When the Portuguese conquered the Dutch colony of Recife on the coast of Brazil in 1654, they gave the Jewish settlers the same terms as the Protestant Dutch: accept the Roman Catholic faith or get ...

Forget ugly sweater parties, this is our new national Christmas tradition: 1) a public venue creates a forum and invites everyone to erect displays; 2) Secular Humanists, Satanists, and other ...

Rancher Joe Evans got his religion in an American frontier home where a Bible and a rifle were the two indispensable items of furniture. His rancher father and his mother were devout Baptists, and ...

Once again, the season of Advent prepares to give way to the celebration of Christmas. With it comes a host of traditions, not the least of which is the venerable Christmas tree, often held up as a ...

(RNS) — It was Christmas Eve in 1923. A church choir sang, Marine band members played and the president of the United States pressed a button to light the first National Christmas Tree under the gaze ...

Explore how evergreens shaped winter rituals and how the Christmas tree evolved through culture, religion, and modern ...