rituals

The Peradeniya campus, in the telling by Thalif Deen, is a place where scholarship and satire mixed as naturally as monsoon winds and mango trees — a compact world of rituals, inside jokes, high-table formalities and the kind of campus legends that survive generations. The Sunday Times piece...

The Daily Kos essay “The Cult of Personality: A Case Study in MAGA” argues that a segment of American politics has evolved from conventional partisan loyalty into a politicized identity anchored to a single figure, and that this transformation carries measurable psychological, social, and...

As Jaipur’s iconic Govind Devji Temple readies itself for the vibrant festival of Holi, a season defined by explosive colors and exuberant gatherings, a quiet transformation is unfolding within its sacred precincts. Aiming to reconcile tradition with modernity and spirituality with practical...

It’s not every day that you find history, penitence, and high jinks converging in a swirling fiesta of lashing ropes, gleeful splashes, and a meme storm brewing online—all under the hot Mexican sun. Yet, year after year, in the delirious crescendo of Holy Week, towns across Mexico deliver...

Some families cook together. Others bond over board games. But for Inara Rusli and her clan, the key to bringing everyone a little closer can be found in the form of a quirky blue Hello Kitty tote bag, stuffed not with toys or snacks, but with vials of British Propolis—a supplement that has...

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Elephants made a bit of a splash as they soaked crowds with their trunks in Thailand to mark the Songkran water festival. In Ayutthaya province, 50 miles north of Bangkok, the animals filled their trunks to drench tourists and locals who were celebrating on the streets. The natural...

Ancient human bones found in an English cave not only show signs of cannibalism but also seem to have served another gruesome role: providing the raw material for so-called "skull cups." These skulls-turned-goblets may have been used as vessels for blood, food or potent drinks during rituals...