning, electric shocks, or pins and needles,” she says. That sensation is called paresthesia, which occurs when a nerve is irritated, injured or compressed.

Unlike a bruise, which generally hurts where the impact occurred, nerve pain can travel along the nerve’s path. That’s why a hit to your elbow can send tingling all the way down to your ring and little fingers. In other words, your elbow takes the hit, but your hand gets the message.

Are there any other spots on your body that will give you that awful feeling when you hit it?

Oh, absolutely. “When you cross your legs for too long, the nerve on the outside of your knee, called the peroneal nerve, is compressed,” Dr. Tadley says. That pressure causes the nerve to send abnormal sensations along its path. And then? Your foot falls asleep.

“Uncrossing your legs relieves this pressure, the pins and needles gradually fade, and normal sensation returns,” Dr. Tadley explains.

It’s the same basic idea as the funny bone. The difference is that when your foot falls asleep, you usually have a little warning. The funny bone? It attacks without notice. 

What should you do after hitting your funny bone?

First, Dr. Tadley says, “take a deep breath. In most cases, the symptoms settle down fairly quickly.” You can also try straightening your elbow, which can lessen tension on the nerve.

If the area remains sore, Dr. Tadley recommends applying ice or considering an anti-inflammatory medication.

Can you really hurt yourself if you hit your funny bone hard enough?

“A quick bump usually causes only temporary symptoms,” Dr. Tadley says. But if the pain, tingling or numbness lingers, it could indicate a more significant nerve contusion or irritation. And symptoms that happen frequently—or even without hitting your elbow—could signal ongoing pressure on the ulnar nerve, known as cubital tunnel syndrome, she adds. A hand surgeon can help identify the cause and, importantly, prevent potential long-term nerve damage.

So there you have it: The funny bone isn’t a bone, and that shocking sensation is your ulnar nerve talking. Is any of that actually funny? Not really. But the next time you smack your elbow and see your life flash before your eyes, at least you’ll know what’s happening. Whether that makes it hurt any less is another story.

Sources:

• Martha Barnette, language expert, co-host of A Way with Words and author of several books, including Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland; email interview, Sept. 9, 2026
• Madeline Tadley, MD, hand and upper-extremity surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery; email interview, Sept. 4, 2026
• Oxford English Dictionary: “Funny bone”

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The post Here’s How the Funny Bone Really Got Its Name—And Why It Hurts So Darn Much When You Hit It appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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Most of us receive dozens—sometimes even hundreds—of push notifications every day. These notifications can be useful, like when your email app pings you about a time-sensitive job offer, or they can be annoying, like when a friend won’t stop texting you about the boring dude they’re dating. But few people realize that push notifications can also be dangerous. If you allow personal info to show up in your push notifications, it could turn your smartphone or computer into a target.

Luckily, there’s a way to patch up these holes in our cybersecurity armor. To find out how to do that, I reached out to Kayne McGladrey, a cybersecurity consultant and senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and Thorin Klosowski, senior security and privacy activist at the civil liberties nonprofit the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Read on to learn why push notifications make you vulnerable—and how to hide your data from hackers, government agents and even the nosy pests sitting next to you on the bus.

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What kind of personal data could your phone’s push notifications include?

Most apps try to refrain from putting anything too unique or dangerous in a push notification. Your banking app won’t ever include your account number in a push notification, for example. The push notifications you need to worry about are the ones that come from messaging platforms, like the kind I mentioned earlier: text messages, emails and third-party messages from apps like WhatsApp or Slack.

Push notifications can give “a preview into people’s lives that they don’t really think about and that they don’t know they’re inadvertently disclosing,” McGladrey says. That’s because these notifications typically show the exact text of whatever message or email you’ve received. There’s no censor.

That’s not a problem when it’s just your friend texting you “LOL.” But things can get dangerous if, say, your spouse texts you their Social Security number, or a colleague emails you confidential info about work, and that info shows up on your phone’s screen loud and clear.

What’s the larger cybersecurity issue here, exactly?

Bad actors can get ahold of your private push notifications in a few different ways. Some are more complex than others, but they’re all a problem. Here’s what can happen.

Spyware can let hackers see your push notifications

Like the name implies, spyware can let outsiders see what’s happening on your device. It’s usually used to grab your usernames and passwords, but anything that appears on your screen is fair game. That includes push notifications.

In order for spyware to infect your device, you generally have to download an infected file or program. Most spyware will hide itself inside files or apps that look otherwise safe. Believe it or not, when it comes to smartphones, the most malicious spyware tends to be funded and deployed by governments, not lone hackers. China uses this sort of spyware, but so does the United States, Saudi Arabia and more. Governments use spyware to keep tabs on immigrants, journalists, whistleblowers and even human rights activists.

Apple refers to government-linked spyware as “mercenary,” and iPhones have a feature that will explicitly notify you if mercenary spyware is detected on the phone. Most Android phones keep an eye out for this too, though Google will notify you via email.

McGladrey also notes that putting spyware on someone’s phone is an emerging form of domestic abuse. “If you get into an abusive situation and they have access to your devices, [spyware can let an abuser] track their spouse’s movements and activity,” he explains. He adds that removing the spyware is especially risky in these situations, since the abuser will notice as soon as they stop receiving data.

Law enforcement can hack your smartphone

Smartphones have become the most popular way people make plans, talk to friends and store their data, and as a result, they’ve become priority targets for law-enforcement investigations. In fact, this article was inspired by one of these investigations. Earlier this year, reports surfaced that the FBI used an unspecified hacking process to pull deleted push notifications from a defendant’s iPhone. Yes, deleted notifications. The hack exploited a little-known location called the “push notification database,” which stored notifications even after the user deleted them. This let the FBI read messages the defendant had received from the encrypted messaging app Signal.

FYI, Apple has since patched that exploit and called the storing of deleted notifications a “bug.” When reached for comment, an Apple spokesperson didn’t confirm that this update removed the database entirely, but Klosowski believes it no longer stores deleted notifications. Google didn’t respond when asked whether Android devices have the same vulnerability.

In the U.S., however, law-enforcement groups still have access to Cellebrite devices, which can bypass security to copy all of your device’s data. This includes notifications and likely other messages you’ve sent as well. Lastly, border control agents in the U.S. and many other countries have the legal right to search through your phone, computer or other device when you’re entering the country.

Apple and Google see nearly every push notification you receive

When a smartphone app sends a push notification, it has to be routed through a server. That server is usually owned and operated by whoever makes your phone’s operating system: Apple if you’re using an iPhone, and Google if you’re using an Android.

Generally, no one from either company is reading this data. But both companies do retain records of when the notifications were sent, to whom and, occasionally, even what they contained. And when asked by law enforcement, both companies may give this data to investigators. It could also be vulnerable to hackers.

If you’re using a third-party smart device that can display your notifications, like the Meta Glasses, your data might be intercepted by even more companies. “It might be super helpful to have [your notifications] pop up on your glasses,” McGladrey says, “but are you OK with whoever manufactures those glasses getting access to your push notifications?”

Strangers can look over your shoulder and read your screen

OK, this one’s old-school, but it’s still a concern. Everyone’s had that moment where they see a stranger’s screen light up and instinctively glance at it. That’s especially true in crowded places like public transit or while waiting in line.

Most people know it’s rude to snoop and will look away. But others may take the opportunity to read your screen and the notifications plastered on it.

How can you turn off push notifications on an iPhone?

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap “Notifications.”
3. To turn off all notifications, tap “Show Previews” and select “Never.”
4. To turn off notifications only for specific apps, select the app, one at a time, and do the following: Tap either “Allow Notifications” at the top of the app to turn it off, or uncheck all three “Alerts” options.

Can you also turn off push notifications on an Android?

Yes, but not all Android phones let you turn off all push notifications at once. Instead, you’ll likely need to turn them off for each app individually.

1. Open Settings, and tap “Apps.”
2. Scroll to select the app you want to disable push notifications for. You may need to tap “All apps” to see the entire list.
3. On the app’s page, tap “Notifications.”
4. Either tap the “Allow notifications” switch at the top to turn them all off, or uncheck the options below it.

Are there any other places you should turn off these notifications?

You may also want to do this on your computer. Here’s what to do for both Mac and Windows.

Mac

1. Open Settings, and click “Notifications” in the sidebar.
2. Click the “Show previews” option, and select “Never.”
3. You can also scroll down the page to disable notifications for specific programs.

Windows

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings menu.
2. Click “System” in the sidebar, then “Notifications” in the menu that appears.
3. Click the “Notifications” switch at the top of the page to turn off all push notifications.
4. You can also scroll down to turn off notifications for specific programs.

Are there any other ways you should protect your push notifications?

If turning off all your notifications seems too extreme or if you want even more protection, there are a few extra steps you can take to stay safe.

• Use secure messaging apps. The best messaging apps feature “end-to-end encryption,” which means that no one besides you and your recipient can see the messages being sent—not even the company that makes the app. For text messages, encrypted apps include Signal and WhatsApp. For email, check out Proton Mail.
• Turn off message previews within your messaging apps. Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram let you turn off push-notification previews within the apps themselves. This means you’ll still receive a notification when someone messages you, but it won’t show the content of the message.
• Regularly audit and delete apps you don’t use. Every app records some amount of data about you. And the scope of that recording can change without your knowledge when the app is updated. If you have apps that you don’t use, it’s safer to delete them than keep them around for no reason. It’ll help you save storage space too.
• Turn off biometric locks. All modern phones and computers let you lock your device with a passcode, and most let you use biometrics (a facial or fingerprint scan) as well. This might be more convenient, but it’s not safer. This is because while law enforcement can’t force you to give them your passcode, the laws around biometrics are murkier. And a police officer can’t read your mind to learn your passcode, but they can hold your phone up to your face to get a scan. McGladrey notes that “the courts are generally still out” on whether this is legal, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• Use your device’s “lockdown mode.” Some devices, including all iPhones, have a special mode that will block message attachments, incoming calls from strangers, wired connections and more. This can help protect you from concerted spyware attacks.

Sources:

• Kayne McGladrey, CISSP, cybersecurity expert and senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; phone interview, August 2026
• Thorin Klosowski, senior security and privacy activist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation; email interview, August 2026
• Apple spokesperson; email conversation, August 2026
• The Guardian: “Spyware targets Uyghurs by ‘masquerading’ as Android apps – report”
• NPR: “ICE acknowledges it is using powerful spyware”
• The Guardian: “Saudis behind NSO spyware attack on Jamal Khashoggi’s family, leak suggests”
• Apple: “About Apple threat notifications and protecting against mercenary spyware”
• 404 Media: “FBI Extracts Suspect’s Deleted Signal Messages Saved in iPhone Notification Database”
• Apple: “About the security content of iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2”
• The Intercept: “Use of Controversial Phone-Cracking Tool Is Spreading Across Federal Government”
• Washington Post: “Federal government is using data from push notifications to track contacts”

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The post Warning! Your iPhone’s Notifications Are Full of Sensitive Info—Here’s How to Make Sure It Doesn’t End Up in the Wrong Hands appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But the best hobbies are those that require practice and patience. That’s where at-home pottery kit brand Pottd comes in. These clever at-home pottery kits come with almost everything you need to put together pots, paint mugs or make your bestie an incense burner. And the best part? You don’t need any experience with clay to craft cute pieces. Here’s my experience getting hooked on these all-inclusive kits.

We Tried It

Pottd Pottery Kits

Pinch pots, painted mugs and pressed clay coasters—oh, my! Pottd kits come with dozens of different projects that scratch that creative itch.

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Unboxing the kit

There are several kits on Pottd to choose from, which fall into two categories: painting and pottery. Painting kits come with premade items along with the paints to decorate them. Pottd offers dozens of kits that come with things like picture frames, mugs, beer glasses, coasters or vases—you name it.

The pottery kits bring additional choices. Pick from general creativity kits or opt for specific kits that cover things like biscuit-shaped coasters, candle holders, baby keepsakes, sculptural plants, games and more. There are also extras like molds and paints available à la carte.

I opted for a general kit with “retro” paint colors. Pack neatly inside the kit is nearly everything you’ll need to make several different pieces, including:

• 2 bags of eco-friendly Super Clay
• 5 wooden sculpting tools
• 1 potter’s sponge
• 1 pottery paint set of your choice
• 2 artist brushes
• 1 bottle of base coat
• 1 bottle of gloss varnish
• Quick-start guide
• An easel to prop up your guide as you work

Getting started

First, take everything out of the box and arrange it on a flat surface. Now is the perfect time to unfurl that junk mail or those local grocery mailers crowding in your mailbox—they make excellent protection for your table!

The Quick Start guide is a great resource when first setting up your pottery zone. It outlines any extras you might want that don’t come with your kit, such as additional tools. While I didn’t have a ruler or rolling pin on hand, I did take its advice to ensure I had a cup of water set up for smoothing and adding “slip” to the clay. I also grabbed a reusable paper towel to keep messes to a minimum.

Next, I highly recommend setting the mood. If you’re like me, that means adding some background noise and good, solid lighting. While you can absolutely make your pottery in silence, popping on a good podcast, audiobook, or your favorite album helps keep that creativity flowing.

The Quick Start guide also comes with several instruction cards covering projects like a trinket dish, pinch pot, incense burner, vase, draped dish, photo stand and plant pot. Reading through these cards is super helpful when you’re considering your first pieces!

Crafting the clay

For my first project, a pinch pot, I unpacked one of the clay packets and separated out 1/4 of the bag as instructed. The rest goes back into the sealed bag for future projects. I popped the instruction card into the cardboard holder and got started.

Overall, the instructions are detailed and perfect for newbies. They go over each step in an easy-to-follow format, leaving plenty of room for creative choices. I especially appreciated the continued reminders to use water and the included sponge to keep the clay surface nice and slick. This clay tends to crack when it’s dry, so keeping it moist while you work is crucial for a nice, smooth look.

After making my pinch pot, I caught the creativity bug and decided to crank out an incense burner and a draped dish. This time, I also had a clearer direction: I wanted to model them after my favorite noms—breakfast foods! Even after crafting a bacon-shaped incense burner, an egg-shaped dish and my little pinch pot, I still had about a third of my first bag of clay leftover. I didn’t even dip into my second bag, so each box can easily handle several projects.

The hardest part was waiting for the clay to dry, which took about 48 hours. After that, you must apply a base coat, which takes about 1-2 hours to dry. It’s important to ensure that pottery is completely dry before painting. Once dry, it was time to paint my pottery!

Painting party time!

This is the fun part! Using the paints that come in the kit, it’s time to decorate your pottery. For the best results, Pottd recommends working in thin layers and waiting for each layer to dry before adding another. Now is the time to get creative with stripes, spots, murals or whatever inspires you.

I used a reference photo for my bacon incense burner, and I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out! While the kit didn’t come with a white paint for my egg whites, I opted for a baby blue color and think it turned out pretty darn cute. For my pot, I pursued a polka-dotted aesthetic.

Once the paint has dried completely, the final step is to give it a good glaze. This step is optional, but it gives the pottery a more finished look. Plus, the glaze protects the paint from scratches and adds slight water resistance, though it’s best to keep all pottery away from water for the best longevity. Skipping this step gives the pottery a more rustic look, should that be your preferred direction.

Final thoughts

Once you begin making clay pieces from a Pottd kit, it’s quite an addictive hobby! I found myself thinking about my next project soon after finishing my first batch. And because each kit includes so much clay, I was able to make a few pieces to give to friends as gifts as well. Overall, Pottd kits are an easy way to try out a new hobby. I already have my eye on additional kits like the Paint a Tea Set kit and the overstuffed Super Bundle.

Where to buy

We Tried It

Pottd Pottery Kits

Pottd kits span tons of options, including pottery, picture holders and pretty tea sets!

Shop on Pottd

Folks looking for an all-in-one kit that makes it easy to experiment will love how inclusive Pottd kits are. Plus, they make great gifts for creatives or date night activities for couples’ holidays like anniversaries and Valentine’s Day. The brand is always rolling out new kits and creative tools, so check out the Pottd website to see what’s currently trending!

The post We Tried a Beginner’s Pottery Kit—And Now We Wanna Clay All Day appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Unfortunately, gas stoves hide lurking dangers behind that satisfying flame. One major problem is air quality. We’ll dig into the specifics below, but in a recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers found that nearly 13% of childhood asthma in the United States is caused directly by gas stoves. And that’s just one of the findings.

Even a perfectly functioning gas stove gives off invisible fumes. But keeping your eyes peeled for odd flame colors can help you diagnose major safety risks before they get out of hand. To find out more about gas stoves and safety, I spoke to Troy Legg, a virtual appliance technician with home-warranty company American Home Shield. He has more than 20 years of experience repairing appliances, including gas stoves, and knows exactly what color the flames should be.

Read on to find out what it means if you see different colors and what you should be doing to keep your gas stove in tip-top shape.

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What color “should” the flames be on a gas stove?

“A healthy gas-burner flame is usually blue,” Legg says. There’s room for a tiny bit of variation, but not much. “With natural gas, a blue flame with a slight white tip can be normal,” Legg adds. “With liquid propane, a blue flame with a small yellow tip can also be normal.”

But if most of the flame, not just the tip, turns a different color, that’s a signal that something is wrong.

What makes the flames blue?

Blue flames indicate that complete combustion of natural gas is taking place. Natural gas is mostly methane, and when it burns correctly on your stove, all of the fuel gets used up and turned into heat, water vapor and carbon dioxide (CO2). The flames are blue because the light produced within this clean-burning flame has a short wavelength. (Remember the ROYGBIV of a rainbow? The red side has longer wavelengths, and the blue-indigo-violet side has shorter ones.)

Natural gas produces a very hot flame—as high as 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. In contrast, wood fires burn cooler and less cleanly, giving off soot and wood particles. It’s these particles that produce the campfire-like orange and red flames you should never see on your gas cooktop.

What do orange flames mean?

“A steady yellow or orange flame can signal incomplete combustion, often caused by dirty burners, blocked openings or an improper gas-to-air mixture,” Legg says. Instead of methane converting to CO2 and water vapor, some of the gas is not used and is released into the air, which is not ideal.

But not all situations are reason to panic. “A small amount of white or yellow tipping can be normal depending on the type of gas and the appliance,” Legg says. Dust in the air can create brief yellow flickers, and he says calcium and other minerals may burn orange. “But a flame that is mostly yellow, orange or red should be checked by a professional.”

Why are orange and yellow flames such a big problem?

Because blue flames are the normal state of affairs, the sudden appearance of orange or yellow means your stove is trying to tell you something. Here’s why these flames can be a big problem.

Dangerous gas buildup

“A steady yellow or orange flame may mean the burner is dirty or the gas and air are not mixing properly,” Legg says. Either one can “affect combustion and potentially create a carbon monoxide (CO) risk,” he says. According to the EPA, the air around a properly working gas stove contains about 5 to 15 parts per million (ppm) of CO, and a poorly adjusted one can have levels of 30 ppm or higher.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that kills hundreds of people every year and sends 100,000 to the emergency room, according to the CDC. Children are particularly vulnerable, as are the elderly and people with breathing conditions. If you have a gas stove, putting in a CO monitor to alert you of high CO levels can be a lifesaver.

Higher gas bills

Orange flames are inefficient and will cost you money. In incomplete combustion, some of the gas coming out of your burners is flat-out wasted, so you have to use more gas to get the right amount of heat for cooking. That will translate into a higher gas bill over time.

Lower air quality

Besides dangerous CO buildup, gas stoves are also known to contribute to poor indoor-air quality more generally (remember that asthma stat). Methane, nitrogen dioxide, benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released from even well-functioning stoves, and if your stove burns inefficiently, it gives off more of them.

Inefficient cooking

This one’s not dangerous, but it could be disappointing if you’re hungry. Gas flames that are uneven or inefficiently burning, which often happens when you’re seeing those orange or yellow flames, can create hot spots, make you crank up the heat and otherwise decrease the quality of your cooking experience.

What other colors signify an issue?

Legg says the main one to watch out for is red. “A red flame is less common and could point to an issue with gas quality, so homeowners should contact their gas provider if they see a persistent red flame,” he says. Gas-quality problems can include a range of issues, from an inconsistent delivery pressure to the presence of impurities that affect how the gas burns. 

Another interesting twist involves the presence of a humidifier in your home. Humidifiers give off water vapor, of course, but that vapor also carries minerals like calcium and potassium. Legg mentioned calcium’s orange color earlier, but also be on the lookout for potassium’s pink or purple hue. Though these color changes are not dangerous, using distilled water will reduce these effects.

What should you do if your flames are the wrong color?

“Start with basic cleaning and inspection,” Legg says. “Make sure the burner cap is seated correctly, then check the burner openings for food, grease or debris.” Turn all knobs to the off position and remove the burner caps and heads. “A paper clip can be used gently to clear blocked burner holes and the small center orifice,” Legg says. Don’t use a wooden toothpick—it might break off, which could block the port and cause gas to back up.

You can also wash the parts of the burner assembly, but avoid soaking them. “Use a damp cloth instead of a soapy or wet cloth, since excess moisture can get into the spark switches and cause unwanted sparking,” Legg says. “After cleaning, make sure all parts are completely dry and properly reassembled before trying the burner again.”

“If the flame remains yellow, orange or red, or if there is any gas smell, stop using the appliance and contact a qualified repair technician or the gas provider,” Legg says. “An unusual flame color or smell can indicate a serious matter and potential safety risk. So if you notice something questionable, don’t wait to contact a professional or your gas provider.”

Sources:

• Troy Legg, virtual appliance technician at American Home Shield; email interview, Sept. 11, 2026
• Science Direct: “Complete Combustion”
• Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection: “What is Natural Gas?”
• EPA: “What is the average level of carbon monoxide in homes?”
• CDC: “Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics”
• Whirlpool: “Burner Flames Abnormal Colors – Natural Gas”
• Whirlpool: “Burner Flames Abnormal Colors – LP Gas”
• GE: “Gas Range – What is Normal Operation vs What Requires Service”
• NFPA: “Cooking Safety”
• Tidewater Energy: “What Burns Hotter: Propane or Natural Gas?”
• Environmental Health Perspectives: “Clearing the Air: Gas Stove Emissions and Direct Health Effects”
• International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: “Population Attributable Fraction of Gas Stoves and Childhood Asthma in the United States”

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The post If You See Orange Flames on Your Gas Stove, This Is What It Means appeared first on Reader's Digest.

The latest viral meme, involving a Dr. Seuss character who is definitely not teaching the youth their ABCs, seems silly and ridiculous at first glance—but is actually pretty terrifying. Sharing the meme has also had some very real, very scary consequences that you and your kids should be aware of.

I’ve been on the internet since the mid-1990s, so I have some big Gen X energy around online trends. My biggest fear was getting caught illegally downloading a few songs from Napster. (Which I barely did! I love copyright law!) But when I got a look at this creepy new meme, it had me wishing for the good old days.

To find out about this internet trend that’s increasingly getting the police called and has even led to some teen arrests, I spoke with Lt. Steven Orcutt with the Potter County Sheriff’s Department in Texas. Read on to learn what this viral trend is, why it’s a big deal and how to protect your children from consequences that could follow them around for life.

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What is the Dr. Seuss meme in question?

@cnn Videos showing a person dressed up as Cat in the Hat roaming streets after dark have spread across social media, even prompting responses from police in Ireland and the UK. But it remains unclear which, if any, of the sightings are real or if they are AI-generated. #catinthehat ♬ original sound – CNN

It’s called the Cat in the Hat meme. “This current trend began as a dark-humor meme using clips from the 2003 Cat in the Hat movie,” says Orcutt. “It has since evolved into an AI-generated hoax trend, where users create realistic-looking images and videos of the Cat in the Hat lurking around homes, neighborhoods, schools and other public spaces.”

The posts started on Snapchat and were circulating in Ireland and the U.K. in August, according to the Guardian. From there, they made their way across the ocean and to multiple platforms, including TikTok and, to a lesser degree, Instagram. The posts can be accompanied by creepy music and even threatening messages.

Why on earth is a Cat in the Hat meme such a problem?

“Many posts claim the character is ‘coming to’ a specific town, school or community in a way of inciting fear or making vague statements of harm,” Orcutt says. Case in point: “On my way to Kentucky next, be looking out,” read one Cat in the Hat message on TikTok. Sometimes the meme has a real-life element, and the character is filmed chasing actual people.

But no matter what form the meme takes, the idea is to sow fear and confusion. “While the trend is not tied to real-world violence, it creates several issues,” Orcutt says.

• Unnecessary fear: Parents, students and the wider community are affected.
• Wasted resources: “The fear creates false reports to schools or law enforcement, requiring resource-intensive responses,” Orcutt says.
• Operational disruptions: “In turn, the reports create a disruption to school operations when posts reference specific campuses,” he explains.
• Potential for escalation: The meme can lead people to mimic or exaggerate the trend for attention. “We’ve already seen that even a single alarming post can trigger copycat sharing or lead students to report concerns, similar to other online hoax trends seen in Amarillo,” Orcutt says.

“In short, it’s an internet hoax,” Orcutt says, “but the reaction to it can create real-world problems.”

Have kids actually been arrested for this?

Yes, several. “This is a national social media hoax, and not a localized threat,” Orcutt says. Teens from all over the country have been caught up in the hype and aftermath.

A 14-year-old in Grand Junction, Colorado, was arrested after posting a version of the meme that referenced a threat to a middle school. A 15-year-old Kansas kid was also detained over the meme, and in Oxford, Mississippi, a “juvenile” is facing terrorism-related charges over threats made to a “large school,” according to Mississippi’s WTVA.

Kids in Louisiana, Connecticut, Georgia and Texas have also been detained. “The Potter County Sheriff’s Office has processed one juvenile in relation to the investigation in our jurisdiction,” Orcutt says. “We, as an agency, encourage those who view anything of this nature to report it when seen and allow us the opportunity to properly investigate for any potential threats.”

How big of a problem is this?

For now, it’s continuing to rise—or at least, reports are on the rise. “These trends will continue to be shared, when seen, until the next wave of trends hit,” Orcutt says. In other words, until the next Socrates-and-skeletons viral meme surfaces, we’re stuck with creepy images of a life-sized human-cat hybrid.

“Although there is no real threat, the imagery can be unsettling, especially for younger students, and posts sometimes spread quickly enough to prompt public worry,” he adds. Be aware, too, that media reports have a tendency to elevate trends to larger-than-life proportions.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take them seriously, but it’s important to keep the threats in perspective. “Locally, reported concerns seem to have been minimal and largely centered around students asking if the images and locations depicted are real,” Orcutt says.

What kind of conversations should you have with your kids about this?

“Parents can play a huge role in reducing the fear and preventing any potential escalation by simply talking openly with their children about hoax trends, reassuring kids that these videos are fabricated and not real, [and] asking their children to report any alarming posts to the proper authorities,” Orcutt says.

Also, parents should explain the potential legal consequences of sharing hoax threats involving schools and students, and “most importantly, be involved with their children by monitoring their social media usage,” he adds.

Sources:

• Lt. Steven Orcutt, Potter County Sheriff’s Office; email interview, Sept. 15, 2026
• Guardian: “U.S. schools and police warn about viral ‘Cat in the Hat’ trend after teens’ arrests”
• WTVA: “Cat in the Hat AI trend leads to arrest”
• City of Grand Junction, Colorado: “No Credible Threat Found in Social Media Incident; Arrest Made”
• Connecticut Post: “Connecticut officials warn of ‘Cat in the Hat’ social media videos that threaten schools”

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My mom didn’t let us have “sugar cereals,” as she called them, so whenever I got the chance (at a friend’s house, usually), I’d devour Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch like I’d been starving in the desert for weeks. Then it was back to Cheerios—though I’ve moved on to cereals with even less sugar these days. Getting old is fun!

As cereal season gets underway for another year, we thought it would be fun to take a look at which cereals are the most popular around the country. And lucky for us, CSP Global, which offers accredited nursing programs in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Portland, Oregon, had already done the heavy lifting.

Ahead, I’ll take you state by state through their delicious survey results filled with cereals you remember as a kid and eat now as an adult. Read on to get a bowlful of knowledge about this breakfast favorite.

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How did the report determine the most popular cereal in each state?

We do a lot of Googling these days, so instead of mining grocery stores for sales data or calling people on their phones (who answers those calls, anyway?), CSP Global analyzed Google Trends data to find out exactly which cereals Americans were hungry for.

Why did they do this, you might ask? Because they’re a nursing school, CSP Global wanted to get a sense of state and regional trends to start a conversation about nutrition and health. Cereal aisles across the country look pretty much the same, but when you really drill down on what people are searching for, some definite trends emerge.

What is the most popular cereal in each state?

When you take a look at this list, it’s apparent there’s not a lot of turnover in the cereal world. These are the same old classics we’ve been eating for decades. My mother would definitely not approve of most of them, but they sure sound delicious to me right about now.

Here are the most popular cereals in each state:

• Alabama: Froot Loops
• Alaska: Corn Pops
• Arizona: Honey Bunches of Oats
• Arkansas: Honeycomb
• California: Honey Bunches of Oats
• Colorado: Froot Loops
• Connecticut: Cheerios
• Delaware: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Florida: Froot Loops
• Georgia: Froot Loops
• Hawaii: Cocoa Puffs
• Idaho: Rice Krispies
• Illinois: Cookie Crisp
• Indiana: Golden Crisp
• Iowa: Cap’n Crunch
• Kansas: Trix
• Kentucky: Froot Loops
• Louisiana: Froot Loops
• Maine: Raisin Bran
• Maryland: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Massachusetts: Trix
• Michigan: Froot Loops
• Minnesota: Wheaties
• Mississippi: Apple Jacks
• Missouri: Froot Loops
• Montana: Rice Krispies
• Nebraska: Lucky Charms
• Nevada: Cocoa Pebbles
• New Hampshire: Cheerios
• New Jersey: Cookie Crisp
• New Mexico: Honey Bunches of Oats
• New York: Cheerios
• North Carolina: Froot Loops
• North Dakota: Special K
• Ohio: Golden Crisp
• Oklahoma: Froot Loops
• Oregon: Froot Loops
• Pennsylvania: Cheerios
• Rhode Island: Fruity Pebbles
• South Carolina: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• South Dakota: Rice Krispies
• Tennessee: Cookie Crisp
• Texas: Froot Loops
• Utah: Rice Krispies
• Vermont: Cheerios
• Virginia: Froot Loops
• Washington: Trix
• Washington, D.C.: Trix
• West Virginia: Corn Flakes
• Wisconsin: Rice Krispies
• Wyoming: Frosted Mini-Wheats

Which cereal earned the No. 1 spot in the most states?

Froot Loops took the cereal crown with wins in 13 states and was by far the most searched cereal in the entire country. And it wasn’t even close: The tropical-fruit-flavored sugar bomb’s closest competition, Cheerios (yes!) and Rice Krispies, each won only 5 states apiece.

What regional trends emerged?

The cereal analysts also broke out the searches regionally, and it looks like the South gave Froot Loops its dominating win. The Northeast and the Midwest (my old stomping ground) went for the basic grains. Out in the sunny West, Honey Bunches of Oats came in first.

• Northeast: Cheerios
• South: Froot Loops
• West: Honey Bunches of Oats
• Midwest: Rice Krispies

Were there any big surprises?

My beloved old home state of Minnesota was the only state to pick Wheaties … which actually isn’t too much of a surprise, now that I think of it. A Minneapolis radio station aired the very first cereal jingle in 1926, and it was for, yep, Wheaties.

What is surprising is that wheat, in general, turns out to be an unpopular cereal grain, at least as far as searches go. Raisin Bran won only one state, Maine, and Frosted Mini-Wheats also came out on top in a single state, Wyoming.

Here’s another head-scratcher: When is the last time you ate Apple Jacks? I didn’t even know it was still around, but Mississippi loves it. Finally, my old neighbor Iowa is the only state pulling for Cap’n Crunch (but not the clearly superior Peanut Butter version). Funny, I would have thought they’d be all-in for Corn Pops.

Sources:

• CSP Global: “Every State’s Favorite Cereal”
• University of Maryland: “Have you tried Wheaties? The Lost Art of Jingle Writing”

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The post This Is the Most Popular Cereal in Each State—Did Your Breakfast Favorite Make the List? appeared first on Reader's Digest.

I’m so relieved … but also so rattled. Granted, I wasn’t the best student, and I cut my fair share of classes back in the day, but I was never that clueless. Why does my subconscious do that to me, not to mention bring me back to that time in my life at all? I’m so far past that stage—I have kids who have since graduated from high school!

What’s really terrifying? So many of us have that same exact dream. A recent Amerisleep survey of more than 2,000 people found that being back in school is among the most common recurring dreams out there, right up there with falling and being chased. And in a Psychology Today blog post that surveyed people describing their own recurring school dreams, the most common version reported was almost identical to mine: discovering you’d been enrolled in a class all along, never once attending, and then scrambling to find the exam room on the day it finally counts.

We asked three dream experts—two psychotherapists and a professional dream analyst—to help decode why so many of us are still, apparently, failing a class we may have finished decades ago. Read on to find out what’s going on, what some of our most common school dreams mean and whether they actually have anything to do with school at all.

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What’s happening in our brains when we dream?

Think of your brain as a warehouse, says Katie Rose, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist. Every day, “boxes” of new experiences get dropped off in a staging area, and your brain’s internal workers—networks involving the hippocampus and amygdala, which handle memory and emotion—sort through them and file them away across a web of connected brain regions.

When you dream, your brain pulls old boxes back off the shelf. And as levels of neurotransmitters shift during REM sleep—acetylcholine rises, stimulating cortical activity and prompting vivid imagery, while norepinephrine and serotonin drop to unusually low levels—those boxes don’t always get put back together the way they were. “The connections your brain makes can be more emotional, symbolic and sometimes seemingly nonsensical than they would be when you’re awake,” Rose says.

“During REM, the brain is far from inactive,” notes John Mayer, PhD, a clinical psychologist based in Chicago. Visual-association areas generate the imagery you see, even though your eyes aren’t taking in any actual visual information, while the amygdala and related limbic structures—which process emotion, threat and personal significance—stay highly active. That’s part of why dreams can feel so emotionally intense.

Memory plays a role too. The hippocampus, which organizes autobiographical and episodic memories, supplies fragments of both recent and older experiences. But rather than replaying a memory exactly as it happened, “the dreaming brain recombines people, places and emotions into new images and stories,” Mayer says. Meanwhile, the brain’s usual reality-check system—the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, responsible for logic and working memory—is comparatively quiet. That may be why dreams entail bizarre events.

Overall, Mayer explains, “the visual brain is creating, the emotional brain is reacting, the memory system is supplying material, and the logical brain is operating with reduced supervision.”

What does it mean if you’re dreaming about school?

So why does school, specifically, keep getting pulled off the shelf—even for people decades removed from their last final exam? According to our experts, there are a few explanations.

It’s simply where the most material lives

“We spent thousands of hours of our formative years in school—it was the primary space for our learning and social lives,” Rose says. “We would have experienced intensely vulnerable situations there, likely for the first time.” Think: embarrassment over struggling with a new subject, rejection from a friend group or a first taste of real success and leadership. “It makes sense that our brains return to that place in adulthood,” she says. “If our brains are trying to work out a feeling, it may return to school to try to understand the origin of that feeling.”

It was our first real taste of external pressure

“School is often a go-to for stress because the certainty that one would have stressful experiences in school is extremely high,” Mayer says. “This is the first time a child will have these pressures outside of the home when they first attend school—that’s significant and embedded in our brain.” And those stressful experiences only build over the years, from first grade through graduation.

It doubles as the blueprint for career stress

“School was the original training ground for job stress,” says Lauri Loewenberg, a professional dream analyst and the author of Dream on It. “It’s where we first learned the pressure of deadlines, preparation, performance, evaluation, competition, fitting in and moving up to the next level.” Because those emotional associations were formed there, she explains, “school remains the face your subconscious often gives to career stress, even decades after you’ve graduated.”

The details are symbolic, not literal

“I think of it less as the brain saying, ‘A math test means work stress,’ and more as the brain looking for the closest emotional match it has available,” Rose says. In other words, “the math test may not be about math at all,” she says. “It may be the box your brain has on the shelf for ‘This is what it feels like when I am being evaluated and I’m not sure I’m going to be good enough.'”

Sometimes it’s about growth, not stress

“Less often, finding yourself back in school or a class setting in your dream can mean you are currently learning something new in your life—such as a new skill, a new mindset or behavior, a life lesson or basically any situation where you would consider yourself to be ‘learning the ropes,'” Loewenberg says. So if you’re navigating a career pivot, learning how to play mahjong or getting up to speed on new software at work, that classroom feeling may just be your brain reaching for the closest thing it has on file for “still figuring this out.”

It can be triggered by simple, everyday cues

These dreams don’t strike at random. “Dreams are always triggered by some stimulus in our perceptional system,” Mayer notes. Back-to-school season is a classic trigger—store ads, kids heading back to class or just the general rhythm of the calendar can all seep into your dreams, whether or not you’re conscious of it.

What does each type of school dream mean?

Not all school dreams are created equal, and some are definitely more stressful than others. Here’s what our experts say about some of the most common variations.

You haven’t studied for a big test

This is likely the most common school dream. Mayer hears a version of this constantly in his practice—patients dreaming they have a test to take and are completely unprepared, or that they never actually finished their degree and are secretly an imposter. Loewenberg adds: “This dream is often connected to feeling unprepared for an upcoming situation that feels like a big deal. It could be anything from a board meeting or job interview to something more personal, like meeting your future in-laws for the first time.”

She suggests asking yourself: What situation in my waking life feels similar right now? Where do I feel like I’m going to be scrutinized? Where do I really have to prove myself, but I’m feeling uncertain, insecure or not quite up to the task?

The fix isn’t to obsess over being perfectly prepared, she says—it’s to get specific about what would actually help. “Your dream may be highlighting an area where your confidence needs to catch up with your expectations.”

You can’t find your classroom

This one, according to Loewenberg, is less about the test itself and more about the search. “This dream is often the result of feeling that you aren’t where you should be in some area of your waking life,” she says. “It’s a common dream when you haven’t found a job or career that feels like home to you, or when you aren’t quite where you feel you should be in your career.”

The searching itself is the important part. “You’re looking for the classroom because, symbolically, you’re looking for where you belong, where you’re supposed to be focusing your energy or what your next step should be,” Loewenberg explains. Her suggested reframe: Instead of asking why you’re not where you should be, ask why you actually want to be.

An old high school boyfriend or girlfriend shows up

According to Loewenberg, exes rarely show up in dreams to represent themselves. “The high school sweetheart is often our first experience of romantic love,” she says. “So when they show up in a dream, they usually aren’t playing themselves. Rather, they’re standing in for the feelings we first experienced with them: excitement, desire, butterflies, infatuation, feeling chosen or that feeling of never wanting to be apart.”

The trick to decoding it, she says, is to ask what first comes to mind when you think of that person and why that particular feeling might be relevant right now. “If the relationship was wonderful, perhaps you’re craving that kind of excitement, attention, freedom or romance again,” she says.

But if the relationship was a bad one, don’t assume the dream is a sign you want them back. Loewenberg suggests asking yourself: Is anything happening in my life now that makes me feel the way I felt with that person? The bottom line: Focus on the feeling, not the person.

You’re with random classmates you haven’t thought about in years

According to Loewenberg, nothing in a dream is truly random—especially the cast of characters. Dreams borrow from the past in order to give us a message that will help us in our present. “Everything and everyone in your dream stands in for some part of you or for something that is directly affecting you,” she says, “unless it is someone you deal with on a daily basis, like your spouse or your child.”

So, she explains, the way to figure out why you’re dreaming of Josh from chemistry class is to ask yourself what first comes to mind when you think of him. If you remember Josh being the class clown, then that’s what is at play. “It’s not about Josh,” Loewenberg says. It’s about what’s relevant to you currently: not taking things too seriously and having a sense of humor right now.

You’re going back to school as an adult

Loewenberg says most dreams that put you back in a classroom actually keep you as your current-day self—the classroom is just a familiar backdrop your brain reaches for. “The school setting becomes a metaphor for something you’re currently learning, struggling with, being tested on or feeling unprepared for,” she says. So if you dream you’re back in a lecture hall, quizzes and all, but you’re still very much you—crow’s feet, mortgage, hot flashes—it’s probably not about school at all. It’s about whatever test you feel like you’re taking in real life right now, whether that’s a big presentation, a medical diagnosis or just proving to yourself you can still hack it.

Does the meaning change if your dream is about elementary school, high school or college?

According to the Psychology Today survey of people describing their recurring school dreams, 73% of respondents set their dream in high school, compared with 34% in college, 12% in elementary school and 7% in middle school or junior high.

Loewenberg says the specific setting is meaningful, not incidental: “The different stages of school can reflect different stages of learning, growth, confidence or challenge in your waking life.”

• Elementary school “often points to something that is in its early or introductory stages,” Loewenberg says. You may be just starting out or dealing with something that feels simple and manageable. But personal history matters too: If you were bullied in those years, dreaming of elementary school “could indicate that something or someone in your current life is making you feel vulnerable, picked on, excluded or powerless in a similar way.”
• High school “tends to take things up a notch,” Loewenberg says, since it’s typically associated with “social pressures, identity, popularity, fitting in, first relationships, competition, independence and figuring out who you are.” A high school dream might reflect feeling judged, compared or pressured to perform in your current life.
• College, she says, “can represent a more advanced level of learning and development.” It might show up when you’re tackling something more complex, taking on more responsibility or being pushed to grow beyond what you already know.

Rose adds that the setting tends to be personal rather than universal. “Typically, the school where you experienced the most prominent social-emotional growth will be where your brain returns to,” she says. “That will be highly individual based on your experiences.”

Why do certain school dreams recur?

Yes, there’s a reason your brain keeps replaying it instead of letting it go. Mayer compares the brain to “a huge mainframe computer” that will “cycle and cycle that data over and over again” until something changes.

Rose takes a less literal view of what the repetition is doing. “I don’t think our dreams mean anything,” she says, “but they are our brain’s way of making meaning of our world.” A dream on a loop, in her view, isn’t a puzzle with a hidden answer—it’s the brain circling back to an unresolved feeling until something changes how that feeling gets processed.

What should you do when you have one of these dreams?

The good news: You don’t need to overhaul your life every time you dream about a pop quiz or the kid who sat next to you in homeroom. But if a school dream keeps showing up, our experts agree it’s worth paying attention—and each technique below offers a different way in.

• Give the dream a new ending. In his clinical work, Mayer uses a technique he calls “finish off your dream.” If a recurring dream is bothering you, rewrite the ending in a powerful, positive way—for example, turning a failed-test dream into one where you ace the exam and the teacher praises you in front of the class, or picturing your diploma on the wall if the dream involves never having graduated. “Make your finish big, fantastic and positive,” he says. Giving the dream a deliberate, positive ending “puts closure on the dreams” and can stop the loop.
• Talk it through out loud. Rose adds that you shouldn’t assume there’s some hidden message that needs to be decoded—it’s more useful to get curious about what the dream brings up emotionally. “Talking it through out loud with a friend or therapist can be even more helpful” than journaling alone, she says, since putting an internal experience into words can break the cycle of rumination. In sessions, she asks patients what parts of the dream stand out most to them, then works with them to connect it to themes in their present life—or simply to retell the old story “through an awake, adult lens.” As she puts it, “the act of processing the dream out loud is the work.”
• Work from the feeling, not the plot. Loewenberg suggests asking yourself what’s happening in your current life that matches the dream’s emotional tone—unprepared, searching for direction, nostalgic, judged, in over your head—and letting that be your real clue, rather than fixating on the literal details of the dream itself.
• Know when to bring in outside help. Mayer says that if these dreams are affecting your daily functioning or adding real stress to your day, it may be time to talk to a therapist rather than just riding it out.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Katie Rose, LCSW, Manhattan-based psychotherapist; email interview, Aug. 24, 2026
• John Mayer, PhD, clinical psychologist, author of Family Fit: Find Your Balance in Life and creator of Anxiety’s a B!tch; email interview, Aug. 24, 2026
• Lauri Loewenberg, professional dream analyst, author of Dream on It and creator of Dream Chat with Lauri; email interview, Aug. 24, 2026
• Amerisleep: “America’s Most Common Recurring Dreams”
• Psychology Today: “They Dream of School, and None of the Dreams Are Good”

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The post Here’s Why We Still Have Dreams About Being in School—And What Each Type of Weird School Dream Means appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Nope. I just wasn’t invited. 

The next day, when I saw one of the women, I gingerly asked how the party was. She looked at me sharply and sighed, “I knew that was going to hurt your feelings, but you need to get over it. Not everyone can be invited to everything.” 

That hurt so much it took my breath away. (That was also how I learned I’d been ejected from the friend group.)

That said, I’ve been on the other side too. I’ve planned events and realized that inviting all of my close friends is not logistically feasible unless I want to rent a convention center, hire a catering staff and obtain a liquor license. Sometimes you simply have to choose. And you know what’s sometimes worse than being the person who gets left off the guest list? Being the person staring at the guest list thinking, Well, crap. Who gets cut?

As unkind as my friend (ex-friend?) was, she wasn’t wrong. Not everyone can be invited to everything. It’s not always that dramatic, of course. Not every missed invite means you’re booted from the group, and not every curated invitation list will make you feel like a monster. But the devil is in the details.

So is it really rude not to invite your entire friend group to a night out? How do you navigate that situation without being paralyzed by indecision or renting an event hall? And how do you deal with the hurt feelings that will inevitably happen—especially when they are yours? Let’s figure it out below.

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The case for not inviting everyone

It boils down to practicality. Some venues and activities simply can’t accommodate an entire friendship ecosystem. Restaurants have tables. Concerts have tickets. Someone’s living room has approximately 3 square feet of available floor space once you put down the charcuterie board. And wedding invite lists can be so intense, they can cause otherwise rational adults to consider moving to another country.

But here’s the thing: It’s completely normal for adults to have relationship tiers. According Dunbar’s Social Theory, most of us can sustain only about 150 meaningful relationships (called Dunbar’s number), with those relationships naturally forming in nested circles. The innermost circle is roughly five people: your ride-or-dies, who you’d call at 2 a.m. in an emergency. The middle circle contains about 15 folks, and they’re the friends you see regularly. The next circle, about 50 friends, are your barbecue-and-birthday-party people. And the largest circle contains approximately 150 people you can maintain reasonably close connections with. Having these types of subgroups of friends isn’t a betrayal of the larger group; it’s just how friendship works. 

Friendship is not one giant bucket labeled PEOPLE I AM OBLIGATED TO INVITE FOREVER. Sometimes you want to have a huge birthday bash. Other times, you want to have tacos with your three best friends and spend two hours discussing the alarming amount of money you just spent on a moisturizer. That’s OK. And there are plenty of other reasons to keep a gathering small. Maybe the activity is something only some friends enjoy. Maybe two people don’t get along and you don’t want to spend your evening doing conflict resolution between martinis. Maybe you want to discuss something deeply personal with one or two people. Maybe you simply haven’t seen a particular friend in six months and want some one-on-one time.

Friendships are allowed to have subgroups. In fact, if you’ve known each other for more than about five minutes, they almost certainly do. However, there’s a big difference between saying “I need a smaller group right now” and “I want everyone to know they weren’t chosen.”

The case for inviting everyone

Hurt feelings. The hard part is that what feels like a perfectly reasonable invitation decision to one person can feel like a declaration of social leprosy to another. The person in the second or third circle may believe they’re in the inner circle—and they may find out they’re not because they open Instagram while eating Cap’n Crunch in bed. I know this because, well, see above.

Research suggests that social exclusion hurts in a very real way. A study from researchers at the University of Basel and Purdue University looked at the effects of ostracism in people’s everyday lives and found that these mundane experiences of being ignored or excluded can rock people’s fundamental feelings of safety, well-being and belonging. More recently, researchers from the University of Basel and the University of Koblenz-Landau looked specifically at social media exclusion. Across five studies involving 1,149 participants, they found that simply not being tagged in an Instagram post could torpedo people’s mental health, especially for those of us with a strong need to belong. Being cut out of a photo was even more upsetting. 

So yes, apparently our brains can look at a picture of six women eating nachos and react as though civilization itself has rejected us. That’s a pretty high emotional price for a plate of cheesy chips. Sometimes the message this sends is accidental, but sometimes it isn’t. Invitations are a way to exert power, control or status within a group. Even when the exclusion isn’t intentionally cruel, the message can still read: I chose them. I didn’t choose you.

Still, that doesn’t mean you should invite everyone to everything. It means that if you’re making a choice, you should understand the risks and recognize that it could have consequences for the friendship. 

The gray areas

I’m not sure I’ve ever covered an etiquette problem with so many gray areas. The whole answer is one giant gray area in a trench coat. Here are the questions I’d ask before deciding whether your guest list is perfectly reasonable or whether you’re about to become the villain in someone’s story arc.

How many people are being left out? If you have a group of 10 and you invite nine to the Friday-night hang, then you haven’t created an intimate situation—you’ve created a mean-girl group.

How often does this happen? If it’s just this once and you have a good reason, it’s probably not a big deal. But if the same person is mysteriously never invited—birthday party, Taco Tuesday, dancing naked under the full moon—then you need to consider if they are actually a friend.

How big is the original group? If you’re coordinating a girls’ night with 15 friends, then what is one more person? On the other hand, if you’re planning dinner for four, then yes, one or more people changes things significantly.

Is this actually a group? If these people are part of a clearly defined friend group that regularly does things together, excluding one or two people can feel much more pointed. But if you’re inviting a few mutuals who happen to be acquainted already, there may be no expectation that every social outing includes everyone.

How did the plan evolve? There’s a difference between “Two of us were already meeting up and two more people joined,” and “I made a list of 20 people and then selected the five people I like best.” The first feels organic. The second feels like The Bachelor, except nobody gets a rose and everyone gets screenshots.

Where is the night out happening? If you’re headed to a private spot or doing something that naturally limits the group size, you can be flexible. But if you are going to a very public place where you’ll run into mutuals or even possibly friends who weren’t invited, you should at least consider how that will feel. 

How official is the event? An official girls’ night out planned two weeks in advance with a calendar invite feels much different than a spontaneous trip to In-N-Out. Spontaneity gives you some etiquette grace.

Are kids or partners invited? Sometimes the friend group is just the girls, while other times it’s a family or couples event. Just make sure everyone knows which it is.

And most importantly: How will the person find out they weren’t invited? Ideally, they won’t. Realistically, they probably will. And if your friend has to find out about your dinner through an Instagram story, a tagged Facebook photo or a conversation at the gym, that can turn an otherwise reasonable decision into a much more painful one. 

What do you do about hurt feelings afterward?

My friend’s “just get over it” was rude, but at least she was honest. Too often, people try to hide or minimize the situation because they think they’re sparing the other person’s feelings. But once someone discovers that eight of their friends went out without them, their feelings are already hurt. Pretending otherwise doesn’t make the hurt disappear. It just adds a second layer of awkwardness.

You don’t necessarily need to apologize for having dinner with other people. You do need to acknowledge that your friend may feel bad. Something as simple as “I can understand why that hurt. It wasn’t meant to say anything about how I feel about you” can go a long way. Notice that I didn’t say “I’m sorry I went to dinner without you.” You are allowed to have other friends. You are allowed to have different friendships with different people. You are allowed to occasionally spend an evening with someone without forming a 30-person committee first.

What you are not allowed to do, if you want to remain a decent human being, is act baffled when someone feels excluded after discovering that the rest of the group went out without them. Feelings are not always logical. Unfortunately, they are also not optional.

The verdict

It is not rude to leave someone off the guest list. It can be rude to leave someone off the guest list. Yes, I realize that is an extremely unsatisfying answer. Welcome to etiquette.

You cannot invite everyone to everything, and you shouldn’t have to. Friendships naturally exist in different circles, and sometimes you want a quiet dinner with three people rather than a 30-person reunion that requires a seating chart and a project manager. But the more clearly you are part of a defined friend group, the more often one person is excluded and the more public the gathering is, the more carefully you should think about how your invitation list will land. And maybe don’t post the pictures to Instagram.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of etiquette stories that help readers navigate communication in a changing world. We regularly cover topics such as the best messages to send for any occasion, polite habits that aren’t as polite as they seem, email and texting etiquette, business etiquette, tipping etiquette, travel etiquette and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Computers in Human Behavior: “Why didn’t you tag me?!: Social exclusion from Instagram posts hurts, especially those with a high need to belong”
• Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: “Ostracism in everyday life: A framework of threat and behavioral responses in real life”
• Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: “Cyberostracism: effects of being ignored over the Internet”
• Social Science Space: “Robin Dunbar Explains Why His ‘Number’ Still Counts”

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The post Is It Really Rude Not to Invite Your Entire Friend Group to a Night Out? appeared first on Reader's Digest.

I usually discover I need a scanner soon after I’ve congratulated myself for offloading that ugly old printer-scanner combo that was gathering dust in my spare bedroom. Depending on the document that needs scanning and how important I think the quality needs to be, I typically take a picture on my phone, then text or email it to the recipient, or go to FedEx or the UPS Store and have them do it.

Well, color me shocked to learn that I have had a scanner on my phone this entire time! Like, a real scanner that actually scans—not takes a picture that I have to crop and try to fix the lighting and shadows and then pray that the recipient will take pity on my very substandard offering.

If you have an iPhone, you have a scanner too. Most of us actually have two or even three scanners, if you can believe it. Ahead, I’ll show you where to find them and how they work. Read on to learn how to scan things on your iPhone without downloading a third-party app.

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Why are third-party scanners problematic?

For one thing, third-party scanners often cost money. My iPhone bill is big enough already, so why would I pay $5 or $10 a month for something that’s already included on my phone? And even though many scanning apps, like the popular AdobeScan, are free to download and use initially, some capabilities (for example, scanning long documents), require an upgrade.

Another perk to the built-in iPhone scanners is that they keep your documents more private, in that you’re not introducing yet another company into the chain. When you sign up for third-party apps, you have to agree to additional terms and conditions beyond what you already have agreed to with Apple. I’m not saying scanner companies will use your info for nefarious purposes, but why add additional eyes when it’s not necessary?

It’s also just easier. With iPhone scanners, there’s no downloading from the App Store and no signing up for yet another service. Anytime I can avoid filling out a form, entering my contact info and email address (and verifying that email address), I’m all in. And if you already have tons of apps eating up your data, why get another one?

Where are the built-in scanners hidden in your iPhone?

Your iPhone has three scanners, one in the Preview app, one in the Files app and one in the Notes app. They use the same scanning interface, but getting to them takes a slightly different approach. (We have step-by-step instructions coming up.) They have the same capabilities as third-party scanners, automatically detecting and capturing your document, cropping out the background and allowing you to save or send them as needed.

The one in the Preview app is probably a little more straightforward, since as soon as you open the app, you’re given the option to Scan Documents. There’s very little room for error because you don’t have to tap through menus to find it.

Do all iPhones have these features?

The Notes and Files app scanners have been around for many years, starting with iOS 11. The Preview one is brand new with iOS 26, which was released in September 2026. So as long as you’re not running a really ancient operating system, your phone should have scanning capabilities.

How do you use the Preview scanner?

To use the Preview scanner, navigate to the Preview icon, which is the one with the photographer’s loupe against a blue background. You can also search for Preview in your App search.

1. Open Preview.
2. Tap “Scan Documents.”
3. Position your document.
4. Allow your phone to capture the image automatically (then skip to Step 8).
5. Alternatively, turn off Auto Shutter to manually scan. (The selection button is on the screen.)
6. Press the Shutter to scan manually.
7. Drag the corners to fit the document edges (manual scan only).
8. Save or retake the image once the scan is complete.

Preview scans can be saved in the Cloud, Files, Documents or anywhere else you’d like to keep the scan.

How do you use the Notes scanner?

The built-in Notes app is nearly as easy as the Preview scanner, but there are a couple more steps. Here’s how to scan a document in Notes.

1. Open Notes.
2. Open an existing Note, or tap the square-and-pencil icon to start a new Note.
3. Tap the paperclip icon to open the attachment menu.
4. Tap “Scan Documents.”
5. Position your document.
6. Allow your phone to capture the image automatically, then skip to step 10.
7. Alternatively, turn off Auto Shutter to manually scan. (The selection button is on the screen.)
8. Press the Shutter to scan manually.
9. Drag the corners to fit the document edges (manual scan only).
10. Save or retake the image once the scan is complete.

Notes scans are saved as new Notes, but you can move them to other locations.

How do you use the Files scanner?

The built-in scanning option in the Files app is very similar to the other options on your iPhone. Navigate to the Files app, then follow these steps.

1. Open Files.
2. Tap the three dots in the upper right.
3. Tap “Scan Documents.”
4. Position your document.
5. Allow your phone to capture the image automatically, then skip to step 9.
6. Alternatively, turn off Auto Shutter to manually scan. (The selection button is on the screen.)
7. Press the Shutter to scan manually.
8. Drag the corners to fit the document edges (manual scan only).
9. Save or retake the image once the scan is complete.

Like with Preview, scans taken in the Files app can be saved in multiple locations within your folder hierarchy.

Do Androids have a similar feature?

Yes. On Google Pixel phones, scanning is available through the Camera app or the Drive app. On Samsung Galaxy phones, you can use the Camera app to scan and the Gallery app to edit the document. Then, export your document as a pdf in the Samsung Notes app.

Sources:

• Apple: “Scan text and documents in Preview on iPhone”
• Apple: “How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad”
• Google: “Scan documents with your Pixel phone or tablet”
• Samsung Galaxy: “Scan and edit documents on your Galaxy phone or tablet”

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The post Your iPhone Has 3 Built-in Document Scanners—Yes, Really! Here’s How to Use These Hidden Features appeared first on Reader's Digest.

It’s hard to believe, but a third of Americans were born after 9/11. But the effects of the attack—an enhanced surveillance state, increased airport security and military incursions around the world—are felt by everyone. Universal, too, are the stories of heroism, friendship and sacrifice that will forever mark that sad day.

With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 upon us, we put together a list of some of the most important journalism that took us through the day as it happened or examined it from the perspective of time. Ahead, we have 10 remarkable stories about Sept. 11, 2001. Some have been celebrated for decades; others you may never have read.

Read on to look back at the tragedy and perhaps find hope in some of the stories.

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Esquire’s “The Falling Man” (2003)

On Sept. 12, 2001, the Associated Press published a photograph of an unknown man falling headfirst from the north tower of the World Trade Center. In 2003, Esquire journalist Tom Junod set out to determine who the man was by reviewing the entire series of 12 photographs taken by AP photographer Richard Drew. The result explores collective grief and trauma and has become one of the defining pieces of journalism from the post–9/11 era.

Read more at Esquire

The New York Times’s “102 Minutes” (2002)

The title of this piece refers to the amount of time that elapsed between the first plane hitting the north tower at 8:46 a.m. and its collapse at 10:28 a.m. Eight months after the attack, the New York Times published an accounting of those 102 minutes by piecing together emails and phone calls from those trapped and killed, as well as recollections from survivors. It’s as chilling now as it was when it was first published.

Read more at The New York Times

The Wall Street Journal’s breaking news reporting (2001)

The staff of the Wall Street Journal won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2002 for its 9/11 coverage. That coverage included real-time reports of the planes and collapses as well as potential impacts, including to airport security and the economy, as they were happening. One particularly harrowing story is a first-person accounting of that day called “The Eye of the Storm: One Journey Through Desperation and Chaos,” by John Bussey.

You can read all of the winning coverage at the Pulitzer Prize page, below.

Read more at The Pulitzer Prizes

The Washington Post’s “September 11, 2001” (2001)

This narrative account, published just days after 9/11, weaves together events at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the final moments of United Flight 93, which went down in Pennsylvania. David Maraniss reconstructs the day through survivor accounts and reporting that paint a vivid picture of the chaos and destruction, as well as how it was seen through the eyes of people living through it in real time.

Read more at The Washington Post

The Atlantic’s “Twenty Years Gone” (2021)

Jennifer Senior’s devastating account of one family’s loss after the attacks won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. Bobby McIlvaine was just 26 years old on Sept. 11, 2001, and the story of the different ways his family coped with losing their charming and ambitious son, brother and boyfriend reminds us that grief is unpredictable and personal.

Read more at The Atlantic

The New Yorker’s “The Real Heroes Are Dead” (2002)

Rick Resorla, a former British paratrooper and U.S. Army veteran, was the head of security for Morgan Stanley in the south tower of the World Trade Center. Credited with saving thousands of people, he died when he went back inside to offer more help. This piece by James B. Stewart tells the story of that day through the lens of Resorla’s personal life before the attacks, as well as through his loved ones, who subsequently had to process his heroism and death.

Read more at The New Yorker

The Washington Post’s “The Days After” (2001)

This story, published just weeks after 9/11, looks at the lives of five people who were affected by the attacks and how they dealt with the immediate aftermath. A priest delivers a mass, a widow gives her daughter a bath, a firefighter can’t stop thinking of falling bodies. It’s an intimate look at “five people out of the multitudes,” and it stays with you.

Read more at The Washington Post

Esquire’s “Drinking at 1,300 ft.: A 9/11 Story About Wine and Wisdom” (2011)

Windows on the World was a celebrated restaurant at the top of the north tower, and when the first plane hit the building, all escape routes for the 170 employees and patrons who were there that morning were severed. This story, which won a James Beard Award for Best Personal Essay, is told by Cal Sussman, a writer who took a wine class and then became a sommelier at Windows on the World. It works through survivor’s grief and paints a touching portrait of a beloved New York City institution.

Read more at Esquire

The Guardian’s “25 years ago, two strangers met in the twin towers …” (2026)

Stanley Praimnath and Brian Clark worked on the south tower’s 81st and 84th floors, respectively, and they are two of only four known survivors of the floors above the impact zone. Clark made the fateful decision to go down the only open stairwell, ignoring pleas from others to go up to the roof, and heard Praimnath calling for help. Both reached the ground floor and ran from the building just as it collapsed, and they are still friends to this day.

Read more at The Guardian

National Geographic’s “The 17 Minutes That Changed America” (2026)

This comprehensive retrospective of the first minutes of the attack combines narrative text, photography, video and data journalism to tell the story of what was happening on the ground as the day unfolded. The 17 minutes refers to the time between the first plane hitting the north tower and the second hitting the south one, and reporter Garrett M. Graff highlights a range of accounts from regular people as well as military and government officials about the confusion of that day.

Read more at National Geographic

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The post It’s Been 25 Years Since 9/11—These Are the 10 Most Powerful Stories About the Tragedy appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But even if the extent of your football knowledge is the name of the team your family roots for, you’ve seen the huddle: The action ends, the players wander back toward one another, and suddenly they’re standing shoulder to shoulder in a little circle. There’s some serious discussion, a few nods, and then they break apart and race to their positions.

It happens over and over, in every football game. It’s such a familiar part of the sport that most of us never stop to wonder about it. But why do football players huddle?

As it turns out, this football staple has a very distinct origin—and it’s one you’d likely never guess. For the deets on one of football’s most recognizable rituals, I turned to two experts: football historian Ken Crippen, founder of the Football Learning Academy, and Jon Kendle, vice president of Archives and Exhibits at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Whether you know a blitz from a nickel package or just enjoy the game (or the snacks), we guarantee that you’ll find this fascinating. Read on for the answer before kickoff.

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How did football get its start?

The roots of American football trace back to both soccer and rugby, with the first college football game between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869. In the 1880s, Yale player and coach Walter Camp, who became known as the “father of American football,” helped establish rules that increasingly separated American football from rugby.

The game was barely recognizable by today’s standards. “When it first emerged, forward passing was illegal,” says Crippen. “You would see mass-momentum plays and a lot of physicality.”

And that physicality could be deadly. “So many players died on the field that they would have running counts in the newspapers,” he adds. Football was a game still figuring itself out, from how it was played to how teams communicated in the middle of it.

How did players communicate before the huddle?

In the early days of football, quarterbacks simply called or signaled the play—often right at the line of scrimmage. Of course, this “was a problem because the defense could hear the play call,” Crippen notes.

Another option was to call the play while the team was approaching the line of scrimmage, “but far enough away that the defense could not hear them,” he says.

That created an obvious strategic problem: If the defense could hear the play call, it could adjust accordingly. Teams needed a way to communicate without giving away their plans.

How did the huddle get its start?

The football huddle is widely credited to Gallaudet College, now Gallaudet University, a school for deaf students in Washington, D.C. Gallaudet’s football team was made up of deaf players who communicated using sign language, creating a unique challenge on the field.

Because their opponents were often schools for the hearing-impaired, Gallaudet quarterback Paul Hubbard worried they were watching his hands to read his team’s intentions, according to Kendle. Hubbard’s solution was to form a circle so opponents couldn’t read his signs.

That circle became the first football huddle. The exact game in which it debuted is unknown, but Crippen says the practice appears to have developed organically during Gallaudet’s 1894 season, when the team primarily played the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and the New York School for the Deaf.

When did the huddle become widespread, and why?

The huddle—which Kendle calls “a magical and special place of trust”—didn’t immediately become a universal part of football.

Amos Alonzo Stagg, one of the sport’s great early innovators, began using the huddle while coaching at the University of Chicago in 1896. But it took a while for the rest of football to catch on. “Stagg was an innovator, and whatever he did was usually copied by other college teams,” Crippen says. Still, the huddle “did not really catch on until the 1920s.”

But the huddle’s usefulness created a new problem: Teams could use it to waste time. “Some saw it as an intentional stall tactic,” Crippen says. That led to rules in the 1930s designed to keep teams from spending too much time in the huddle. Eventually, the introduction of the play clock in 1976 made those restrictions unnecessary. Today, the NFL gives offenses a set amount of time to begin the next play. 

What are the rules of the huddle?

Here’s the funny thing: There’s no rule saying a football team needs to huddle. According to the current NFL Rulebook, “a huddle is the action of two or more players in the field of play or in the end zone who, instead of assuming their normal position for the snap, free kick or fair catch kick, form a group for receiving instructions for the next play or for any other reason.”

What happens inside that circle is up to the offense. In a typical huddle, the quarterback communicates instructions for the next play. That, notes Kendle, can “be for the formation, motions, snap count, blocking schemes, wide receiver routes and which gap the running back should run through.”

The huddle also gives the offense a moment to take stock. “It allows the team to see who is hurt, tired or seeing something that the offense can take advantage of against the defense,” Crippen says.

Kendle adds that the huddle can conceal the offense’s formation, making it more difficult for the defense to line up correctly before the snap.

Why doesn’t the offense huddle before every play?

Because sometimes the best way to beat a defense is to deny it time to respond. Enter the no-huddle offense: Rather than gathering to discuss the next play, the offense lines up immediately. The NFL describes it as a strategy that can conserve time, catch the defense off guard and prevent defensive substitutions.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills featured “no-huddle” offenses, according to Kendle. The Bills and their “hurry-up” offense advanced to four consecutive Super Bowls.

By the way: No-huddle football is hardly new. Crippen traces its use back to John Heisman (yes, the trophy is named for him), who used the offense at Auburn in 1899.

How is technology changing this football staple?

If the huddle was invented to make communication easier and more secretive, modern technology has made communicating plays much easier.

In the 1940s, Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown used a “messenger guard” system, in which a substitute player could enter the game with the play from the sideline. Brown also experimented with radio headsets in the 1950s, though it wasn’t until 1994 that the NFL instituted radio helmets to allow limited communication from the sidelines to the quarterback on the field, according to Kendle.

Technology has continued to advance football communication. In 2023, Gallaudet University and AT&T debuted a 5G-connected football helmet that allowed a coach to select a play on a tablet and send it to a digital display inside the quarterback’s helmet.

Will the football huddle ever disappear?

Probably not—or, at least, not entirely.

“I believe the huddle is still an essential part of football,” Kendle says. “It allows the team to come together as a unit to receive critical instructions and make sure they are on the same page.”

So the next time you watch a football game and see the offense gather around their quarterback, take a second to appreciate what you’re actually looking at. The huddle may look like a simple pause between plays, but it’s one of football’s most enduring strategic tools—giving players a moment to communicate, regroup and figure out what comes next.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a football game to watch.

Sources:

• Ken Crippen, football historian and founder, lead instructor and podcaster at the Football Learning Academy; email interview, Sept. 4, 2026
• Jon Kendle, vice president of Archives and Exhibits at the Pro Football Hall of Fame; email interview, Sept. 8, 2026
• The History of American College Football by Christian Anderson
• NFL: “2026 NFL Rulebook”
• Gallaudet University: “Our Gallaudet Football Team Makes History … Again!”

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And he’s got the accolades to prove it. In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Disgraced, Akhtar has received two Tony Award nominations, and his genre-bending 2020 novel, Homeland Elegies—which blurred the boundaries between fiction and cultural criticism—was named one of the 10 best books of the year by the New York Times. Now, six years later, Akhtar is returning with a novel that once again makes the line between author and character tantalizingly difficult to find.

His latest, The Radiance, out Sept. 29, begins with a startling premise: A successful novelist named Ayad Akhtar (yes, you read that right) is struck and severely injured in a hit-and-run on a country road in upstate New York. But the accident in this autofictional novel is only the beginning. “He experiences a kind of upending of his world,” says Akhtar, “as his experience veers into a very weird and uncanny, and medically questionable, as well as morally heightened, emotionally sensitive register, and he experiences a very fraught world around him.”

For this episode of the Reader’s Digest Escalator Interview, Leigh Belz Ray caught up with Akhtar to talk about The Radiance, his life as both a novelist and playwright, the books and writers that have shaped him and plenty more.

Watch the exclusive interview with Ayad Akhtar below, and then scroll down to discover his books, acclaimed plays and reading recommendations!

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. For this piece, Leigh Belz Ray interviewed author Ayad Akhtar. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

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Naturally, beloved plush brand Jellycat is already getting into the holiday spirit. The 2026 Christmas collection is already here, bringing plenty of festive cuteness. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is the 2026 Christmas Jellycat collection?

This year’s holiday collection is packed with cuddly winter creatures, festive Amusables, and all the cozy, Christmasy charm you’d expect from Jellycat. And as always, the beloved plush toys are made with high-quality fabrics under ethical working conditions.

The new friends for 2026 include:

• Amuseables Mullover Spiced Drink
• Amuseables Pomilly
• Amuseables Perta Snow Boot
• Amuseables Fitswell Mitten
• Amuseables Silver Star
• Ulrich Wolf
• Bizzlestomp Bear
• Munro Scottie Dog ‘Winter Jumper’
• Tawoola Owl

My top picks

A few years ago, I learned that many (though not all) Jellycats are “suitable from birth,” and I’ve been gifting them to my now-toddler ever since. Needless to say, they’re a big hit. They’re incredibly soft, and after a few truly catastrophic messes, I can also confirm that some have survived a spin in the washing machine just fine.

As a longtime Jellycat fan and collector, I’ve also learned just how many designs the brand releases each year—and how many are only around for a limited time. If you spot one you love in stock, don’t wait too long to pounce, especially if there’s a new little pal you (or your kiddo) absolutely has to have.

Jellycats rarely go on sale, but the risk of selling out is very real. Here’s what I’m hoping to snag from this year’s winter collection.

Ulrich Wolf

Shop on Jellycat

At the top of my list is the new Ulrich Wolf. My daughter is obsessed with Jellycat’s Smudge collection, and this fuzzy friend has that same irresistible, floppy look that makes those plushies so hard to put down. Built to thrive in winter, Ulrich’s thick, shaggy fur makes him extra cozy for cuddles all season long.

Mullover Spiced Drink

Shop on Jellycat

This cheeky Mullover Spiced Drink is ready to hit the slopes, snowboarding goggles and all. Cinnamon sticks and orange slices peek out from the top, giving this little sipper an extra dose of seasonal charm. Half cozy holiday decor and half adorable plush pal, this one packs major ski lodge vibes.

Fitswell Mitten

Shop on Jellycat

I’m loving the soft, wintry color palette of Fitswell Mitten and her two BFFs, Perta Snow Boot and Pomilly. Together, they’re basically the plushie versions of a perfect winter day. Fitswell would make a sweet companion for snowy strolls, Christmas-light viewing, or cozying up with a cup of hot cocoa.

Munro Scottie Dog 'Winter Jumper'

Shop on Jellycat

Munro Scottie Dog is ready for chilly weather in his festive turtleneck sweater. His tiny winter-ready outfit makes this already-adorable pup even harder to resist, and I can already picture him nestled among the presents under the tree.

Where to buy

New Christmas Jellycats debut on the brand’s official website on September 9. You can also shop at other official retailers that stock Jellycats, such as Nordstrom and The Paper Store, but selection may vary

The post The Jellycat Christmas Collection Just Dropped—and These Festive Plushies Won’t Last Long appeared first on Reader's Digest.

One minute, you’re enjoying the last stretch of your weekend. The next, you’re mentally opening your inbox, rehearsing tomorrow’s meeting in your head and remembering those three things you swore you would deal with on Friday and somehow never got to. Your shoulders tense. Your stomach twists. The weekend was supposed to last until you were nestled in bed, but your brain is already sounding Monday morning’s alarm clock.

That familiar shift from relaxed to vaguely doomed is what people mean when they talk about the Sunday scaries. And if you’ve ever Googled “what are the Sunday scaries” while actively experiencing them, you’re far from alone.

In a 2025 survey by Adobe of 1,004 full-time U.S. employees, 82% said they had experienced the Sunday scaries. And it gets worse: 42% said they had lost sleep over them, and 35% reported physical symptoms such as headaches, tension and fatigue.

Despite the cute alliterative name, there is real science behind the feeling. And believe it or not, it’s not all bad news. In fact, Alexander J. Shackman, PhD, a University of Maryland psychology professor who studies fear and anxiety, says mild Sunday nerves may even be useful. “They’re a chance to take stock of the successes and failures of the recent past, size up the most important challenges in the week to come and plan accordingly,” he explains. The trouble begins when that preparation system stops helping and starts hijacking your day.

So how do you get your brain to cut that out? We’ve got the answer, of course! Read on to find out what’s going on when you get that telltale twinge of anxiety on Sundays—and how to combat it.

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What are the Sunday scaries, exactly?

The Sunday scaries are the dread, worry or uneasiness that can show up as your time off winds down and the next workweek gets closer. You might feel restless, irritable or distracted. Your thoughts may race through Monday’s schedule, and you may have trouble relaxing or falling asleep.

Why Sunday? Shackman says part of the answer may be contrast. Saturday is the weekend’s peak, baby! You’re riding the high of that Friday feeling, and you’re safely removed from work. On the other end of the spectrum, once you’ve hit Tuesday, you are already back in the rhythm of the week. Sunday sits at the uncomfortable border between weekend freedom and whatever responsibilities are waiting on the other side.

“It feels like you’re about to encounter something different, something potentially stressful or challenging,” he says. Your brain notices that shift and starts preparing.

What causes this anticipatory dread?

Anxiety is partly a preparation system. It pulls your attention toward possible problems so you can respond to them. That’s useful when there’s something concrete to prepare for, such as a deadline, presentation or difficult conversation.

Some weeks simply give that system more material. In Adobe’s 2025 survey, burnout was the most commonly reported trigger, cited by 55% of respondents. High workloads came next at 50%, followed by project deadlines and toxic work environments.

The response can also change, depending on how threatening a situation seems and whether you feel equipped to handle it. Shackman says the brain takes into account things like how likely a problem is and what options you have for coping with it. When the response becomes much bigger than the actual demands, it’s like an overly sensitive security system. Instead of helping you prepare, it keeps sounding the alarm.

What happens in your brain when you get the Sunday scaries?

There is no tiny “Monday” switch in your brain. Anticipating a possible threat recruits a network of interconnected regions that work together to prepare your mind and body.

In a 2025 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience and co-authored by Shackman, researchers used fMRI scans to study threat anticipation in 220 adults. Both certain and uncertain threats engaged a shared network that included the extended amygdala, anterior insula and midcingulate cortex. Here’s how it all breaks down.

The extended amygdala tracks possible threats

The extended amygdala, located at the base of the forebrain, includes structures involved in organizing responses to danger. In the study, this area remained more persistently active when people anticipated an uncertain threat.

That helps explain why something that has not happened yet can still feel urgent. Your brain does not have to wait for Monday morning to start monitoring what might go wrong.

The prefrontal cortex helps you plan

Shackman says parts of the prefrontal cortex are also involved in anticipating stress. This area helps with planning, decision-making and regulating behavior.

That can turn worry into useful action. You check your calendar, decide what needs your attention and move on. The problem is when planning turns into rumination and you keep circling the same fears without solving anything.

Your attention gets pulled toward the threat

The anterior insula and midcingulate cortex are also part of the threat-anticipation network identified in Shackman’s study. Together, these regions help your brain prioritize potentially important information.

“Emotionally charged stimuli—pain, threat, dangers and so on—hijack attention,” Shackman says. Helpful when actual danger is nearby. Less helpful when you are trying to enjoy your Sunday and your mind is already at work.

What else happens to your body when it goes into fight-or-flight mode?

Once your brain senses a challenge, the response can spread through your body. Stress activates systems that affect heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones. In a 2022 study published in Psychophysiology, researchers randomly assigned 99 people to a stressful task or a control condition. The stress group showed higher cardiovascular responses, including changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

Your body can also react before the stressful event begins. A 2022 study published in Biological Psychology measured cortisol in 78 college students on a regular class day and on the day of an exam. About 37% showed a specifically anticipatory response, with cortisol peaking before the exam rather than afterward.

Sleep can take a hit too, according to other studies. That is one reason Sunday-night worrying can be so frustrating. You are trying to prepare for Monday while potentially making yourself more tired for it.

How can you break out of this pattern?

First, ask whether the anxiety is actually helping. If a few minutes of thinking about Monday leads to a plan and you feel better afterward, the system may be doing its job. If you routinely wake up on Sundays with your mind racing, cannot enjoy the day or lose sleep over work, Shackman says the response is no longer helping you prepare.

Sometimes the issue is not your coping strategy. “For some people, escaping the Sunday scaries might require looking for a new job or renegotiating the current one,” Shackman says. “After all, some jobs really are terrible.” If the anxiety is intense, persistent or interfering with your life, it is also worth talking with a health-care or mental-health professional.

What are some practical ways to feel calmer on Sundays?

Don’t worry—we have a plan! These tips will help you get your end-of-the-weekend anxiety under control.

Turn vague worrying into a concrete plan

Give yourself a short window to look at the week ahead, decide what actually needs your attention and write it down. Then stop. One recent study found that emotionally loaded work rumination was associated with greater fatigue, while problem-solving thoughts were not. A specific plan may help you move from repeatedly worrying about work to deciding what you can actually do about it.

Make room for actual relaxation

If Sunday becomes one long period of mentally preparing for work, you never really get the recovery part of the weekend. A 2022 study found that among Japanese teachers who entered the weekend with higher stress, greater weekend relaxation was associated with a larger reduction in psychological stress. Translation: Do something that actually feels restorative to you and treat it as part of the weekend, not time you should be using to get ahead.

Move your body

Shackman’s advice is refreshingly uncomplicated. “Go for a walk or, better yet, a run. Lift some weights. Sign up for a class at the gym or YMCA,” he suggests.

Exercise is not a universal cure, but it gives you something concrete to do with that restless energy and can help you shift your attention away from the worry loop. You don’t need a heroic workout either. The goal is to interrupt the pattern, not add another item to your list of things you failed to accomplish this weekend.

Protect your Sunday-night sleep

Give work thoughts a stopping point, especially if checking your inbox tends to generate five new things to worry about. The sleep research matters here because anticipating stress can affect sleep even before the stressful event occurs.

A little anticipation can be useful. But when your brain starts treating Monday like an emergency before Sunday is even over, the goal is not to eliminate every worried thought—it’s to give yourself enough space to prepare, then let the rest of the weekend belong to you.

Sources:

• Alexander J. Shackman, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology and director of the Affective and Translational Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Maryland; interviewed, August 2026
• Adobe Acrobat: “The Sunday scaries: How to prevent work stress from ruining your weekend”
• Journal of Neuroscience: “A Shared Threat-Anticipation Circuit Is Dynamically Engaged at Different Moments by Certain and Uncertain Threat”
• Psychophysiology: “An online Trier social stress paradigm to evoke affective and cardiovascular responses”
• Biological Psychology: “An ecological approach for investigations of the anticipatory cortisol stress response”
• Cerebral Cortex: “Stress dynamically reduces sleep depth: temporal proximity to the stressor is crucial”
• Frontiers in Education: “When work bothers your mind: a diary study on the relationship of German teachers’ work-related rumination with fatigue”
• Behavioral Sciences: “Unwinding on the Weekend from Work-Related Stress: Moderating Effect of Weekday Psychological Stress on the Relationship between Increased Recovery Experience and Reduction of Psychological Stress on the Weekend”

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Well, we have some good news for you: Your time has finally come—and you’re about to save a bundle with this clever upcycling hack. I have turned old devices into everything from digital photo frames to oversized TV remotes, but my favorite trick, by far, is turning them into security cameras. You can put them in a nursery like a baby monitor, watch your pets while you’re at the office or even prop them up on windowsills to keep an eye on your packages.

It works like a charm, just like a pricey Nest camera—except it’s free. It’s also super easy to set up, as long as you have a clear set of instructions.

Read on to find out how to do it, plus some tips for making sure your old tech is secure.

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How does this work, exactly?

Apps can breathe new life into older hardware, whether you have a spare iPhone, iPad or Android. Essentially, you download an app to both your old device and the smartphone or tablet you use every day. This turns your old device into the “camera” and your everyday gadget into the “viewer.”

Place your old device where you want in your home, connect it to Wi-Fi and plug it into the wall for power. And that’s it!

So how do you turn your old device into a security camera?

There are a few “free security camera” apps I’ve tried over the years, but some were too difficult to use or not really free. I eventually found Alfred Camera, which I think is the best all-around choice. And yes, I use it in my own home. While there’s a premium (read: paid) option with extra features starting around $36 per year, you can get a lot out of the free, ad-supported version.

Here’s how to set it up

1. Download Alfred Camera from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Do this on both your everyday phone (or tablet) and your old one.
2. Create a free account.
3. You will be prompted to upgrade to a paid version, but you can close this screen (tap “X” or “Skip”) and still use the app. (You will be asked this question again in the future.)
4. Now log in to the same account on both your old and new phone or tablet. Alternatively, you can use your other device to scan the QR code shown on the app, to link the two.
5. Place the old device in the room you want the camera. From the app’s main menu, find the pull-down menu that lets you use this phone or tablet as the “Camera” or “Viewer.” Select “Camera.”
6. If you want, rename your camera based on what room it’s in (i.e., “Kids Playroom”).
7. Finally, on your everyday device, ensure you select “Viewer” from the pull-down menu. You will instantly see what your other phone or tablet sees. On the device that serves as the “Camera,” you can even choose to be notified if it senses sound or movement.
8. If you want to hook up more than one camera, follow the same process on other old devices. Give each camera a different name. (Note: You are allowed only two online cameras as part of the free tier.)

If you want to see your camera feed from a desktop computer, use the Alfred Camera WebViewer. And yes, it’s free too!

Does this work with all old phones and tablets?

Pretty much! As long as you can download the app, it works with all makes and models of older phones and tablets.

Are there any limitations to the free version?

Yes. Aside from the fact that you will see ads in the free version, there are also a few restrictions:

• You can’t view your recorded videos inside the app. On the “Viewer” device (presumably the one you use every day), tap Events, and then download the video files to your phone’s external storage to watch them.
• Your live feed will be in standard definition, not high definition. It should still be good enough, though.
• There’s less nuance with notifications. The free version gives you “all motion” (or sound) alerts, but the premium tier has AI that can distinguish between a person, pet or vehicle. You also cannot set custom “detection zones” in the free version; this feature lets you draw a virtual boundary box over your camera’s live view to monitor only a specific area.
• Cameras are limited. As previously mentioned, the free version limits you to two online cameras and one viewer.

But hey, free is free!

Buying an indoor Wi-Fi security camera could cost you anywhere from $25 to $150. And beyond that, there are the cloud service fees for recording and accessing the footage, which could run you $40 to $200 per year. So, yes, this old-device trick is quite the deal.

Are there any safety concerns when using an old device?

There are always privacy and security concerns when running apps, but that’s especially true on an older device, says Iskander Sanchez-Rola, senior director of AI and Innovation at Norton, a leading cybersecurity company. “If a new security flaw is discovered, an unsupported phone may never get the fix,” he cautions. “Before repurposing an old phone or tablet, check whether it’s still receiving security updates.”

It’s also important to remember that your old device may also contain loads of sensitive data about you that you may have forgotten about. “If you never wiped it, the device may still contain personal information from when you used it before,” Sanchez-Rola says. “So if the phone itself were ever compromised, both the camera feed and other personal data on the device could potentially be exposed.”

Plus, there’s something to consider about “free” apps: They are usually monetized in other ways. It could be advertisements, but also check to see if an app is using or sharing your data in any way. Sanchez-Rola says to start with the app store itself. On Apple devices, go to the app you’re interested in and look at “App Privacy” to see what it says; on Android, check “Data safety.” Sanchez-Rola says to “skim the privacy policy for terms like advertising, tracking, sharing and third parties. Think of the privacy label as the nutrition label, and the privacy policy as the ingredients list. Check both.”

Just remember that these disclosures are based on information provided by the developer. “They’re useful,” says Sanchez-Rola, “but they’re not an independent audit of everything the app is doing.”

Sources:

• Iskander Sanchez-Rola, director of AI & Innovation for Norton; interviewed, August 2026
• Security.org: “The Ultimate Guide to Home Security Cameras”
• Norton: “Antivirus & Anti-Malware Software”

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So I decided to spend a whole day skipping small talk and just opening with whatever deep conversation topic was on my mind. Here’s how it went:

• To a friend at the gym: “Hey, how are the testosterone injections going? What’s your sperm count at now?”
• To a cashier at Costco: “Do you think Lay’s is going too far with selling this 2-pound bag of chili-lime taro chips? That seems like a bold move to go straight to the bulk size when most people couldn’t identify taro on a produce chart.”
• To my husband: “The fact that the dishes are in the sink and not the dishwasher makes me wonder if you truly love me, and now I’m questioning our relationship.”
• To my daughter: “Severely parted, slicked-back ponytails are going to be the big thing your generation cringes at when they look back on their teen years. After ‘6-7,’ of course.”
• To a friendly acquaintance: “I watched a YouTube essay about why Gen Zers aren’t having kids, and I keep thinking about it. Do you think your kids are planning on having children?” (Her kids are 4 and 8.)
• To a newish work colleague: “I ate a breakfast sandwich one week past its expiration date this morning. Not sure that was the wisest choice.”

Read on to discover how my little experiment went and find out if it’s really rude to skip small talk these days.

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The case for skipping small talk

My experiment went … surprisingly OK. I thought people would be taken aback by the abruptness—and maybe they were—but they all engaged. The testosterone count was good, the taro chips were delicious (the cashier and I decided to open the bag and try them together, and they have an aftertaste like Froot Loops), my husband still loves me, and the friendly acquaintance is now closer to a friend because we had a great discussion. My daughter did not agree and said slick-backs are a “classic,” calling out portraits from the 1800s, which is actually a good point.

So maybe the anti–small talk crowd is onto something. This approach is more efficient and clear, and there are so many meaty things to discuss in the world, so why not just get to it?

This preference for just getting to the point may be a cultural shift that’s happening right now. A large majority of Gen Zers in the workforce reported feeling comfortable talking about traditionally taboo topics like job satisfaction and pay with colleagues, according to a recent Adobe Future Workforce Study. And my personal experience with the younger crowd is that this isn’t limited to just workplace conversations—an openness I find refreshing. And hey, I’d rather talk about a stranger’s therapy session than deal with a silent Gen Z stare.

It may also mesh better with more people’s natural inclinations and personalities. Many neurodivergent people report small talk as feeling performative and draining, making social interactions even more difficult. And once they said it, many neurotypical people found they agreed. As a friend with autism put it: “It’s hard enough to figure out what to say to you. Now I have to figure out fake stuff to say first?” Plus, small talk can sometimes come across as fake, making you doubt the motives of the person speaking it.

Lastly, science says ditching the small talk actually works. In another study, researchers put people into two groups: one that had strangers engage in shallow small talk, and another where strangers had deep conversations. They asked the participants to rate how awkward the situation felt, and as it turns out, all the conversations ended up less awkward than expected. But the surprising part is that the biggest gap in expectation was in the group with deep conversations—meaning the conversations people were most afraid would go wrong actually went the most right. The risk paid off.

The case for keeping small talk

The one instance where my experiment went painfully awry was when I skipped the small talk with my new co-worker and told her about my sketchy breakfast. She immediately redirected me back to small talk with “So I’m Jane—it’s nice to meet you.” And while my husband did answer me, he looked worried and asked if we could have a longer conversation. A little small-talk prelude might have prevented his worry.

Small talk exists for a reason: to bridge the gap between not conversing and conversing. There are so many factors that determine how people communicate, and small talk is a way to feel each other out first. This gives the conversation a better chance at being successful. To skip the small talk, you either have to ignore many of those factors or make some wild assumptions and hope you’re right. People who say they don’t like small talk because it feels fake (“No one really cares how I’m doing; why do they even bother asking me?”) may not realize that the purpose of the small talk isn’t the answer, per se, but the interaction.

And for people with neurodivergence or those who just struggle when conversing, small talk can be helpful by providing a predictable script and an on-ramp to a conversation, reducing overall anxiety. I think it’s more anxiety-producing to have someone ask you a deep question out of the blue. Small talk can prevent a conversation from oversharing or veering into trauma dumping. Who hasn’t had an acquaintance tell them something catastrophic and not known how to answer?

My last case for small talk: Saying something, anything, is better than saying nothing. Small talk is designed to be a simple, bite-sized, recognizable way to connect. And we need that. We live in a world where we drive straight into our garages and close the door without ever saying hi to a neighbor. Where we are on social media for hours but are never social. Where we “talk” to people online but hardly ever do so in real life. People are lonely, and we need real, in-person connections—even if that is “just small talk.”

It depends who you’re talking to

The need for small talk depends on a variety of factors:

• Relationship: If the person is a complete stranger, like a grocery bagger, then small talk really is the best option because you don’t know anything about them and likely won’t have further interaction. However, if you’re speaking to your mom or your best friend, you can just answer the phone with “I found a lump.”
• Location: Small talk works best in light social situations in public, like a store, gym, church or school. Workplaces often prefer efficiency and may prefer less small talk. However, there is also a place for small talk in more intimate settings, like a first date or family reunion.
• Purpose: Ask yourself what the goal for the conversation is. Are you trying to have a brief positive interaction with a stranger? Feel out a connection with a potential friend or partner? Talk to an old friend? Small talk can be the entire interaction or the bridge that leads to something deeper.
• Topic: If you’re delivering emergency information, skip the small talk and spit it out. If you’re sharing bad or sad information, consider a few buffering sentences. If you’re sharing something awesome, you can probably just blurt it out. If you’re asking someone else a question, it’s probably best to warm them up first.
• Age: Older people were taught that small talk was polite and expected, so not using any may come across as rude or jarring, even if you don’t mean it that way. Similarly, many younger people find it off-putting, so if you’re looking to connect, try following their conversational lead.

The bottom line: Whether skipping the small talk comes across as rude or transactional depends mostly on your tone and your relationship with the other person.

How much small talk is actually enough

The right amount of small talk is somewhere between zero and the whole conversation. The trick is to pay attention to the cues the other person is giving you. If they seem like they’re in a hurry or withdrawing, keep small talk to a minimum. If it seems like they need more time to warm up and feel comfortable talking, add in a little more. Small talk is a learned skill, and the more you do it, the better you’ll get at spotting these cues.

Again, this number depends heavily on the above factors. For instance, an informal LinkedIn poll found that 78% of professionals want small talk limited to under two minutes in meetings.

In my opinion, a good rule of thumb across the spectrum of conversation types would be somewhere between 20 seconds and five minutes.

How to skip small talk without being a jerk about it

My experiment showed me that there really isn’t a smooth way to skip the small talk entirely. People will generally roll with you, but coming right out of the gate with “Bobarino, I need last quarter’s numbers by 2 p.m.” or “Your child can’t read and needs a tutor” is going to feel aggressive to most people unless you temper it a little. So here’s how to skip small talk the right way:

• Use a tiny bit of small talk. I know, I know. But just a quick “Hey, it’s good to see you—how’s it going?” is often enough.
• Keep your tone warm and polite.
• Use the “pivot technique” by bringing up a more casual but related topic, and then after a minute or two, pivot to the thing you really wanted to discuss.
• Check in with the other person regularly by watching for signs that they’re uncomfortable or by asking them directly.
• Allow the other person to talk. Skipping small talk isn’t an excuse to monologue at someone.

The verdict

Skipping small talk isn’t inherently rude. Small talk exists as an entry point to a conversation, and if you have a funnier, more interesting or more relevant conversation starter, then by all means use that. The difference between “great conversationalist” and “rude jerk” will be in your tone and care for the other person during the conversation.

That said, it’s also never rude to use a little bit of small talk to help everyone feel comfortable. So next time I see my gym friend, I’m going to go with “Hey, how’s your health these days? The testosterone injections still helping?”

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of etiquette stories that help readers navigate communication in a changing world. We regularly cover topics such as the best messages to send for any occasion, polite habits that aren’t as polite as they seem, email and texting etiquette, business etiquette, tipping etiquette, travel etiquette and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Adobe: “Adobe Future Workforce Study: What U.S. Employers Need to Know About Gen Z in the Workplace”
• Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders: “Outcomes of a Practical Approach for Improving Conversation Skills in Adults with Autism”
• Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: “Overly Shallow? Miscalibrated Expectations Create a Barrier to Deeper Conversation”
• ManageBetter (Substack): “Dear Lewis, When Is Small Talk Too Much?”

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Is It Really Rude to Leave Someone on Read?

The post Is It Really Rude to Skip the Small Talk and Get Right to the Point? appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Tributes are coming in from all over the world, from King Charles, who had the royal guard play “9 to 5” outside Buckingham Palace, to the University of Tennessee football team, who will celebrate Dolly on their helmets during the 2026 season. Plans are even underway to rename the Nashville airport in her honor.

And now, there’s news that we might be getting a Dolly Parton Day on Sept. 25. That day will mark the one-month anniversary of the icon’s death, and we can’t think of a more appropriate day to celebrate. If you’re scratching your head at the significance, keep reading as we explore why this might actually happen.

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How does a day become a designated holiday?

It depends on the holiday.

For something like Christmas or the 4th of July, it takes congressional action, and we have only 12 of these federal celebrations. (Juneteenth was the last one added to the calendar, in 2021.) There are also patriotic and national observances, like Flag Day and Arbor Day, which require Congressional approval as well. The country currently has 49 of these, which unfortunately do not come with a day off work.

Then there are the fun ones, like May the 4th (be with you), which honors Star Wars, and Dec. 23’s Festivus, a cheeky protest alternative to Christmas. These just kind of spread by word of mouth. Social media and the mainstream press get a lot of mileage out of these unofficial “holidays,” and they honor everything from pizza to pi (aka 3.14, which is also the date it’s observed).

For now, a day dedicated to Dolly mostly falls into the third category, though at least one state is jumping on the official train as we speak. California just officially declared Sept. 25 Dolly Parton Day, and cities and towns across the country are celebrating in their own ways (more on these coming up). A federal holiday might be too much to ask for with this Congress, but cross your fingers, Dolly fans!

Why would 9/25 be the perfect day for this?

It’s truly an inspired choice, and all you have to do is say the date as numbers to know why: 9-2-5. Get it? Dolly’s anthem to working people everywhere, “9 to 5” gets our toes tapping just as much now as it did when it was released on Nov. 3, 1980, ahead of the movie of the same name starring Dolly, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

The song won two Grammys (Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female) and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. It lost to another movie-title song, Irene Cara’s “Fame,” which is also pretty great. But let’s be real—how many people are watching that flick on repeat these days?

What is happening this year on 9/25 in honor of Dolly?

Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood are spearheading this one. They just announced that they will donate the entire day’s proceeds from their Nashville bar, Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk, to children’s literacy. As you probably know, Dolly’s Imagination Station sends millions of books to children around the world in honor of her father, who never had the chance to learn to read.

Here are other official Dolly Day declarations and tributes happening this Sept. 25, but rest assured, it’s not an exhaustive list. The idea to set aside a special day for Dolly seems to be gaining steam, so check back soon.

• New Orleans: Mayor Helena Moreno declared 9/25 Dolly Day, and the city will host a parade in true NOLA fashion. The Krewe of Dolly, known for sporting Dolly wigs and fashion, will be the headliner. (Krewes are social clubs that build floats and otherwise participate in Mardi Gras.)
• Lexington, Kentucky: The city will host a free event on 9/25, and donations will go to the Imagination Library. “Come dressed in your best Dolly-inspired sparkle and let’s celebrate her the way she lived—with love, laughter, music and a whole lot of heart,” the invite says.
• Cocke County, Tennessee: In his last official act as mayor, Rob Mathis declared Sept. 25 Dolly Parton Day in the county. State lawmakers are considering similar actions.
• Manhattan, New York: Borough president Brad Hoylman-Sigal declared Sept. 25 Dolly Parton Appreciation Day.

Bar crawls, library events and other less official celebrations are also planned, so check around in your hometown—or organize your own!

• Chattanooga, Tennessee: Plant Bar Chattanooga will host a Dolly Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, where fans can color Dolly-inspired pages and purchase butterflies for $1 to place at an altar in her honor. All proceeds benefit the Imagination Library.
• Loveland, Colorado: Fans from all over northern Colorado will gather in downtown Loveland for the Dolly Parton Bar Crawl on 9/25. It starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m., naturally.
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana: The public library will host an event on 9/25 featuring a screening of 9 to 5 as well as a costume contest and a chance to enroll in or support Dolly’s Imagination Library.

Has Dollywood announced any plans yet?

Not specifically for 9/25, though the theme park will be hosting a Harvest Festival and a 5K race that were already in the works. In keeping with Dolly’s business-minded approach to life, Dollywood also remained open after her death, saying “the show must go on.”

Dollywood president Eugene Naughton recently announced plans to honor the theme park’s “dreamer-in-chief” with updates around the park, including a sculpted guitar and waterfall, as well as a planned 11-stop walking tour, “In Dolly’s Footsteps,” around Sevierville, Tennessee.

While not a Dollywood event, Dolly Parton’s estate announced that Dollyfest, a worldwide celebration that was originally planned as an 80th birthday party for the artist, will take place simultaneously in Nashville and London sometime in 2027. Organizers say that Dolly wanted this to be a celebration of life, not a traditional memorial, so mark your calendars for a party.

What are some ways you can celebrate Dolly’s life and legacy?

Dolly’s family says the most important thing you can do to honor Dolly is to continue her mission of literacy. “It’s been quite a journey, but we have so much more left to do,” she says on her website. “Let’s share this dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books.”

Here are ways you can help with that goal and others near to her heart:

• Literacy and education: Donate to the Imagination Library, the Dollywood Foundation (which gives scholarships to older students) or your local libraries and schools. Just one of her scholarship efforts reduced dropout rates in Sevier County, Tennessee, from 35% to 6%.
• Medical research: Dolly famously donated $1 million to vaccine research during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she also proudly received her vaccine in public (singing “vaccine, vaccine” to the tune of “Jolene”) to spread the word on the importance of getting vaccinated.
• Disaster relief: When her home state and county suffered devastating wildfires in 2016, Dolly gave $1,000 per month to affected families, which ended up pumping $12.7 million into the county’s economy.
• Wildlife protection: Dollywood houses a 30,000-square-foot aviary that rehabilitates and houses bald eagles that can’t be released into the wild.

Sources:

• Congress.gov: “Congressional Recognition of Commemorative Days, Weeks, and Months: Background and Current Practice”
• NOLA.com: “New Orleans parade krewe moves Dolly Parton celebration of life to later this month”
• Garth Brooks: “Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk Declares September 25 ‘Dolly Day’ to Support Imagination Library and Children’s Literacy”
• New York Times: “Dolly Parton’s Other Legacy: A Fortune Given Away, Dollar by Dollar”
• Fox 8 Live: “New Orleans to declare ‘Dolly Day’ with 9/25 celebration”
• California Senate: “Senators Grove and Laird honor Dolly’s Literacy Legacy, Make 9/25 Dolly Parton Day in California”
• Dolly Parton: “DOLLYFEST: The Celebration of A Lifetime Star-Studded Two-Day Festival Honoring Dolly Parton to Take Place in 2027”
• Attractions Magazine: “Dollywood announces Dolly Parton tributes: New character, chapel area and exhibit”
• Imagination Library: “Dollywood Foundation”

Dolly Parton Quotes to Make You Smile

See Dolly Parton's Last Instagram Post

This Is Dolly Parton’s Final Resting Place

The post Is “Dolly Parton Day” Coming Our Way on 9/25? Here’s What’s Happening This Year and (Hopefully!) Beyond appeared first on Reader's Digest.

That’s where a book subscription box comes to the rescue!

Instead of agonizing over vague back-cover summaries and hunting down non-spoiler reviews, book club members hand over the reins to someone else to pick their next page-turner. This adds a delightful element of surprise to a TBR (to-be-read) pile, but it can also backfire hard if you get stuck with a dud.

That’s why we love Book of the Month (BOTM), which offers a fun, non-traditional twist on the classic book subscription box model. Not only do readers get to choose their own reads from a short list of buzzy new releases each month, but they also get some peace of mind knowing that the books are all pre-vetted by fellow readers. No more wasting time or money on a flop? Sign us up!

I'm Obsessed

Book of the Month Club

Book of the Month makes finding your next great read easy with a curated selection of buzzy new releases each month.

Shop on Book of the Month Club

What is Book of the Month?

Book of the Month Club is similar to other monthly book clubs, but with a major plot twist. Rather than receiving a randomly chosen book each month, subscribers pick from a curated lineup of five or six new release titles. Each option comes from a popular or up-and-coming author and is pre-vetted by the BOTM team. That means only top-tier new releases make this exclusive cut—a big reason why it appeals to bookworms like Senior Editor Katie Bandurski.

“In 2024, I made it my personal mission to start actively reading again,” says Katie. “Like most 20-somethings, I started with the recommendations plaguing my Instagram feed. One or two picks were really good, a few were truly terrible and most landed somewhere in the middle. Sick of spending money on subpar reads, I started looking for a better source—and that’s when I found Book of the Month.”

How it works

BOTM works on a credit-based system. Each month, subscribers receive one monthly credit for $17.99 plus tax, which is redeemable for one book. There’s also an option to pay $14.99 per credit for a two-credit plan, or $13.99 per credit for 12 credits per year if you want to save a little cash.

Handy gift subscription are available for $59.99 (three books), $99.99 (six books), or $199.99 (12 books) make it a super easy and thoughtful gift for readers, too. You can also pick from audiobooks instead, if that’s more your speed!

Katie initially tested Book of the Month for three months in 2024—July, August, and September. Setting up an account is quick, easy, and completely painless. Just navigate to the signup page and enter all the standard details—shipping address, payment info, and a password.

Next, you choose your book from the aforementioned shortlist of titles. Each subsequent month, subscribers receive an email reminding them to choose a new book. From her very first book onward, Katie was hooked.

“I liked that Book of the Month doesn’t pigeonhole itself into specific genre recommendations every month,” says Katie. “In August, for example, there were no historical fiction titles. But in July, there were two. This makes me feel they are truly recommending the best of the best in new releases.”

As a member, you can also add selections from previous months to your box at a discount and cast a vote for the coveted “Book of the Year” award. And if you’re just not feeling the vibe of the current books, you can skip a month and redeem your credit later.

Given that each month’s list includes only new releases, the lineup always feels fresh. While one month might lean into a specific genre, the next month will have a completely new collection to explore. It really is a fun surprise every single time!

Why Katie is a repeat subscriber

“I LOVE to read. But I’m not a huge library goer,” says Katie. “I love the idea of selected, vetted books from a source I can trust. And I also like still being able to choose which one I want rather than an AI algorithm selecting for me.”

Katie originally planned on testing the service for only three months. But after missing her curated picks, she retested it roughly a year later in May, June and July 2025 to ensure the service holds up.

While not every book was a fast favorite, most months were winners. One of her favorite finds was Husbands & Lovers by repeat author Beatriz Williams, a historical fiction spanning multiple generations of women.

“When my book arrived in a bright blue box, I was eager to dive in. And it’s a good thing I had a free weekend because this book was impossible to put down. I read it cover to cover in 24 hours. The character depth, story development and timeline jumps had me hooked from the first page.”

But our favorite aspect of a Book of the Month subscription? The price point, especially for hardback new releases, is very affordable. So even if you don’t absolutely love every pick, it’s still better than buying a random novel at full price. Plus, the books are specially designed to look cohesive when displayed together, which is a nice attention to detail.

“These titles aren’t the same trade hardback books you’d pick up at Barnes & Noble,” says Katie. “Each cover includes a Book of the Month logo on the dust jacket, as well as an embellishment with the month and year on the cover. The books are all a standard size, too, for easy display on your bookcase.”

And she’s not alone

Content Director Nicole Doster and Shopping Editor Mary Henn both gave BOTM subscriptions as gifts during the 2024 holiday season, and both received rave reviews from family and friends.

“I gifted a three-month subscription to my mother-in-law who always has her nose in a book,” says Nicole. “The gifting process was seamless, and I appreciated that they had an option for a physical gift card so I didn’t show up to Christmas empty-handed. I even got a notification when she signed up!”

Mary had a similar experience. “I needed a gift for the family member who ‘has everything’ and also loves books—and BOTM was the perfect find,” she explains. “With BOTM, she can choose books she doesn’t already own from a curated list. Buying a subscription as a gift is super easy too! I opted for a physical card, which tucked in a little gift basket with other goodies.”

Even I became a  fan after trying it out for three months. In fact, Book of the Month introduced me to two of my current favorite writers. As someone who is usually hesitant to explore new-to-me authors, that’s a pretty big deal.

For folks like me who suffer from choice paralysis, having a curated collection of new, pre-vetted stories to choose from makes finding new favorites a total breeze. And who knows—you may find a new favorite author or two!

Where to subscribe

I'm Obsessed

Book of the Month Club

Skip the guesswork and discover your next page-turner from a selection of books pre-vetted by fellow readers.

Shop on Book of the Month Club

At just $17.99 per book, Book of the Month subscribers enjoy these hardcovers for well below retail price at places like Barnes & Noble or even Amazon. Plus, Book of the Month often offers a first-time-subscriber promotion that scores you your first book for just $9.99! If BookTok has betrayed you one time too many, it’s time to turn to the experts.

What’s more, it makes a great low-effort, high-impact gift for bookworms, to boot!

If you prefer something closer to a traditional book club—complete with a dedicated Facebook group for lively discussions—try the Reader’s Digest Fiction Favorites club. Subscribers are treated to a special published volume filled with four condensed books from popular and upcoming authors seven times a year. Because the books arrive edited for length, they offer a faster reading experience, too.

Why you should trust us

As Senior Shopping Editor at Reader’s Digest, Katie Bandurski has been researching and reviewing gifts and subscription services for over five years. Her recommendations include coffee subscriptions, puzzle clubs, flower delivery and candle of the month boxes. In her personal time, she’s also an avid reader with a penchant for historical fiction, romance and fantasy titles.

The post This Monthly Book Subscription is Like BookTok—But Better appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Reeves got his start acting in the 1980s before winning over audiences in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and, eventually, becoming the blockbuster star behind movies like Speed, The Matrix and John Wick. To celebrate his big day, we’ve rounded up our favorite quotes from his most popular films and best interviews. Some will make you laugh, some will inspire you and a few will probably make you want to plan a Keanu movie marathon immediately. (We support this decision.)

Read on for the best Keanu Reeves quotes, and prepare to love him just a little bit more.

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Best Keanu Reeves quotes

Funny Keanu Reeves quotes

• “Riding a motorcycle is like being a puppy.”
• “I’m Mickey Mouse. They don’t know who’s inside the suit.”
• “I’m sorry my existence is not very noble or sublime.”
• “I’m Hawaiian—we have cousins.”
• “I have no martial arts background. I only know movie kung fu.”
• “You know, I’m not an air guitar aficionado. But once in a while, the air guitar comes out.”
• “I am very grateful for the printing press and everything that has followed. Electricity is pretty great too.”
• “What would happen if you melted? You know, you never really hear this talked about much, but spontaneous combustion?”
• “As a kid, I didn’t dream of becoming a movie star. No, I dreamt of traveling to distant planets in flying machines.”

Best Keanu Reeves movie quotes

• “Party on, dudes!” —Keanu Reeves as Ted in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
• “I know kung fu.” —Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix
• “Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.” —Keanu Reeves as John Wick in John Wick
• “I wish I could say something classy and inspirational, but that just wouldn’t be our style. … Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever.” —Keanu Reeves as Shane Falco in The Replacements
• “Remember: Crazy not stupid.” —Keanu Reeves as Jack Traven in Speed
• “When something happens to you that hasn’t happened before, don’t you at least have to find out what it is?” —Keanu Reeves as Dr. Julian Mercer in Something’s Gotta Give
• “I saw her. I kissed her. I love her. And now she’s gone.” —Keanu Reeves as Alex Wyler in The Lake House
• “I caught my first tube today, sir.” —Keanu Reeves as Johnny Utah in Point Break
• “When you wake up, wipe the slugs off your face. Be ready for a new day!” —Keanu Reeves as Scott Favor in My Own Private Idaho
• “If we’re gonna waste the dude, we oughta get paid for it. I mean, that’s the American way, ain’t it?” —Keanu Reeves as Marlon in I Love You to Death
• “The man who embraces his mediocre nothingness shines greater than any.” —Keanu Reeves as Keanu Reeves in Always Be My Maybe

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite quotes for over 100 years. The sayings and quips that appear in the magazine’s “Quotable Quotes” (formerly “Remarkable Remarks”) are curated from interviews and essays originally published in the magazine, reprints from trusted titles and other verified sources. For this piece on Keanu Reeves quotes, writer Mariah Thomas tapped her experience covering quotes and entertainment to ensure that all information is accurate. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

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The post Happy Birthday, Keanu Reeves! 35 Unforgettable Quotes That Show Exactly Why We Love Him appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But let’s focus on driving, because that’s why you’re here, right? Labor Day travel is a great way to ease into fall before the school year really gets going—if you can swing it. Last year, the average national price for a gallon of gas was $3.19, and this year, it’s $4.10 as of this writing. Hotel prices are up 9%, so short road trips might rule the day.

Are you headed out on the road this weekend? Even with higher prices, Chase Travel reports that domestic bookings are up 17%. If you’ve scrimped and saved for one last hurrah, the only thing left to worry about is the traffic. Well, AAA and INRIX teamed up to map out the best and worst times to drive this weekend, as well as which routes will be the most clogged. Fill up that tank, pack your trunk and read on to find out how to avoid Labor Day weekend traffic.

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How were the best and worst times to travel over Labor Day weekend determined?

Every year, AAA partners with INRIX, a transportation data and insights company, to find out the best and worst times to travel over Labor Day weekend. INRIX analyzes real-world road data using a combination of preselected high-impact travel routes, multisource traffic info and a sophisticated statistical formula to create travel-delay predictions. The traffic info comes from GPS data, mobile apps, navigation services, roadside sensors and commercial fleet information.

What are the best times to drive to and from your Labor Day destination?

It’s time to embrace the morning drive, travelers. This year’s Labor Day traffic will be lightest before either 10 a.m. or 1 p.m., depending on the day, from Thursday through Monday—though unlike last year, Sunday will be smooth sailing all day long.

Here are the best times to drive to and from your Labor Day destination. These times (and all times coming up) reflect your local time zone and the local time zone of the route described.

• Thursday, Sept. 3: Before 1 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 4: Before 12 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 5: Before 10 a.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 6: Minimal impact expected
• Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day): Before 12 p.m.

What are the worst times to drive to and from your Labor Day destination?

Again, mornings are your friend here. When it’s time to head back to civilization, fill up your trusty Buc-ee’s travel coffee mug and get out there before the mid to late afternoon. Luckily, Sunday is again a great travel day. Here are the worst times to hit the road this Labor Day weekend.

• Thursday, Sept. 3: 2 p.m.–7 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 4: 12 p.m.–8 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 5: 1 p.m.–5 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 6: Minimal impact expected
• Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day): 2 p.m.–5 p.m.

What are the worst driving routes on Labor Day?

We have some new entries in this year’s list of the worst driving routes. AAA says three of the biggest destinations this year will be Seattle, Denver and Boston, so it’s no surprise that traffic there will be more congested than usual. To determine the worst routes, AAA and INRIX looked at just how much longer it will take to drive to popular Labor Day destinations compared to a typical day.

The biggest mover was Seattle, where Labor Day travelers will spend more than twice as long on the road to and from the Cascade Mountains. Bostonians heading to Providence, Rhode Island, for a beach weekend will also see their traffic times double.

Boston

• Route: Boston to Providence via I-95 S
• Peak congestion: Friday, Sept. 4, at 3:30 p.m.
• Estimated travel time: 1 hour and 32 minutes
• Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 105%

Denver

• Route: Denver to Fort Collins via I-25 N 
• Peak congestion: Thursday, Sept. 3, at 12 p.m.
• Estimated travel time: 1 hour and 39 minutes
• Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 81%

San Francisco

• Route: San Francisco to Sacramento via I-80 E
• Peak congestion: Friday, Sept. 4, at 5:45 p.m.
• Estimated travel time: 4 hours and 40 minutes
• Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 81%

Seattle

• Route: Seattle to Ellensburg via I-90 E
• Peak congestion: Monday, Sept. 7, at 7:15 p.m.
• Estimated travel time: 3 hours and 14 minutes
• Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 121%

Washington, D.C.

• Route: Baltimore to Washington, D.C., via Baltimore/Washington Pkwy S 
• Peak congestion: Thursday, Sept. 3, at 4:45 p.m.
• Estimated travel time: 1 hour and 24 minutes
• Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 90%

Sources:

• AAA Newsroom: “Cruises, National Parks, and European Cities Popular Among Labor Day Travelers”
• AAA Newsroom: “AAA: Labor Day Travelers Face Higher Costs and Heavier Traffic”
• AAA: “National average gas prices”
• Wall Street Journal: “Auto & Transport Roundup: Market Talk”

Labor Day Quotes to Honor All Your Hard Work

Fill Up Your Car on This Day to Save Money

Which Stores Are Open On Labor Day Weekend?

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If you didn’t know, not all of them do. “There are two types of tennis ball: pressureless and pressurized,” says Rod Cross, a retired physics professor and an expert on the technology of tennis. (The name of one of his books is The Physics and Technology of Tennis.) It’s the pressurized ones that come in cans, and coming up, he’ll explain why.

But wait … footballs are pressurized, which just means that the air pressure inside the ball is higher than outside. So are basketballs. And volleyballs. And tons of other sports balls. But hardly any of them are sold in cans. To further the tennis-ball conundrum: “In the old days, when I was young, even pressurized balls were sold in cardboard boxes, [not cans],” Cross says.

It’s all too much for this weekend warrior. What happened in the tennis-ball-packaging world since the professor was a kid? The balls haven’t changed all that much. Ahead, Cross explains why tennis balls come in cans and lets us in on a few secrets of the science of tennis balls. Read on to learn more.

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How long have tennis balls come in cans?

It’s been nearly 100 years. When lawn tennis was established in the United States, starting around 1880, tennis balls were mostly sold in paper bags or cardboard boxes. In the late 1920s, the Pennsylvania Rubber Company, which later evolved into one of the biggest names in tennis, Penn, began selling tennis balls in sealed metal cans.

They came with a key that rolled back the top like a sardine can, and they could not be resealed. According to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, World War II’s metal shortages brought back cardboard for a while, and Cross remembers seeing them packed in boxes into the 1950s (the aforementioned “old days”).

Resealable lids came along in the 1950s and ’60s, and in 1972, pop-tops replaced the key. In the 1980s, companies switched to plastic cans.

So why do tennis balls come in sealed cans?

Sealed cans allow manufacturers to control the pressure precisely inside the can, keeping tennis balls at their peak performance level for as long as possible. Here’s why using a can works best.

It keeps them bouncy

Pressurized tennis balls bounce because the air inside the ball is at a higher pressure than the outside atmosphere. As the ball hits your racket or the court, the pressurized air inside pushes against the rubber and helps it resist deformation (aka getting squashed), and the ball bounces.

“Normal atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi, but the pressure inside the ball is about 27 to 29 psi,” Cross says. So sealing the can and injecting air under pressure keeps the balls in the exact environment they need to properly bounce. You can test this: Regulation hard-court tennis balls (called Type 2 or medium) must bounce back to between 53 and 58 inches when dropped from a height of 100 inches.

It stops air from leaking out

“Pressurized balls are sold in a pressured can to prevent the air from gradually leaking out through the porous rubber wall,” Cross says. Tennis balls have a hollow rubber core that is not airtight, and once that rubber core is formed and covered with fuzz, that’s it—there’s no way to pump them up like you can a football or soccer ball.

This is why pressureless balls, which bounce due to their thicker, stiffer rubber instead of an air-pressure differential, are popular for practice and in ball machines. “Pressureless balls last longer, since the air doesn’t leak out,” Cross says.

It preserves shelf life

Sealed cans keep tennis balls fresher longer. Since a pressurized tennis ball loses air gradually, the old way of packing them in cardboard meant that by the time the balls arrived at the pro shop or sporting-goods store, they were already losing air and bounce. Players had to do a squeeze test to find good ones rather than have confidence that fresh balls were, well, fresh.

Today, that’s not a worry. Example: I have a few unopened cans of tennis balls in my garage. I bought a case months ago, and these are the stragglers. But I’m not worried in the least that they’ll be bad when I get to them. We’ll get to the specifics in the next section, but no matter how long it is, they’ll be infinitely more playable than if they had been sitting loose or in a cardboard box.

How long can they last in there?

The Penn balls in my garage don’t have expiration dates, and I can’t find any indication that Wilsons do either. (Wilson is another big name in tennis.) So I suppose they could last indefinitely. But most tennis pros put the window of freshness on an unopened can at anywhere from six months to a year, with two years being the outside limit.

But after you crack it open, the countdown begins. “Once opened, balls in pressurized cans can still be used a few weeks later,” Cross says. But you won’t catch a pro using a three-week-old ball at Wimbledon. Those are more for you and me hitting around on a Sunday morning. Even then, after a few hard-play sessions, you’re going to notice a difference in the feel of the ball.

“At amateur-competition level, new balls are used for each morning or afternoon event, while at professional level, new balls are used after every nine games,” Cross says. As the ball gets smacked around, the felt cover gets fluffy and slows down the ball as it flies through the air. “That’s why professionals take three balls to serve, then throw away the most fluffy ball,” he adds.

What is that “psssshhh” sound that you hear when you open a can of tennis balls?

That distinctive whoosh (which is always accompanied by that fresh tennis-ball smell) is the sound of the pressure being released from inside the can. As soon as you pop the top, the higher-pressure air inside the can rushes through the opening to the lower-pressure outside, creating sound waves that dissipate as the opening gets larger.

Can you revive a tennis ball?

Yes. It won’t make it as good as new, but depending on your standards, it might be close enough. “Old balls can be repressurized by placing them in a pressurized container for a few days, but the outer felt cover will still be fluffy or worn down,” Cross says.

You can find basic pressurizers for less than $20 at Target and Tennis Warehouse, and more sophisticated versions online for about $75 and up.

Do all tennis balls come in cans?

No. “Pressureless balls are sold in a cardboard box,” Cross says. Since the air inside them is at regular atmospheric pressure, there’s no need to keep them in a pressurized can. You can also buy pressureless tennis balls in mesh bags, especially if you purchase in bulk.

Pressureless tennis balls were patented by Swedish shoe giant Tretorn in 1955, and Cross says they’re popular in Europe and South America. But we’re seeing more of them over here too. Due to environmental concerns over the use of plastic in pressurized tennis ball cans, Wilson developed a new pressureless ball called Triniti that mimics the livelier bounce, faster play and lighter “feel” of pressurized balls. These are sold in recyclable cardboard boxes.

Do other balls come in cans?

Some do, but not many, and the reason is simple: “Other balls can be pumped up to the correct pressure with an air pump,” Cross says, though some balls don’t use air or pressure at all. Here’s how it breaks down.

• Padel balls: A very close cousin to the tennis ball, padel balls also have a hollow rubber core and a felt cover. They are sold under pressure in pop-top cans, but they are softer and have more give.
• Racquetballs: The hollow, air-filled racquetball gets its bounce from the rubber shell, not the air inside (much like a pressureless tennis ball). So while they are often sold in cans to keep the rubber fresh, the cans are not pressurized.
• Pickleballs: The nemesis of tennis players everywhere (I kid, pickleballers!), the plastic, Whiffle ball–like pickleball is hollow and has multiple holes, so it’s just sold in bags, boxes or other non-pressurized containers.
• Footballs, soccer balls and basketballs: Larger air-filled balls are sold naked or in boxes and are filled using a bicycle pump or air compressor. (If you’ve ever searched your garage and junk drawers for hours looking for the pump’s needle attachment, you feel my pain.) These balls will eventually deflate, but give them a quick pump and you’ll be good to go.
• Baseballs and golf balls: Solid-core balls do not have air inside at all, so there’s no need to sell or store them under pressure. They may get old and brittle, or lose performance capability after years of storage or use, but these balls won’t deflate.

Sources:

• Rod Cross, retired physics professor and author of The Physics and Technology of Tennis and Technical Tennis: Racquets, Strings, Balls, Courts, Spin and Bounce; email interview, Aug. 27, 2026
• Sports Engineering: “Dynamic properties of tennis balls”
• Wilson: “Wilson LABS: Triniti”
• Sports Technology: “Review of tennis ball aerodynamics”
• Head: “How to choose a tennis ball”
• International Tennis Federation: “2026 ITF Rules of Tennis”
• Penn Racquet: “A Century of Bounce, A Legacy of Performance”
• International Tennis Hall of Fame: “Tins, Cans & Cartons”
• Tennis Warehouse University: “Return Deformation of a Tennis Ball (Rod Cross)”
• Tretorn: “Our Heritage”

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His latest novel, The Disappearers, may be his most ambitious yet—and the acclaim has already been extraordinary, with the New York Times recently calling it “the novel of the decade, if not the century.” The sweeping epic follows the lives of eight gay men in Jamaica throughout the 1980s and ’90s, as they navigate love, loss and life in a world that criminalizes their identity. But don’t expect James to put it neatly into one box. “You can look at it as a revenge thriller, which it is,” he tells us. “You can [also] look at it as a story about longing, becoming, family and community, which it is.”

And if our escalator interview is your first time meeting James off the page, prepare to be delighted. For someone responsible for some of the most powerful and complex novels of the past two decades, he’s refreshingly funny, wildly personable and full of unexpected opinions. One minute, he’s discussing literature and craft; the next, he’s talking about comfort reads, comic books and why superhero fans should absolutely know about his current obsession: Absolute Batman.

For this episode of The Reader’s Digest Escalator Interview, Leigh Belz Ray caught up with James at Barnes & Noble Union Square in New York City to talk about The Disappearers, his reading habits, his literary heroes and plenty more. Trust us—you’ll come away with a longer TBR list and an even greater appreciation for one of the most fascinating voices in contemporary fiction.

Watch the exclusive interview with Marlon James below, and then scroll down to shop his books and reading recommendations!

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. For this piece, Leigh Belz Ray interviewed author Marlon James. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

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But Minnesota has the strictest policy I’ve personally encountered: Everyone takes off their shoes inside a home—every time, always. It was so well enforced that I became acutely aware of always wearing clean, non-holey socks because I knew people were going to see them. Now I live in Colorado, where people wear hiking shoes to weddings (to be fair, a lot of weddings here are in the mountains) and Tevas are considered an extension of your feet. Almost no one takes off their shoes inside a house unless they’re very wet or muddy.

But perhaps the biggest debate is in my own home. My husband and I have been bickering about this for years and still can’t come to a conclusion. (Well, I’m right, obviously, but I need your help convincing him.) I personally think Minnesota has the right idea. My husband not only thinks I’m nuts but also gets embarrassed when I ask guests—politely!—to remove their shoes. He says I’m being rude by asking them to take off a piece of personal clothing, so as a form of protest, he refuses to remove his shoes inside our home, not even after gardening and/or accidentally stepping on the dog. It’s become a whole thing. 

So let’s save my marriage and my sanity and figure this out together. Putting aside familial power struggles, is it actually rude to ask people to take off their shoes when they come into your house?

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The case for asking guests to remove their shoes

I’m going to drop this first: All shoe soles showed contamination with microbes, including bacteria, fungi and fecal matter, in a 2023 study published in Indoor and Built Environment. And all of these germs transferred indoors when the shoe-wearing psychopath—er, I mean, person—walked inside. The majority of the germs were concentrated in the entryway, but carpet was an especially big magnet for gross stuff. So even if your shoes look clean, they’re about as clean as the dirty restroom floor you walked on earlier. Would you want that public bathroom floor in your home? No? Then the researchers recommend taking off your shoes.

“Taking off your shoes is a no-brainer,” said lead author Alessandra Leri, PhD, in an interview with Smithsonian Magazine.

So, yes, my argument is: Scientists say so. A lot of other people say so too. According to a 2023 CBS News/YouGov survey, two out of three Americans say they take off their shoes in their own home.

There’s also the practical case. Lots of things get tracked in via shoes—including mud, dirt, leaves, water, snow, ice and neon-green sidewalk chalk (ask me how I know)—that would require you to mop your floors.

And finally, there is the foot-stepping problem. Because my husband constantly wears shoes in the house, and the shoes reduce his ability to feel where he is stepping, he constantly steps on my toes, the kids’ toes and, occasionally, the poor dog. (The cat is faster and apparently smarter than the rest of us.)

The case against asking guests to remove their shoes

OK, so that survey stat I just smugly dropped? While it’s true that two-thirds of Americans take off their shoes in their own homes, two-thirds of those folks said they don’t require guests to do the same. My husband is correct that most folks won’t ask guests to remove their shoes. But is that because it’s rude to ask or just because it’s kinda awkward? The overwhelming majority of poll respondents, 90%, did say they wouldn’t consider it an unreasonable request if asked to remove their shoes by a host.

I think what my husband is really getting at is that we often treat guests with a higher standard than we do ourselves, so when I ask people to please take off their shoes, it can come across as unwelcoming or uninviting. Maybe even a little patronizing? And this is especially true for people you may not know as well. It’s one thing to ask your sister to take off her shoes; it’s an entirely different story if you’re asking your boss who dropped by.

Then there’s the embarrassment factor, and it’s real. I had an almost pathological obsession with having new, clean and adorable socks on at all times when we lived in Minnesota, and the times I forgot, I was embarrassed. And it’s not just socks. Guests may be embarrassed by foot odor, lack of a pedicure, a medical condition or just weird-looking toes. (It’s my personal opinion that all toes are weird-looking, but whatever.)

Also, some people build their whole outfit around their shoes, and I am occasionally that person. A cute summer dress just isn’t as cute without the strappy heels, right? Asking someone to remove their shoes messes up the whole look—which isn’t a big deal for a casual visit but can be an issue if you’re meeting your son’s girlfriend’s parents for the first time.

As for the germs? Mopping isn’t really that hard. I hate it, but on the list of terrible chores, it’s not as awful as cleaning the toilet and maybe around the same level of annoying as wiping fingerprints off the stainless steel fridge. And it works: Mopping removes about 80% of tracked-in bacteria, while disinfecting gets rid of 95% to 99%, according to one study.

The gray areas

This isn’t solely (ha!) a cut-and-dry issue. And the more I think about it, the more middle ground I find. Here’s what to consider before setting a “shoes off” policy in your house.

• The event. Asking a casual visitor to take off their shoes is fine. Asking someone who came over for a formal party or a holiday celebration may be rude because you wouldn’t take off your shoes if the party were held anywhere else.
• The person. Some folks genuinely need to keep their shoes on, whether that’s for balance, mobility or a medical condition. You should never ask your guests to do something that could inconvenience or hurt them.
• The time of year. While I still think shoes are dirty year-round, they are decidedly dirtier when it’s wet or snowy outside. There’s a huge difference between summer flip-flops and winter boots.
• The way you ask. Some people have a cute sign by their door, others mention it as guests enter, and a fastidious few will communicate the instruction in advance. But you should have a plan, because verbally ambushing someone once they’re halfway into your home is not nice. However you ask, you should be polite, kind and willing to take no for an answer.
• The method. Some cultures offer indoor slippers or shoe covers to guests, which is a lovely idea. While that’s not common in America, you can do things to make it more comfortable for your guests to remove their shoes, including having a bench where they can sit down and a mat or rack where they can place their shoes. Many of my Minnesota friends had a basket of clean guest socks by the front door.

What to do if someone refuses to take off their shoes

You accept it. Ultimately, it’s their body. This is not the hill to die on: In the grand scheme of things, this is small stakes. This is how you keep friends. This is also how I’m still married.

The verdict

It is not rude to ask someone to take off their shoes in your home—as long as you ask politely, offer options, are mindful of the situation and are ready to accept “no” as an answer. It doesn’t mean you have to be thrilled about it. And you are welcome to think vengeful thoughts as you mop the floor for the third time as your husband sits on the couch with his hiking shoes on, eating popcorn and smugly enjoying his shoe-wearing victory.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of etiquette stories that help readers navigate communication in a changing world. We regularly cover topics such as the best messages to send for any occasion, polite habits that aren’t as polite as they seem, email and texting etiquette, business etiquette, tipping etiquette, travel etiquette and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Smithsonian Magazine: “Shoes Carry Poop Bacteria into NYC Buildings, Study Finds”
• National Library of Medicine: “Impact of Protective Footwear on Floor and Air Contamination of Intensive Care Units”
• Indoor and Built Environment: “Faecal Indicator Bacteria on Indoor Floors Linked to Exterior Sidewalk Contamination in New York City”
• CBS News: “Most Americans Are ‘Shoes Off’ at Home — CBS News Poll”

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Charles’s son, Prince William, will eventually ascend the throne, and that one tiny shift is of great importance: It will cause a dramatic cascading effect when it comes to his kids’ titles, and beyond. “When a new monarch succeeds to the throne, the other members of the royal family move up in the line of succession,” says royal historian Carolyn Harris, PhD, author of Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting. But the royals’ new titles might not be as straightforward as you think. Plus, there might be a few historic firsts in store for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Read on to find out how William’s shift in status will affect his children, along with the ripple effect it could have on the rest of the monarchy.

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What will the order of succession be after William takes the throne?

Once William becomes king, the order of succession will largely remain the same—everyone will simply move up a spot. For example, Prince George, who is currently second in line, will become first in line, taking his father’s current title as Prince of Wales, which he acquired in 2022 after the queen died and Charles became king.

Succession always follows the monarch’s direct line, until there are no more direct descendants. At that point, it goes back up to the monarch’s younger sibling and his or her children. Therefore, William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, is in line behind George, Charlotte and Louis.

What’s more, Charlotte is the first female to be ahead of a younger brother in the line of succession. Charlotte, who would have previously been passed over for Louis, gets to keep her position in line thanks to the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013, enacted during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. The law ended male primogeniture, or the tradition of the crown passing to the oldest male, for those born after 2011. Now, elder daughters are not left out and can inherit the crown as well.

Here’s the order of succession under a hypothetical King William:

1. George, the Prince of Wales
2. Princess Charlotte of Wales
3. Prince Louis of Wales
4. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
5. Prince Archie of Sussex
6. Princess Lilibet of Sussex
7. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (yep, he’s still in the lineup, despite being stripped of his title)
8. Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
9. Miss Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
10. Miss Athena Mapelli Mozzi
11. Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank
12. Master August Brooksbank
13. Master Ernest Brooksbank
14. Miss Adelaide Elizabeth Annina Brooksbank (born Aug. 3, 2026)
15. Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
16. James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex
17. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
18. Anne, The Princess Royal

Why are the older, most established royals so far down on the list?

As noted above, succession follows the direct descendants of each royal before passing to the royal’s younger sibling. That means each new royal child born bumps those in line after them back further, as evidenced by Princess Eugenie’s new royal baby, Adelaide, jumping in line ahead of Eugenie’s uncle, Prince Edward. Prince William’s children are likewise ahead of his younger brother, Prince Harry, who will keep getting pushed back as the Wales kids have their own children.

“There are numerous examples of members of the monarch’s family who were born close to the top of the line of succession who gradually dropped to a lower place in line as the royal extended family expanded over time,” Harris says. “For example, Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest cousin, George Lascelles, Earl of Harewood (1923–2011), was born sixth in line to the throne but was 46th in line to the throne at the time of his death.”

Princess Anne, the second child of Queen Elizabeth II, was born before the Succession to the Crown Act went into effect, so she remains far down on the list, behind younger brothers Andrew and Edward and their children.

How do royal titles work, exactly?

Royal titles are both inherited and bestowed according to tradition. “According to letters patent issued by King George V in 1917, children and male-line grandchildren of the monarch hold the title of HRH Prince or Princess from birth,” Harris says. “It’s possible that in future reigns, these titles will be restricted to the children of the monarch and heir to the throne.” This would be in keeping with the recent paring down and streamlining of the monarchy.

Dukedoms

In addition, princes and princesses can hold multiple titles such as duke, duchess or earl, which makes titles very confusing. Generally, the higher up the ranks you are, the more titles you end up with, and there is no official limit.

For example, Prince William holds three dukedoms: On William’s wedding day (a traditional title-giving day), Queen Elizabeth named him Duke of Cambridge, as well as Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. Then William inherited the titles of Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay when his father became king.

“The tradition of all the sons of the monarch receiving ducal titles dates from the reign of King Edward III (1327–1377), who had five sons who survived to adulthood,” Harris says. “Edward III made his eldest son and heir Prince Edward, Duke of Cornwall, so that he would have his own independent income. Younger sons received their own dukedoms (Clarence, Lancaster, York and Gloucester); the descendants of the Dukes of Lancaster and York would fight one another for the throne in the Wars of the Roses (1455–1487).”

Today, the title of Duke of Lancaster belongs to the monarch (whether male or female), and the title of Duke of York is traditionally given to the monarch’s second son. Prince Harry could not become Duke of York when he married Meghan in 2018, however, because the title was already held by his uncle, Andrew. Queen Elizabeth chose from available dukedoms for Harry, landing on Sussex, which was held only once before, by Prince Augustus Frederick in 1801. Meghan, however, is the first Duchess of Sussex because neither of Augustus’s marriages were approved by the crown. Augustus was considered progressive and somewhat of a rebel, like Harry, but the queen could not have known that Harry would become estranged from his father, as Augustus did because of his liberal views.

Patronages

In addition to royal titles, William may also bestow some patronages. When there is a change in reign, there are often changes to royal patronages, as the late monarch’s patronages are redistributed to other members of the royal family.

“How this redistribution of patronages unfolds depends on the interests of individual members of the royal family and the overall approach to philanthropy in the new reign,” Harris says. “While Queen Elizabeth II and Charles III supported a broad range of different philanthropic organizations, William is focused on a smaller range of targeted issues, including the environment and alleviating homelessness.”

How will George’s title change when William becomes king?

As the next heir apparent, Prince George will have the most changes to his titles. “The heir to the throne automatically becomes Duke of Cornwall and enjoys access to the revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall, and will receive the title of Prince of Wales from the monarch,” Harris says. The dukedom will provide George with an income and increase his wealth, as it did for William.

“William will decide when George becomes Prince of Wales, and William and George together will decide if a formal investiture as Prince of Wales will take place,” Harris says. For example, Charles was given the title Prince of Wales by Queen Elizabeth when he was 9 years old, six years after she became queen, but he did not have a formal ceremony (investiture) until he was 20.

The Prince of Wales title, while not guaranteed because it is given, not inherited, is almost a certainty because it is the usual title of the first male in line to the throne. Why? In 1301, after he had conquered Wales, King Edward I gave the title to his eldest son, Prince Edward; eventually, it became tradition. Upon taking the throne, Charles gave his former title Prince of Wales to William, who will almost certainly give it to George.

How will Charlotte’s title change?

Princess Charlotte’s title may change, but not right away. “The eldest daughter of the monarch traditionally holds the title of Princess Royal,” Harris says. This title is not automatic; it is bestowed by the monarch. However, it is given for life, so Charlotte can’t have the title right away because there already is one: Princess Anne, Charles’s sister.

(Note that the future Queen Elizabeth II couldn’t be named Princess Royal because the title was already occupied by her aunt, Princess Mary, until well after Elizabeth became queen. And the queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, was never Princess Royal because she was the second-born daughter.)

“Only one Princess Royal exists at any one time, so Princess Charlotte will not receive this title until after the death of Princess Anne,” Harris says. At that point, the current monarch, who will probably be King Charles or the future King William, will likely give the title Princess Royal to Charlotte.

Another title reportedly intended for Charlotte (and potentially her future husband) is Duchess of Edinburgh, a title given to then–Princess Elizabeth upon her marriage to Prince Philip, who was styled as the Duke of Edinburgh. However, both titles are currently held by Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth’s youngest son, and his wife, Sophie.

And, as mentioned earlier, Charlotte will not lose her place in line to the throne, since either sons or daughters can now inherit the crown.

How will Louis’s title change?

Prince Louis’s title will remain the same, as will his place in line. He might get additional titles when William is king, but only after he’s an adult. “Prince Louis will likely receive a ducal title when he marries, as was the case for both Prince William and Prince Harry,” Harris says. However, any dukedom Louis receives is purely decorative and would not generate income. (The only profitable duchies today are Cornwall and Lancaster.)

Traditionally, the monarch gives the second son the title Duke of York, which is available now that Prince Andrew has had it taken away due to his criminal associations. The question is, however, whether it will still be too soon to use that title again due to its now-negative connotations.

Instead, Louis could be given a historic duchy title that has not been held for a long time, such as Clarence (although that one is said to be cursed) or Cambridge (which will revert to the crown when William becomes king). It’s also possible that by the time Louis is ready, the royal scandal with the last Duke of York might have faded, and Louis will hold the title after all, as per tradition.

When Prince George eventually becomes king, how will things change again?

This will likely be way in the future, but there are some things we know. “When George, Charlotte and Louis have children of their own, these children will take precedence over Prince Harry and his children in the line of succession,” Harris says. “Prince George’s eldest child, male or female, will become heir to the throne when George succeeds to the throne.”

If future King George’s eldest child is a daughter, regardless of whether he also has sons, she will make history as the first female heir apparent after the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act was passed. However, the act doesn’t apply to other inherited or traditionally gifted titles (yet), and it’s not clear exactly how getting rid of male primogeniture will affect them.

“If Prince George’s first child is a daughter, she may become the first princess to succeed to the Duchy of Cornwall as heir to the throne, which was previously reserved for male heirs to the throne,” Harris says. “The future Queen Elizabeth II did not have access to the revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall.”

In addition, if King George’s heir is a daughter, will she be given the title of Princess of Wales in place of Prince of Wales (provided the current Princess of Wales, Catherine, has vacated the title by becoming queen)? It’s possible. Chances are, new rules will be passed by then that will clarify these questions.

Only time will tell!

Sources:

• Carolyn Harris, PhD, royal historian and author of Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting; email interview, August 2026
• College of Arms: “Styles and Titles of the Royal Family”
• BBC: “Royal Family Tree: King Charles III’s closest family and line of succession”
• Debretts: “The Princes of Wales”
• Debretts: “Ranks and Privileges of the Peerage”
• Debretts: “The Princesses Royal”
• Debretts: “Discover the Royal Family”
• Royal.uk
• The Guardian: “Who owns and profits from the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall?”

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With the 2026 U.S. Open currently underway in New York until Sept. 13, we’re taking a closer look at one of the sport’s most surprising rules, and the players who have actually taken advantage of it. Yes, it’s completely legal. Yes, it can happen in a Grand Slam match. And yes, you may have been watching tennis for years without realizing it.

So which stars have pulled off this head-turning move? We’re looking at some of the biggest names on the 2026 U.S. Open courts, including Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic, so you’ll know exactly who to watch for. And Serena Williams fans, you may recognize this unusual bit of tennis expertise too.

Read on to find out about the U.S. Open rule that sounds like it shouldn’t be allowed … but absolutely is.

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What is the tennis rule that is surprisingly allowed?

It’s known as an around-the-post shot, or ATP shot, and you may also hear it called a “banana shot” because of the way the tennis ball curves back toward the court. Instead of clearing the net, the ball travels completely around the outside of the net post. As long as it lands inside the opponent’s court, it’s legal.

On TikTok, French tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou puts it more simply: “It’s a passing shot that goes down the line that looks like it’s gonna go out, but thanks to side spin finally gets in.” That side spin is what gives the shot its signature bend, sending the ball on a path that looks wide before bringing it back toward the lines.

Mouratoglou compares the motion to something tennis fans may recognize from a slice serve—and even to other sports like soccer, where players use spin to make a free kick curl through the air. On a tennis court, though, that same idea can produce a shot that looks completely impossible until it lands in. Plus, let’s not forget that the ball is temporarily going outside the bounds of the court!

Why is this such a brilliant shot?

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Pulling off a banana shot takes a ridiculous combination of speed, timing and sheer tennis wizardry. And a little luck certainly doesn’t hurt. The funny thing is, you can’t exactly draw up this shot in your pre-match strategy meeting. Your opponent has to hit a particularly nasty angle that pulls you way, way off the court. You then have to get there in time, run around the net post and somehow make clean contact from an angle that feels completely wrong.

So while you can try it, it’s not exactly a high-percentage play. There’s a reason you don’t see players casually taking the scenic route around the net every few games.

When has this happened?

It happened at this year’s U.S. Open! During the final round of 2026 U.S. Open qualifying, Qinwen Zheng pulled off an around-the-net forehand against Elina Pridankina (seen in the video above), giving fans another excellent reminder that this completely wild-looking shot is actually legal.

And Zheng is far from the only player to have tried it. Novak Djokovic pulled off the shot at the 2023 U.S. Open and again at the 2026 Australian Open. Carlos Alcaraz had his own around-the-post moment at the 2024 Australian Open, while Ben Shelton has become particularly known for the spectacular banana shot, hitting one at both the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Opens. So if you’re watching any of those players at this year’s tournament, it’s worth keeping an eye on what happens when they get dragged way outside the court.

And then there’s Rafael Nadal, whose relationship with the banana shot is a little different. For most players, an around-the-post shot is a once-in-a-blue-moon moment. Nadal, however, practically made the banana shot part of his vocabulary. His trademark running forehand, powered by his famous lasso-style follow-through, generated huge amounts of topspin and sidespin, allowing him to bend the ball back into the court from seemingly impossible positions.

Why are even die-hard tennis fans so surprised by this?

On TikTok, some tennis fans have described the banana shot as “my favorite shot to see during a match,” and it’s easy to see why. An around-the-post winner is one of tennis’ most unusual shots because it’s so difficult to execute.

Part of the challenge comes from the spin required to make the tennis ball curve back into the court. According to Mouratoglou, “the banana shot is hit with both topspin” as the racket moves “from down to up” and also “from left to right.” As he explains, “In order to achieve it, you would have to hit the ball both from down to high and to the side of it.”

Then there’s the setup. A player has to be dragged well outside the court, arrive at the ball at exactly the right moment and generate enough spin to bring it back inside the lines. Miss any one of those elements, and the shot doesn’t happen.

What other obscure tennis rules should be on your radar?

Oh, there are plenty. Tennis gets surprisingly weird once you start poking around in the rulebook. Here are some other rules you should know.

• The serve can hit the net and still get a do-over. If the tennis ball clips the net but lands in the correct service box, it’s called a “let” and the server simply tries again.
• A ball that hits the net during a rally isn’t automatically dead. If the tennis ball makes it over and lands in, you can keep playing.
• Touch the net and you’re in trouble. A player loses the point if they touch the net with their body, racket or clothing while the ball is still in play—even accidentally.
• You’ve got 25 seconds. In tennis, players have only 25 seconds to serve the ball and start the next point after the previous one ends. If the player takes too long, they get a time violation.

Sources:

• TikTok: “@patrickmouratoglou
• YouTube: “Alcaraz Goes Around The Net! | Australian Open 2024”
• Instagram: @usopen
• USTA: “When & Where to Serve in Tennis”

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That’s exactly what’s happening in some parts of the United States: Drivers have spotted the addition of a bright blue light mounted near traffic signals. Yes, blue. But what is its purpose, and does it change how you should approach the intersection? Because remember: Just because you don’t know a traffic rule, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a ticket for it!

To get us all up to speed on this new rule of the road, Reader’s Digest spoke with David A. Noyce, executive associate dean of the College of Engineering and the Arthur F. Hawnn Professor of Transportation Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Read on to find out what those little blue lights mean—and what you should do when you see one.

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What does it mean if you see a blue traffic light?

A blue light—often called a confirmation light or red-signal indicator—is designed to help law enforcement monitor, from a distance, whether the traffic signal is displaying a red light. Yep, its whole purpose is to let a copper know if someone’s run a red.

In case you’ve never seen one of these yourself, it’s not an extra circle in the red, yellow, green lineup. The blue light will typically be mounted above the traffic signal or, in some cases, higher up or to the side on the overhead mast arms.

How does this work, exactly?

What do these blue lights mean?
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These blue lights are electrically linked to red lights on one or more of the approaches to the intersection. “Police use them to ‘observe’ the red light when they cannot see the actual red light directly,” Noyce explains. “Therefore, when the red-light traffic signal indication is illuminated, so is the blue light.”

Here’s the benefit: At signals without a blue light, an officer often has to be positioned near the same side of the intersection as a driver to confirm that they’ve run a red light. With a blue confirmation light, officers positioned at different angles or whose views are partially obstructed, perhaps by a tree branch, can verify that a signal is red by looking for the lit blue light, making it easier to spot drivers who fail to stop. Plus, it’s more efficient, since you need fewer officers to keep their eyes on the same stretch of road.

“The confirmation light is used to support a traffic law common in many states that requires a police officer to physically witness a violation to issue a citation,” Noyce says. “With the blue confirmation light, the police officer can physically witness red-light-running from anywhere in the intersection.”

Plus, according to a Federal Highway Administration research and technology report, these lights reduce the need for officers to cross the intersection against a red to pursue a driver who has run the signal. That makes the situation a whole lot safer for officers.

Are there any benefits for drivers?

While nobody likes getting a ticket, better enforcement of red-light violations can prevent future crashes by identifying and stopping drivers who repeatedly blow through red lights as well as make others tempted to do the same think twice. And that can save lives—not only those behind the wheel and their passengers, but pedestrians and bicyclists too. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 141,000 people were injured in red-light-running crashes in 2024, and 1,119 were killed. Of the fatalities, about half were pedestrians, bicyclists or occupants of vehicles struck by drivers who ran reds.

Why was blue chosen for these lights?

Partly to avoid sending mixed signals. The Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices advises that these lights “should be designed such that they do not confuse drivers,” meaning “they should not be red, yellow or green.” And since blue is not recognized as a standard traffic signal indication, Noyce notes that drivers are less likely to mistake it for a signal telling them to stop, slow down or go.

Plus, he adds, blue LEDs are relatively uncommon in the roadway environment and produce a highly visible and saturated light that stands out against the glow of headlights, streetlights and other signs, which tend to fall in the white, yellow, amber and red portions of the spectrum during the evening hours. Blue also has a strong association with law enforcement, reinforcing its purpose.

Where can you find blue traffic lights?

There’s no national database tracking where blue lights have been installed in the U.S., and they’re not part of the federal standard traffic signal system. As a result, confirmation-light usage is scattered, at best, and remains a locally adopted enforcement tool rather than a coordinated national practice, similar to blue stop signs. Since blue lights are not mandated by the federal government, local police departments and transportation agencies are usually the ones that decide to give them a try.

Based on his research and experience, Noyce says blue lights are most prevalent in Florida and Colorado, though they’ve also appeared in a handful of other states. In Minnesota, for example, the city of Maplewood installed the lights, and other communities followed, after the state’s Department of Transportation launched a formal safety study of Florida’s confirmation-light system and its effectiveness in 2014. That study found that crashes caused by red-light runners dropped by 33%.

And while social media may make blue lights seem like a newfound law-enforcement gadget, these devices have actually been around for years. They were reportedly in use as early as 2007 in Marysville, Washington. In general, though, because the devices are often installed in one intersection at a time—and not uniformly citywide—they tend to receive only sporadic local-news coverage.

What should you do if you see a blue traffic light?

The same thing you always do: Obey the normal traffic rules. It’s not there to convey anything to you—it’s strictly for police officers. (That said, blue-confirmation lights don’t necessarily indicate a cop is around.)

For the average driver, bicyclist or pedestrian, they “mean nothing from a ‘rules of the road’ standpoint,” Noyce says. “But, perhaps, some drivers will react differently by deciding not to run a red light when in other instances they may have considered it.”

Sources:

• David Noyce, PhD, executive associate dean of the College of Engineering and the Dr. Arthur F. Hawnn Professor of Transportation Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison; email interview, July 2026
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: “Red Light Running”
• Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology: “Safety Evaluation of Red-Light Indicator Lights at Intersections”
• HeraldNet: “Those Blue Lights on Traffic Signals Help Nab Red-Light Runners”
• Crossroads: “Six Effective Low-Cost Safety Improvements for Roads”

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Forever associated with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Curry brought that all-in exuberance to every role he played—even if Curry himself was a bit more reserved. But the cheeky humor we loved in roles from Clue to Broadway’s Spamalot was there all along, even as he suffered health setbacks in the last decade or so of his life: “The day before I had the stroke, I smoked three packs of Marlboro Reds,” he told the Guardian just last year. “I won’t be doing that again!”

I’ve been a Tim Curry fan since I was in middle school (Clue, again), but it was the audience-participation recordings of Rocky Horror that sealed the deal. I discovered them when I was a high school exchange student half a world from home, and something about the inclusive party atmosphere, and Curry’s enigmatic, winking portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, kept me from feeling lonely. I listened to them so often that when I pulled them out this summer for a road trip, I still knew every word.

Curry was a huge part of those memories, and he somehow inhabited a timeless space in my mind, so the news of his death was a shock. He also showed up everywhere, playing villains (Charlie’s Angels) and bumbling British cretins (Home Alone 2) and doing so much voice work that it’s amazing he still had a voice left. It’s hard to pick his top five roles, but let’s try, shall we? Read on as we count down to our No. 1 pick.

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5. Legend (1985)

Curry is often celebrated for his comedy, but let’s start with a drama—he’s just that versatile. In this Ridley Scott dark fantasy film starring Tom Cruise, Curry gets to flex his villain chops as the Lord of Darkness, a cloven-hoofed demon who wants to, well, plunge the world into darkness.

Curry reportedly spent five-and-a-half hours in makeup every day getting transformed into the unicorn-hating antagonist. And even though the movie was a box-office disappointment, it surely wasn’t due to Curry’s performance, which audiences loved. The movie also went on to be nominated for multiple awards for makeup and music.

4. Annie (1982)

Any time you can get Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters and Carol Burnett in the same room together, you know they’re going to deliver a showstopper. And that’s just what they did in 1982’s Annie. Curry plays Rooster, the smarmy brother to Burnett’s Miss Hannigan, and he oozes sleaze from every pore as he and his dimwit girlfriend, Lily (Peters), scheme to kidnap little orphan Annie.

Curry is outstanding in this big-budget movie version of the Broadway megahit, which was based on the long-running comic strip set during the Depression. Even surrounded by Broadway titans like Ann Reinking and Albert Finney, Curry runs away with this film. And when the nefarious trio of kidnappers, led by Curry, belts out “Easy Street,” dreaming of the day they can cash in on the reward offered by Daddy Warbucks, you know you’re in the presence of greatness.

3. Clue (1985)

I will never forget seeing this one in the movie theater—perhaps because I went back the very next day to see it again—and I have since watched it dozens of times. Based on the popular board game of the same name, Curry plays Wadsworth, the butler at a stodgy New England estate who must wrangle an unruly group of guests who are all suspected of murder.

Filled with memorable one-liners (“flames on the side of my face,” anyone?), Clue was released with three different endings, mirroring the board game’s possible outcomes, and mixed reviews. It has since become a major cult favorite, and Curry’s bemused, rat-a-tat-tat delivery is one reason why. When asked what a butler does, he quips, “I buttle.” After he launches into a long explanation of the crime, he says, “And to make a long story short …,” to which the entire cast retorts, “Too late.”

2. It (1990)

I can barely write about this one. Curry plays Pennywise, an ancient evil being that takes the form of a demented killer clown who lives in the sewers. The 1990 television miniseries was adapted from Stephen King’s novel, and more than 37 million people watched this primetime show, which was on regular television, not cable or streaming, for two whole frightening nights.

Curry was so good in the role that in his memoir, he said people often came up to him to tell him how traumatized they were, even decades later. “But I’ve never really known how to respond to that,” he wrote in his characteristically dry and thoughtful manner. “It’s not the most charming conversation starter, and invariably leads to a less-than-delightful discussion to navigate.”

1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Talk about a cult favorite! This low-budget monster-movie spoof stars Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a cross-dressing mad scientist whose home Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon) seek shelter in when their car breaks down. Things get absolutely wonderful from there, as the naive couple realizes they’ve stumbled into a party filled with characters not found at the junior chamber of commerce.

As the music (and antici … pation) builds, a caped Curry in full makeup drops into the scene in a caged elevator. Janet faints, and he introduces himself with a booming baritone: “How’d you do, I … see you’ve met my … faithful handy-man” and launches into “Sweet Transvestite,” a song about accepting people for who they are. It’s just one of Curry’s many iconic moments in this tiny movie (and before that, a London stage play) that became a sensation with audiences, if not critics.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show can still be seen in theaters more than 50 years after it was released, often around Halloween. Curry also lent his voice to a Fox television remake, and Dr. Frank-N-Furter has become so heavily associated with Curry that he was often asked about his legacy as the fishnet-wearing doc. In his characteristically understated way, he told the Los Angeles Times: “There’s not a lot I can do about it really.”

That’s how we feel about losing you, Mr. Curry.

Sources:

• The Guardian: “The Big Interview: Tim Curry”
• Fresh Air: “Tim Curry remembers his first film role in ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show'”
• Los Angeles Times: “Tim Curry does the time warp again in Fox’s new ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’”

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Aries (March 21–April 19)

The fall equinox activates your house of partnership, Aries, which means you’re eager to pair up. Whether you’ve been wanting to launch a business with a close friend, move the ball forward on a professional goal with a colleague or take your romantic bond to the next level, you have the wind in your sails now. Though you tend to excel at flying solo, showing up within your one-on-one relationships can help you make impressive strides on your boldest aspirations, which is music to your ambitious ears.

One word of warning: With the full moon falling in your sign and house of self just a few days after the equinox, your emotions could be running high. Your instinct might be to push through challenging feelings by working out or putting your nose to the grindstone at the office, but allowing yourself to fully acknowledge any heartache that requires healing is your best bet. Reach out to a therapist to work on stress management, or pour what’s in your heart into a beloved imaginative outlet, such as crafting, painting, dancing or journaling.

Taurus (April 20–May 20)

Taurus, you are ruled by Venus, the planet of relationships, which means you’re incredibly devoted to your friends and family. And given how much of a homebody you are, you prefer to host at home whenever possible.

But steel yourself: With the sun moving into fellow Venus-ruled sign Libra and your house of daily routine, the fall equinox can have you running around from one appointment, workout or social commitment to the next. While this could be a little anxiety-inducing, given your typical preference to snuggle up on the couch versus hit the town, your ability to take care of business at a slow, steady, deliberate pace will ensure you’re up to the task.

With Venus in your house of partnership until Oct. 25, you’ll do well to ask for help from a significant other, close friend or trusted colleague to lighten your load. Whether you need an extra set of hands while you prep for a bake sale or company on your morning walk, you’ll feel especially supported now.

Gemini (May 21–June 20)

Prepare yourself for more fun, creativity and playfulness, Gemini, because 2026’s fall equinox astrology is sure to boost your bliss! That’s because the sun will be moving into your house of romance and self-expression—a fun-loving, lighthearted zone that will amplify your artistic impulses and ability to be even more spontaneous and lighthearted than usual (yes, really).

This means you’ll be raring to go when it comes to saying “yes” to booking that last-minute Airbnb stay with friends or an out-of-the-blue romantic weekend getaway with a significant other. Your ruling planet, information-gathering Mercury, will be here too, pulling your mental energy toward this more heart-led way of being in the world. If you can dream it, you can make it happen.

And because the sun is harmonizing with rebellious Uranus in your sign, you’ll feel empowered to march to the beat of your own drum. You might be motivated to try a wardrobe makeover or to dive into an artistic endeavor that has you feeling truly inspired.

Cancer (June 21–July 22)

Although you’re already wired to prioritize quality time with loved ones and feeling cozy in the comfort of your home, the fall equinox will bring even more harmony to your family bonds, Cancer. That’s because the sun lights up your house of home life, making it easier to bond with loved ones, nurture your sense of security and tend to your emotional well-being.

Smoothing over any ongoing conflicts with relatives, infusing your surroundings with more beauty and reveling in beloved fall traditions—like decorating your porch with mums and pumpkins or whipping up your favorite recipes—feel intuitively right. You’ll likely be more centered and happy, because this sentimental, cozy vibe aligns with your innate nature. Feeling more creative and being more spontaneous with loved ones is also in the cards, thanks to Venus being in your house of romance until Oct. 25.

You can also look forward to the fact that Mars is about to start moving through your income house. This will amplify your ability to go to bat for more income-boosting opportunities.

Leo (July 23–Aug. 22)

Being the charismatic friend-magnet that you are, Leo, you’re always eager to make new connections. And with the sun and the moon in your house of communication during the fall equinox, your social life will be especially buzzy.

Not only will it be easier than usual to make a fun game plan with your inner circle, but with your mental energy so high right now, you can also dive into productive brainstorms and come up with brilliant ideas alongside friends and colleagues. The first month of fall could also see you sneaking in a getaway or honing a new skill set like gardening. No matter what you’ve been craving, don’t hesitate to go for it—you’re more likely to get others on board now.

All of this will be happening just ahead of Mars, the planet of action, entering your sign on Sept. 27. This will bring a major surge of get-up-and-go energy that you can channel into your most ambitious goals, whether you want to take your fall wellness routine to the next level or make your mark professionally.

Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

Good news, Virgo: The fall equinox will allow you to feel even more self-assured when tackling your moneymaking plans. You’ll be inspired to go after new sources of income and to take stock of your current saving and investing approaches, ensuring they’re in line with your values.

This is also a beneficial moment for reflecting on your self-worth and whether you’re being properly compensated for your time, energy and skills. You may find you can be more assertive when making a play for a raise or promotion, pursuing a side hustle or researching what it would take to start your own business. With both the sun and your ruling planet, Mercury, in this zone, you’ll knock it out of the park.

As industrious as you are, you’ll also want to be sure you’re building in enough downtime, because with Mars in your house of spirituality after Sept. 27, you’ll be nudged to be more intentional with your time and energy. Make a point to prioritize restorative activities like bird watching, a low-impact yoga class or deadzoning.

Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Welcome to the limelight, Libra! The fall equinox is tied to the kickoff of your season, and the sun will be cruising through your self-image house, making you the star of the show as well as a magnet for more joyfulness until Oct. 23. From going for that well-deserved recognition on the job to sharing what’s in your heart with loved ones, the sun in your sign has you feeling empowered, confident and unstoppable.

You may even notice that your signature traits—seeking peace and harmony, bringing more balance and beauty into every space you enter and prioritizing partnership—are amplified and applauded now. Make the most of this by asking for the one-on-one time you’re craving from a partner or lending your artistic eye to a creative endeavor, like redecorating your bedroom.

Also of note? It’s a good time to enlist friends or family to support your income-generating goals, perhaps by referring others to your business or pitching in when you’re working toward a deadline, because relationship-oriented Venus is in your house of money until Oct. 25.

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

Though privacy, intimacy and your inner dream life are aspects of life you value deeply all year long, Scorpio, you’ll be feeling even more reserved than usual around the fall equinox, because the sun is entering your spirituality house.

This sector is all about introspection and psychological well-being, so consider reflecting on how you can better tend to emotional wounds that you’ve been carrying for some time. Though this might sound a bit isolating, with Venus in your sign until Oct. 25, you’re also in a place where you can lean on loved ones to talk your feelings through when you feel comfortable opening up. You’ll also find it’s easier to infuse your life with more pleasure and comfort.

And heads up: Mars will be landing in your career house a few days after the equinox, on Sept. 27, elevating how much energy you’ll have to achieve big-picture goals and earn recognition from higher-ups. You might be empowered to step into a leadership position or entirely redefine what success means for you.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)

More jovial, fun-filled quality time with your friends is something you’re always aiming for, Sagittarius, and that’s exactly what the 2026 fall equinox brings you, as the sun moves into your house of friendship while the moon activates your house of communication.

This is your annual opportunity to pour even more of yourself into your platonic bonds, to be a team player, to connect with your community and to network all along the way. Bringing your innate go-big-or-go-home attitude to all these endeavors will also pave the way for you to make strides on long-term wishes—another part of your life that’s activated by the astrology of the fall equinox.

You can also take advantage of Mars, the planet of action and energy, moving into your house of adventure, philosophy and higher education on Sept. 27. For about two months, you can be even bolder than usual when it comes to stepping out of your comfort zone and soaking up knowledge. Consider booking a long-distance trip, working with an inspiring mentor or pursuing a more advanced degree.

Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

You’re a pro at putting your nose to the grindstone, Capricorn, which makes this time of year an especially thrilling one for you, because the sun is traveling through your house of career and your public image. Whether you’ve been itching for higher-ups to acknowledge your efforts on the job or you’re flirting with the idea of taking a more entrepreneurial approach to your goals, the fall equinox opens doors for you. Talk through your achievements with someone in a position of power, or go to bat for that ambitious proposal you’ve been musing about for months, and you’ll come out swinging.

Consider setting new foundations at home that will support your ambitions too, especially around Sept. 26 when the full moon in your house of home life connects with taskmaster Saturn. Having a heart-to-heart with loved ones about how they can help pitch in or otherwise have your back so you have more room to chase your dreams could make a world of difference.

Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

Aquarius, you’ve likely noticed you’re already moving through a season of thrilling change, because August’s solar eclipse activated your house of partnership. Now, the fall equinox will nudge you to shake things up with a surge of restlessness and a skyrocketing desire to make more room for fun, learning and satiating any wanderlust, because the sun is in your house of adventure.

This is the time to explore new ways of seeing the world, meet people outside of your usual friend group and overhaul your typical routine, perhaps by traveling or taking an eye-opening class. When the sun harmonizes with Uranus in your house of self-expression on Sept. 28, you could have an especially exciting epiphany about how to follow your heart.

And with action-oriented Mars in your partnership house after Sept. 27, you’ll be fired up to enlist a significant other, close friend or colleague to join you as you blaze new trails.

Pisces (Feb. 19–March 20)

Whether you want to make strides with family members or you’re craving closeness with your significant other, the fall equinox has rewards in store for you, Pisces! You’ll enjoy greater confidence as the sun enters your house of joint finances and intimacy. In turn, you can better connect with someone special—whether that’s a significant other or family member—through meaningful moments, deep conversation or heartwarming snuggle sessions.

Don’t hesitate to embrace this opportunity fully; it should feel especially therapeutic coming off of August’s draining lunar eclipse in your sign. And with Venus moving through your house of adventure until Oct. 25, you’ll be inspired to broaden your horizons alongside the people you care about the most. That could look like joining forces to experiment in the kitchen and cook up flavorful brunch recipes together, taking a mindfulness class or finally visiting that art exhibit you’ve been wanting to check out.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest provides an easy-to-understand guide to all things astrology—from understanding sun signs, moon signs and rising signs to exploring each zodiac sign’s strengths, challenges and desires. You’ll learn about your ideal match in love, career, hobbies and more, as well as learn how big astrological events will affect you. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including practicing astrologers, as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on fall equinox 2026 astrology, Maressa Brown tapped her experience as a professional astrologer and the author of Raising Baby by the Stars: A New Parent’s Guide to Astrology to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

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