The New Year’s Celebration You’ve Never Heard of
Chinese New Year celebrations are a well-known tradition in Southeast Asia, but how much do you know about Hmong New Year? Who Are the Hmong? The Hmong are a minority ethnic group who mainly live…
How to Enjoy Thailand’s Water Lantern Festival
Picture this: rivers, streams and lakes full of colourful, brightly glowing lanterns that sail into the night. This is Loi Krathong, Thailand’s Festival of Lights. Festival of Lights Loi (or Loy) Krathong is a Siamese…
How Wild is Cambodia’s Water Festival?
The Tonle Sap River and Mekong River are the backdrop for one of Southeast Asia’s largest yearly celebrations – Cambodia’s Water Festival. Origins Marking the end of the monsoon season, the Cambodian Water Festival of…
Where Is the Biggest Deepavali Celebration Outside of India?
Deepavali, Deepawali or Diwali is the Festival of Lights, symbolising the victory of light over darkness. A joyful celebration that is calculated according to the lunar calendar, it is observed each year by Hindus, Sikhs,…
Why Are Women Being Force-Fed at Fat Camps?
In West Africa’s rural Mauritania, women are risking their lives to marry. Men want their brides fat – a symbol of beauty and wealth. That has led to the dangerous tradition of force-feeding, or leblouh,…
Is Life as Meaningless as Nietzsche Thought?
Even though he died in 1900, Friedrich Nietzsche is arguably the most influential philosopher of the 20th century. Despite his anti-nationalistic beliefs, his writing inspired the Nazi Party and fascist ideology. How do his beliefs…
In What Ways Are Eggs Important to Us?
We take a look at the significance of eggs in cultures ancient and modern all around the world. Cosmic Eggs In Ancient Egypt one of the creation myths that explained how the world came into…
Gandhi, Lennon and the Power of Non-Violence
As armed conflicts still rage on in some parts of the world, we should remember that there is another path, another solution to conflict that need not involve the tragic loss of human life. The…
12 Tips to Survive the Hungry Ghost Month
If you want to get through hungry ghost month without encountering the ire of a hungry spirit there is a slew of taboo prohibitions that will keep you on your toes. Things to Avoid 1….
7 Day of the Dead Festivals from around the World
Honouring the spirits of our ancestors is a practice ingrained in many of the world’s cultures. Celebrations or commemorations for the dead are as widespread as they are ancient, and they form part of a…