The Fascinating Origins of 15 Spring Symbols and Traditions
As you’re celebrating the sunny season with domestic cleanses, painted eggs, and frenzied grappling matches over beer barrels, you might begin to wonder where these rituals came from.
As you’re celebrating the sunny season with domestic cleanses, painted eggs, and frenzied grappling matches over beer barrels, you might begin to wonder where these rituals came from.
Why do people wear green on St. Patrick's Day? And why do they eat corned beef and cabbage? Let’s dive into the origins of some popular ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
You might not realize that the Amish sometimes drive in cars and operate power tools.
Frankincense and myrrh are a fragrant part of traditional Christmas celebrations, but what exactly are these pebble-like perfumes?
Every winter, Jewish people around the world spend eight nights lighting candles, eating latkes, and spinning dreidels. But what’s Hanukkah really all about?
The Garden of Earthly Delights is a piece so ripe with symbolism that it inspires intense curiosity more than 500 years after it was painted.
In 1864, the Jewish poet Ludwig August Frankl named blue and white “the colors of Judah” in a poem not so surprisingly called “Judah’s Colours.”
When Octavia E. Butler wrote her science fiction novel ‘The Parable of the Sower,’ she vowed to include only things that could actually happen.
What is a placebo? Technically, a Latin phrase meaning ‘I will please.’ It’s also a Catholic prayer and a clever insult.
Not every cult is a commune-based religious organization run by a charismatic man.
For practicing Catholics, meat is off limits on Fridays during Lent. But they might be able to make an exception this March 17.
Jesus’s birthday is subject to interpretation, and there are plenty of intriguing theories to explain how we landed on December 25 to celebrate Christmas.
The tradition of eating ham on Christmas dates back to Nordic animal sacrifices.
If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to attend a séance during the spiritualist movement, this clip will give you an idea.
Blavatsky asserted that she was able to perform extraordinary paranormal feats because she had been given access to an ancient wisdom, known only to a select few.
Casting your ballot in a house of worship may influence you more than you realize.
Despite being half-sisters, the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth Tudor was difficult.
Beavers, muskrats, and capybaras are acceptable to eat on Fridays during Lent, according to the Catholic Church.
If you plan to celebrate Fat Tuesday on March 1 with a doughnut or slice of King Cake, learn about the origins of the tradition.
Star Wars’ most infamous fallen Jedi has been bearing down on unsuspecting cathedral visitors since 1986.
You’re not really wishing someone a good ‘bye.’ ‘Bye’ is just an abbreviation—and ‘good’ is sort of a mistake.
Over the centuries, relic fragments of what are said to be St. Nick’s bones have been acquired by an impressive number of churches around the world.
Exorcism has a fascinating, unsettling history, and it’s left an indelible mark on pop culture thanks to films like 1973's 'The Exorcist.' Here are six historical exorcisms that are every bit as chilling as anything Hollywood can produce.
Stained-glass windows depicting Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were removed in 2017. Now, Kerry James Marshall is working on their replacements.