Why Winter Solstice Celebrations Persist
The El Castillo step pyramid (center) is part of the Chichén Itzá archaeological site in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Steve Elmore/Getty Images At the ancient Maya-Toltec ceremonial comple…
Tag: Holidays
How Halloween Has Traveled the Globe
A young girl attends a Día de Muertos celebration in Mexico dressed in a Halloween costume. Peter Langer/Getty Images Wendy Fonarow arrived in Mexico City late in October…
On Fat Tuesday, Break an Egg Over Someone’s Head
A group of hard-working young market traders in Antigua, Guatemala, take a break to smash cascarones over each other’s heads. Dawn Starin Right now, families throughout the Americas…
A Christmas Anth(rop)ology
For this week’s blog, we decided to each write some thoughts on Christmas, from varied anthropological perspectives. We come at this from the position of people who were…
Why Do We Wrap Presents?
[no-caption] Buppha Wuttifery/Getty Images The holiday season is here. That means presents under Christmas trees, next to menorahs, accompanying Kwanzaa candles, traded at white elephant …
大鸡大利 | Year of the Cock
It’s a joke so obvious and trite that I tried very hard to avoid it, but eventually everyone around me was cracking it, and sometimes the cheapest jokes…
Giving Gifts and the Spirit of Sharing
Giving Gifts and the Spirit of Sharing Summary: Why can’t you get rid of that ugly sweater from Grandma? What rules dictate your selection of gifts this holiday…
The relevANTH Guide to Choosing a Culturally Sensitive Halloween Costume
Just… no. It’s that time of year again, when millions of Americans hit the streets dressed as terrifying celebrities, food items, and ethically questionable depictions of others’ cul…
Surviving the Holidays, Anthropologist Style
As the holidays inch closer, and you’re beginning to dread joining the bag of mixed nuts you call your family, consider approaching them with anthropologists’ eyes this year.…
(How) Do Anthropologists Celebrate Valentine’s Day?
As an anthropologist, the first thought that comes to mind as we approach an upcoming holiday is typically, How do they celebrate this holiday in X?—X being a…