In a modern era often disconnected from heritage and tradition, the quaint villages of West Yorkshire’s Colne Valley are doubling down on their offbeat local festivals.

This time of year, I often run across articles proclaiming Halloween a modern form of the pagan Irish holiday of Samhain (pronounced SAW-en).  But as a historian of Ireland and its medieval literature ...

Christians in many countries around the world are celebrating All Saints' Day on Friday, a somber and spiritual day in the ...

Anthropologist and pagan Lyn Baylis tells the BBC: "Fire rituals to bring light into the darkness were vital to Samhain, which was the second most important fire festival in the Pagan Celtic world ...

Halloween has a long and interesting history that has changed a lot over time. It all started more than 2,000 years ago with ...

Switzerland has many customs that are tied to the calendar - most are of pagan origin or have a religious connection. The festivals celebrated in Switzerland differ considerably depending on the ...

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Lisa Bitel, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences (THE CONVERSATION ...

Now celebrated around the world, Halloween’s origins can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain with many ...

They observed lingering customs in rural areas of Britain and Ireland and searched medieval texts for evidence that these practices and beliefs had ancient pagan roots. They mixed stories of magic ...

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) The Irish often get credit – or blame – for the bonfires, pranksters, witches ...