Since Belgium is an amalgamation of German, French, and Dutch groups, the Christmas traditions differ from one part of the country to another and from one linguistic group to another. Many regional ...

The May sun beats down on Jozef Gabcik. For over an hour, the 30-year-old Czechoslovak has been waiting impatiently at a tram stop in the Prague suburb of Libeň. The morning heat is so intense that ...

The Shaolin monks brought the Gùn (Chinese: 棍), a staff used in their style of stick combat, to Japan. In that region, the gùn underwent various changes before becoming known as the bō. During this ...

The Lucerne hammer is a type of polearm weapon, which combines the features of a stabbing, striking, and polearm weapon. It was used extensively by European infantrymen from the 15th century up to the ...

The atlatl is a device used to throw spears. It works by extending the throwing arm. The spear accelerates with this motion and reaches a speed of over 90 mph (150 km/h) which is much higher than ...

The Song Dynasty began in 960 CE, following several decades of political chaos in China. China was divided and in the midst of civil war, with each faction trying to recreate the Empire and take ...

Asian Christmas rituals include elements of Western and native cultures. Midnight Mass, Christmas cribs, and gift exchanges are widespread in Christian-prevalent Asian nations like India and the ...

Better known as Saint Louis, Louis IX was a king of France from the Capetian dynasty who reigned from 1226 to 1270. This sovereign is a legendary figure in the history of France and Christendom. A ...

In Sweden, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, a tradition that has its origins in the ancient pagan festival of “Jul” and which has evolved via Christian (especially Lutheran) ...

Yule Goat, also known as Julebukk and Christmas goat, is an umbrella term for a variety of traditional winter solstice practices that focus on goats in Norway, Scandinavia, and Northern Europe. In ...

Beginning in the latter half of November, vendors set up shop at the Christmas markets in Colombia to sell anything from trees and clothing to garlands and Christmas flowers, as well as lights, ...

The sarissa is a spear that was in use in the early third century BC and was between 180 and 300 inches in length (4.5–7.5 m). During Alexander the Great‘s conquests and the Wars of the Diadochi, this ...