295 Items Tagged

Tradition

Made of paper, bamboo, and found items, enormous, fearsome ogoh-ogoh figures are carried during Ngrupuk parades the night before Balinese New Year and then burned.

Meet the Creatures and Creators Behind Bali’s Parade for Banishing Evil Spirits

On the night before the Balinese New Year, villagers bring monsters to life—and then burn them.

Roxanne Hoorn May 1, 2024

Dancing Bull of Good Fortune

Third time's a charm, or in this case, two testicles are.

Bath Market Pillar

Bath Market Pillar

Since 1768, the pillar at Guildhall Market in Bath has been a hub of economic transactions.

Okavango Delta, Botswana - August 2, 2022. Western Tourists travelling in a mokoro, along the delta. This type of travel is traditional among the locals of the delta.

Wonder Is Everywhere: Harlem Renaissance, the Return of the Ruby Slippers, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.

April White March 29, 2024

The Easter egg tree custom, pictured here in Saalfeld, Germany, has gained some ground in the United States.

7 Unexpected Easter Traditions

Why hide eggs when you can hang them on a tree?

April White March 22, 2024

In some Indigenous traditions in North America, people run toward solar eclipses, chasing away the Sun's attackers; others stay inside and avoid the event.

native americans

Indigenous Solar Eclipse Stories From Across Turtle Island

From rodents of unusual size to flaming arrows, communities across North America share solar eclipse traditions.

Roxanne Hoorn March 14, 2024

Sul Ross Desk

A group of college students hauled a desk up a mountain more than 40 years ago. The notebooks inside have become a makeshift time capsule.

An Arctic tern in flight; the seabirds were a critical source of food for the Beothuk people of Newfoundland, and also likely inspired some of their funerary traditions.

In Newfoundland, a Bird Spirit May Have Guided a Lost Culture's Dead

For centuries, the Beothuk people relied on seabirds to survive—and likely to find their way to the afterlife.

Nicky Nielsen February 7, 2024

As the Year of the Dragon Looms, We See Dragons Everywhere

This Lunar New Year welcomes the Wood Dragon, but these mythic animals never go out of style.

Gemma Tarlach January 29, 2024

Punxsutawney Phil has predicted a longer winter nearly every Groundhog Day.

A Primer on Both Groundhogs and Hedgehogs

Just in time for their moment in the sun (or not).

April White January 26, 2024

Looming over the people he visits, clacking his jaws and dancing wildly, Turoń may look terrifiying, but he just wants to deliver blessings.

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

Traditional wooden nutcrackers await the finishing touches at the Füchtner family workshop in Germany, where the iconic style is said to have originated.

The Family Behind the First Traditional Nutcracker Is Still Making Them

Wilhelm Füchtner's iconic 1870s design began a legacy that continues in the same small workshop in Germany's Ore Mountains.

Carole Rosenblat December 5, 2023

Nativity Scenes Celebrate Diverse Christmas Culture Around the World

Featuring devils, yurts, and Yule Lads, traditional crèche sets can tell unique stories about their communities.

Kayla Harris and Neomi De Anda December 4, 2023

Podcast: The Wishing Tree

Portland's hopes and dreams can be found hanging from its branches.

The Podcast Team October 19, 2023

By the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC), both royals and non-royals were buried with dozens of figurines known as shabti, which would serve them in the afterlife.

In Ancient Egypt, Human Sacrifice and Shabti Figures Ensured an Afterlife of Servitude

Clay figurines and murdered retainers provided plenty of company—and a workforce—for the dead.

Nicky Nielsen October 17, 2023

Wisconsin's Wolf River, which flows through the Menominee Indian Reservation, where Indigenous traditions guide sustainable forestry.

In Wisconsin, the Menominee Tribe's Sustainable Forestry Is Visible From Space

The Menominee Tribe's tradition of doing "what's best for the forest" has become a global model for sustainability.

Fred Pearce September 11, 2023

These industrious beetles can live up to a few years without food, and rarely need water, making them unfortunately easy pets.

objects of intrigue

The Living, Breathing Brooches of the Yucatán

The live, jewel-encrusted beetles called maquechs are tied to an ancient legend, but some worry for their future.

Roxanne Hoorn September 7, 2023

Costa Rican designs for oxcarts are iconic and can be spotted throughout the country. The intricate patterns represent birds and foliage found in the dense forests, as well as spear tips from Indigenous and Aztec designs, and colors represent different regions.

A Look Inside the Last Colorful Oxcart Factory in Costa Rica

Uriel Alfaro Castro shows his handmade Aztec wheels, which outperformed European designs.

Sarah Yeoman September 5, 2023