Spring in Southeast Asia: Diasporic Chinese New Year Folklore
Here are a couple of folklore and stories associated with Chinese New Year. I have grown up with these stories as they are part of tradition and culture.
Dumplings and Dragonboats: The Chinese Duan Wu Festival
When I was a little girl, I used to watch with open-mouthed admiration and puzzlement as my mother prepared the ingredients for the making of zong zi (rice wrapped in leaf). She would make a variety of fillings: sweet chestnuts, dried shrimp, pork meat, and mushrooms. There would be a lot of soaking, stewing and […]
Loud and Proud: Battle Jackets as Folk Art
What unites bikers, punks, feminists and sewing? Scott Malthouse explores the social history of battle jackets.
The Devil in the Room: Researching the History of Witchcraft in Ireland
The narrative of witchcraft in Ireland is a subject often left out of major surveys of the wider history of witchcraft. Dr. Andrew Sneddon’s research explores the presence and complexities of witchcraft beliefs and traditions in an Irish context.
Putting Their Faith in the Fairies: BBC Northern Ireland’s Fascination with the ‘Wee Folk’
Fairies were frequently blamed in Irish culture for events out of the ordinary or scenarios that were difficult to explain. An interest, curiosity, and belief in the fairies also holds an association with Irish cultural identity.