holidays Archives - Page 4 of 8

Swan-Upping and Other Curious British Customs

June 18, 2023 boneandsickle birds, Britain, curiosities, EPISODE, folk customs, folklore, history, holidays, local legends, London, Midsummer, Victorian

Explore some curious British Customs with us, including those of Midsummer, swan-upping, egg-hopping, St. Bartholomew’s knives, and the violent tradition of[…]

Christmas Devils and the Feast of Fools

December 12, 2022 boneandsickle Boy bishop, Catholicism, Christmas, Devil, EPISODE, Feast of Fools, folk theater, folklore, history, holidays, manuscripts, New Year, Nicholas Plays, Satan, St. Nicholas, Twelve Days of Christmas

From St. Nicholas Day through Christmas, the Devil figured prominently in medieval plays, embodying a subversive seasonal element also celebrated[…]

An After-Dinner Reading: Decadent Dining in the Satyricon

November 23, 2022 boneandsickle EPISODE, history, holidays, literature, Rome, Satyricon

This short off-format episode is intended as a sort of fireside reading to be enjoyed by our overfull American listeners as[…]