Category: folk art
AUSTRIA | SOUTH TYROL: On Saint Nicholas and the Krampus in Tyrol
Saint Nicholas with his long white beard, bishop’s miter and crosier rewards the well-behaved with gifts each year on 6th December. His scary counterpart Krampus wears fur, horns and a hand-carved mask with a lolling tongue, he comes to warn and punish naughty children (and adults). Discover Saint Nicholas and the Krampus in Tyrol.
ARGENTINA: El Gauchito Gil
Along roadsides throughout Argentina we notice mystical shrines with red flags flying around them. Discover the folk saint Gauchito Gil.
INDIA: Mythology and Diwali rituals of Narakasur in Goa
Narak Chaturdasi is celebrated for Diwali in Goa. Huge effigies of Narkasur, made of grass and hay, dressed in colorful paper clothes and armed with swords and other armaments, are erected in the days preceding Diwali. Narkasur is paraded in the neighborhood accompanied by drums and songs. After dawn with taunts and insults, Narkasur is…
ITALY | TYROL : Walter von der Vogelweide the Minnesinger of Bolzano
First thing you see when you arrive at the center of Bolzano is the monument in memory of the great poet Walther von der Vogelweide, the Minnesinger of Bolzano. He was a Minnesinger that probably lived in South Tyrol in Northern Italy around the year 1200.
INDIA | GOA: Mythology, rituals and history of Ganesh Chaturthi
Traveling and discovering is sometimes about being in the right place on the right day, for us that day was today, when India celebrates Ganesha Chaturthi. This festival is also popularly called Vinayaka Cavithi or Vinayaka Chaturthi. It’s celebrated in honor of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, remover of obstacles, the god of beginnings and…
INDIA | Himachal Pradesh: Mool Mahunag Annual fair of Karsog
Discover Myths and Legends of the Mool Mahunag Annual fair of Karsog, where devotees pray, play music, carry the murtis (god statues) and feast.
INDIA: Thaipusam – Lord Murugan festival at Palani
Discover Myths and Legends of the Thaipusam – Tamil Nadu’s Lord Murugan festival. Where Devotees carry the kavadi and pierce their backs, cheeks and mouths.
CHILE: Myths and Legends of the Moai on Rapa Nui-The Easter Island
The island’s enormous carved stone moai statues, have given allure for generations. Myths and Legends of the Moai on Rapa Nui- The Easter Island abound
INDIA: Gotipua folk dance tradition from Odisha
Discover the Gotipua folk dance tradition from Odisha that survives in the heritage village Raghurajpur on the banks of river Bhargabi.
INDIA: History, myth and folklore of Rasgulla in Odisha
Rasagola, or rasgulla, as many call it, is a traditional sweet from east India; Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is manufactured from Chena – cottage cheese, obtained by heat and acid coagulation of milk and cooked and caramelized in sugar juice. Discover history, myth and folklore of Rasgulla in Odisha, India.