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Articles on Ritual

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A confirmation class in 1924 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest/Wikimedia Commons

Shavuot: The Jewish holiday that became all about children

Shavuot, which was originally an ancient pilgrimage festival, has gone through many changes over the years – as has Judaism itself.
Parents and relatives of abducted students demanding the release of their families who had spent 55 days in captivity as at March 12, 2021. Photo by Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images

Who’s at risk of being kidnapped in Nigeria?

Nigerians are at risk of kidnapping as the cost of committing this crime is far less than its benefits.
Moms and dads have better physical and mental health when they dine with their children – despite all the work of a family meal. Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Family meals are good for the grown-ups, too, not just the kids

All that planning, shopping, prepping, serving and cleaning can pay off with better physical and mental health for all members of the family.
Prisoners are forced to play music as they lead a fellow prisoner to his execution at the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Votava/Imagno via Getty Images

How the Nazis used music to celebrate and facilitate murder

Music is supposed to transcend the mundane and horrific. Yet it has also served as an accompaniment to torture and punishment.
An important ceremony: the U.S. Capitol during President Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Why do presidential inaugurations matter?

Formal ceremonies and rituals can trigger psychological signals that command people’s attention and strengthen the perceived importance of those moments.
Saint Patrick. Thad Zajdowicz

10 things to know about the real St. Patrick

There are many myths associated with St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. But Patrick’s own writings and early biographies reveal the person behind the legend.

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