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A gnarly yes tree
Defynnog, Wales

Defynnog Yew

Estimated to be more than 5,000 years old, this yew may be Britain’s oldest.
The Zvoncari bell ringers banish winter with noise.
festivals

Croatia Bans Winter By Partying Like ‘Where the Wild Things Are’

Let spring's wild rumpus begin.
Justin McDonnell May 2, 2024
End winter with some fiery chaos.
festivals

Spinning Balls of Fire Light Up Spring in This German Town

Plus fireworks, music, and maybe a goddess or two.
Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey April 30, 2024
Copenhagen, Denmark

'Trold, der vejrer kristenblod' ('Troll, which Sniffs Out Christian Blood')

Positioned outside a church, this sinister folkloric figure incited protests in both 1902 and 2002.
Stockbridge, England

Danebury Hillfort

One of the most studied Iron Age settlements in Europe.
Dunsfold, England

St Mary's and All Saints Church & Holy Well

An ancient yew tree and holy well nestle beside a remarkable 13th-century church.
Cliffony, Ireland

Creevykeel Court Tomb

One of Ireland's best-preserved chambered cairns can be found next to a wishing tree.
Frau Perchta is often called the Christmas Witch, but that is just one aspect of who she is: a powerful winter goddess who has endured a centuries-old campaign to vilify her.
holidays

Fearsome Frau Perchta Is an Ancient Alpine Winter Goddess

Today, she's commonly called the Christmas Witch or even "the female Krampus"—but she is so much more.
Victoria Linchong December 29, 2023
Looming over the people he visits, clacking his jaws and dancing wildly, Turoń may look terrifiying, but he just wants to deliver blessings.
ancient

Meet Turoń, Poland's Dancing Bull-Beast of Winter

The ancient tradition of Turoń bestowing blessings has faded but, like the creature itself, it may be resurrected.
Emma Cieslik December 15, 2023
Torches are made from trees that were sick, dying, or were felled during winter storms.
festivals

The Italian Town That Welcomes Winter With a Procession of Fire

Every December, thousands of torches transform Agnone into the fire capital of the world.
Asia London Palomba December 13, 2023
In this 1873 watercolor, artist Frank Dicksee shows Viking raiders heading for land.
pirates

The Muddled Origins of the Word ‘Viking’

The now common term wasn't used to describe medieval Scandinavians until the 19th century.
Martyn Whittock November 16, 2023
More people are mounting horse heads on poles throughout Iceland.
vikings

Impaled Horse Heads Are Appearing More and More Around Iceland

The rise of paganism in the country is reigniting a macabre ritual from the Viking Age.
Olivia Young October 25, 2023
A towering maypole surrounded by trees
Oregon, Ohio

Der Maibaum (The Maypole)

A focal point for the German American Festival-Society symbolizing the "Spirit of Unity' and fellowship for the Toledo area.
A damaged sarcophagus sits in a stone-walled burial chamber
Ibiza, Spain

Puig des Molins Necropolis

The largest and best preserved necropolis in the Western Mediterranean.
Wander into our forest of blood-chilling spring tales—if you dare.
cryptozoology

Spring Is for Monsters, Ancient Rituals, and Scary Stories

From haunting tales of the Bell Witch to child-eating swamp monsters, the season is full of frights.
Sarah Durn May 8, 2023
In 2015, this effigy of the Pagan goddess Marzanna met a fiery end.
witchcraft

In Poland, Drowning the Pagan Goddess Marzanna Ushers in Spring

A straw effigy of the winter goddess is burned and then submerged in chilly waters.
Sarah Laskow May 3, 2023
However long this snowman effigy, known as the BÓ§Ó§gg, takes to burn will determine the remaining length of winter.
ancient

To Banish Winter in This Tiny Wisconsin Town, Burn a Swiss Snowman

The burning of the Bӧӧgg is like a fiery version of Groundhog’s Day, but with fireworks and sausages.
Tea Krulos May 2, 2023
Every May, an ancient Celtic festival, known as Beltane, is held atop Calton Hill in Edinburgh, where participants eat a mysterious Beltane bannock cake.
festivals

Why 18th-Century Scots Performed Mock Human Sacrifices Over Cake

This May Day, make Beltane bannock, a simple snack with a long history of superstition and divination.
Sam O'Brien May 1, 2023