Llainfadyn cottage. This 1762 cottage is solidly-built of mountain boulders, and a pair of stout oak trusses supports the roof of small, locally-quarried slates.

Vernacular Architecture in Wales

The pioneering collection of farm and craft buildings at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff preserves traditional design and building techniques.
Jack O' lantern in midnight forest.

From Samhain to Halloween

Exploring the Celtic origins of everyone's favorite harvest holiday celebrating thresholds between life and death.
Telling the bees painting

“Telling the Bees”

In nineteenth-century New England, it was held to be essential to whisper to beehives of a loved one’s death.
Merry Christmas in Gaelic

How Irish Holidays Blend Catholic and Pagan Traditions

Many Irish holidays blend the Catholic faith with ancient Celtic tradition and mythology. Some original pagan holidays are still practiced in Ireland today.
Easter Card ca. 1907

The Easter Bunny, or, Why We Love Rabbits

The human fascination with rabbits, including the Easter Bunny, is long and deep. But why rabbits? 
Hitler salutes marching Nazis in Weimar – Oct 1930

What Christmas Meant to the Nazis

The Nazi regime used Christmas to foster among the German people a sense of national unity and pride.