Posts

Mistletoe
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The Rise and Fall of Mistletoe as a Christmas Tradition

Mistletoe is perhaps the most backwards of Christmas traditions. Most today associate mistletoe with a Christmas kiss – something that happens now rarely, if spontaneously – and only if mistletoe is included in festive activities (it rarely…
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The Yule Goat

Some Northern Scandinavian countries celebrate the Christmas season with the Yule Goat, a throw-back to an ancient practice some say has roots in paganism (those these connections are tenuous at best). While some naturally embrace the mythical…
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Legend of La Befana

By Jeff Westover Of the many images of Halloween none can be scarier for a child than that of a witch -- an ugly, stern, mean old woman with a broom. It is an element of Halloween that defies explanation, a betrayal of both history and tradition.…