Celebrations

From above, a ceramic bowl of a wheat berry porridge dotted with almonds and poppy seeds, a ceramic carafe if dark liquid, empty bowls and dishes, and a bouquet of dried wheat stalks with with yellow and blue ribbons - the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Celebrations, Foodways, Religion & Spirituality

“Food of the Gods” for Ukrainian Christmas: Kutia and Uzvar

December 12, 2023 | Tetiana Poshyvailo

Traditionally, there should always be twelve meatless dishes served for svyata vecherya, or Christmas Eve dinner.

A line of drummers wearing red vests and white shirts stand in the dessert on a clear, blue-skied day.

Celebrations, Cultural Sustainability

By Quad, Carriage, or Car: Journeying to the International Oasis Festival in Tozeur, Tunisia

March 6, 2023 | Rebecca Fenton, Sloane Keller

The forty-third edition of the festival, held December 24 to 27, 2022, showcased the city’s agriculture, artisans, and music.

In the foreground, a woman wearing a white apron with a Spanish-language slogan smiles at the camera. Behind her, a young woman and young girl places strips of brightly colored fruit candy and nuts on top of a rectangular ring cake.

Celebrations, Foodways

There’s a Baby in My Cake! Luck of La Rosca de Reyes on Three Kings Day

January 3, 2023 | Francesca Galván

Growing up in a Mexican American family, my fondest childhood memories always involve the Christmas season.

In a circular bowl, red bacon bits and orange cheddar cheese top a salad. Green peas and white dressing peak through from below.

Celebrations, Foodways

Duel of the Seven-Layer Salads: A Midwestern Family Initiation

December 23, 2022 | Jonathan “LJ” Banse

Seven-layer salad, possibly rooted in the American South, has become a staple of home-cooked Midwestern cuisine.

Close-up of a monarch butterfly on fallen brown pine needles. Its wings are orange, outlined in black, with white spots.

Celebrations, Environment, Religion & Spirituality

Winged Messengers: How Monarch Butterflies Connect Culture and Conservation in Mexico

October 30, 2022 | Tia Merotto

Each fall, like clockwork, clouds of monarchs descend upon the highland forests of central Mexico.

A man with a large round drum strapped to his chest watches a young boy wearing and playing a proportionally sized drum. Old color family photo.

Celebrations, History

The Drum Divide: Lambegs of Northern Ireland

July 11, 2022 | Hannah Julia Davis

July 12 marks the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, which cinched Protestant Ascendency in Northern Ireland.

A man dressed in a black suit blows into a sousaphone, posing with a group of young kids.

Celebrations

Music and Freedom on the Streets of Kyiv, 1990

March 9, 2022 | Richard Kurin

In May 1990, we traveled to Ukraine to participate in the second International Folklore Festival and a scholarly symposium on folklore in the contemporary world.

People dressed in military uniform and formal wear cluster at the start of a parade route on a wide road. In the background, an American flag flying above a banner that reads 'Bienvenidos Washington's Birthday Celebration,' and a solid line of inspection booths at an international border.

Celebrations, Community

The Perplexing Origins of George Washington’s Birthday Celebration in Laredo, Texas

February 18, 2022 | Norma Cantú

It was not until my twenties that I questioned why we went all out with celebrating someone so distant to our mejicano reality.

Bowl of pale brown rectangular vegetable cakes, set in front of orange citrus, a red envelope with Chinese characters in gold, and a red paper with a black, hand-painted Chinese character.

Celebrations, Foodways

Taiwanese Turnip Cake: A Taste of Luck and Grandma’s Love for Lunar New Year

February 1, 2022 | Yijo Shen

I loved all the Lunar New Year activities and dishes but one: turnip cake.

Plate of light brown rice, mixed with orange carrots and topped with chunks of browned meat, alongside a small bowl of yogurt or sour cream, a plate of tomato salad, and a bowl of cucumber pickles.

Celebrations, Foodways

Turkmen Pilaf to Foster Friendship and Celebrate the New Year

January 3, 2022 | Yuliya Gluhova

Every country in Central Asia has adopted pilaf in its own way.

Folklife Magazine explores how culture shapes our lives. We publish stories about music, food, craft, language, celebrations, activism, and the individuals and communities who sustain these traditions.

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