The witches of Benevento and their walnut tree Sabbats
We are in Italy. When the Romans conquered the area in the 3rd century B.C. they changed its original name Maleventum (meaning “bad event”) into Beneventum (“good event”) but, name […]
The fascinating story of Nocino, the witches’ liqueur.
Patron saints. Every Italian town has one and a local public holiday for celebrating their heavenly protector. In some italian regions, San Giovanni Battista or John the Baptist, is venerated […]
The albumen of St. John: a curious Italian tradition
John the Baptist is the most depicted saint in art of all centuries. His night has always been considered magical and prodigious, probably because it immediately follows the summer solstice […]
St John’s eve: ancient rituals to mark midsummer
Saint John’s Eve, starting at sunset on 23 June, is the eve of celebration before the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist. The Gospel of Luke states that John […]
The haunted tales of Huguenot Cemetery | St. Augustine | Florida
Founded in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest continuously-occupied city in America. Since antiquity and all the way to modernity, St. Augustine has been embroiled in all manner of […]
Holy Well of St. Madron – Cornwall
Cornish culture is legendary and mystery awaits around every corner in its land. Despite holy wells are water sources with specifically Christian associations, identified from as early as the 6th […]
St. Senara’s Curch and the legend of the Mermaid of Zennor~
A variety of fish-tailed gods were worshipped by the first civilisations of the Middle East, and the earliest known of these was Oannes, Lord of the Waters, who appeared about […]
Louise the Unfortunate’s grave at Natchez City Cemetery – Mississippi
The interesting headstones and epitaphs in Mississippi’s Natchez City Cemetery teach visitors about the area’s pioneering families. The cemetery was established in 1822, at which time many bodies were moved […]
The mysterious “Turning Angel” monument in Natchez City Cemetery – Mississippi, to commemorate a local tragedy
It sounds a bit unusual to consider a cemetery a major must-see, but once you glimpse the beauty of the Natchez City Cemetery and to know the history of some […]
Roche Rock Hermitage: a ruined 15th-century hermitage steeped in myth and mystery~
Roche, in cornish dialect “Tregarrek”, which mean homestead of the rock, is a civil parish and village in mid-Cornwall, United Kingdom. Atop a 20-meters-tall tourmaline granite, outcrop looking out at […]
Why do we have Easter bunny and Easter eggs?
All the fun things about Easter have pagan roots, and It is not a coincidence if the most widely-practiced customs on Easter Sunday are associated to the rabbit (“Easter bunny”) […]
Some surprising things you (probably) didn’t know about Good Friday
Have you heard of the theory that it storms on Good Friday in the afternoon between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.? The Christian belief is Christ’s crucifixion occurred on this […]
Costumes, dancing, and food: Malanka is Ukraine’s biggest party
In Ukraine, Malanka is much more than a party: it’s one of the oldest, happiest, most vibrant days of the year in local culture. It is a folk holiday celebrated […]
March, 17: It’s St Patrick’s Day!
All we known that March 17 is St Patrick’s Day, a cultural and religious holiday celebrated every year in Ireland and by Irish communities around the world. The celebration marks […]
The Old Man of Storr – Scotland
From rock-dwelling giants to mermaids and seals who steal the hearts of local women, Scotland’s islands still today teem with tales of their legendary pasts. We are in the Isle […]
Portland Troll Bridge – Oregon
There is a popular story, “Three Billy Goats Gruff”, in which three little goats are trying to get across a bridge, but a troll who lives underneath it threatens to […]
