Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR’s international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
Christmas traditions
Posted inNPR
How cozy Yuletide traditions got their start with raging parties and animal sacrifice
Today, people consider “Yule” synonymous with “Christmas.” But centuries ago, Yule meant something different — a pagan mid-winter festival, dating back to pre-Christian Germanic people.
Posted inNPR
From bird droppings to holiday kisses: How we ended up under the mistletoe
The etymology of mistletoe — a plant with small, oval evergreen leaves and waxy white berries — may strike some as repugnant.
Posted inNPR
It’s Christmastime —– and if you live in the Alps, watch out! Krampus is coming
In Salzburg, Austria, Christmas involves both St. Nick and Krampus, a mythological punisher with roots stretching back to late antiquity and many fans in the present-day Central Alps.
Posted inNPR
The fun — and confusion — of celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah on the same date
Christmas and Hanukkah rarely fall on the same date, but this year they do. One mixed-faith family in Oakland, Calif., doubles down for double whammy holiday.
