As we reach the end of 2023, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the stories that had the biggest impact this year on the world of religion. We are also counting on you to help our journalism grow.
Read More
As most people take a break to gather and celebrate Christmas with family and friends, for tens of thousands of Africans that have fled threats, wars, turmoil and persecution at home, this is a moment that their homesickness is heightened. Many of them find solace in the church and connecting with relatives on social media.
Read More
(ANALYSIS) As an American living in Britain in the 1990s, my first exposure to Christmas pudding was something of a shock. I had expected figs or plums, as in the “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” carol, but there were none. Neither did it resemble the cold custard-style dessert that Americans typically call pudding, a dish with deep Christian roots.
Read More
A church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem has politicized its annual nativity scene, laying a figure of baby Jesus amid the rubble of a destroyed masonry building to represent the Gaza Strip this Christmas season.
Read More
(ANALYSIS) Hanukkah is a minor festival in the Jewish liturgical year, whose major holidays come in the fall and spring — the High Holidays and Passover, respectively. Because of its proximity to Christmas, however, Hanukkah has been culturally elevated into a major celebration.
Read More
The 7,600-island nation of the Philippines — a country known for its warm hospitality and love for celebrations — hosts a unique and extraordinary tradition each year: The longest Christmas celebration in the world. Known by Filipinos as the “BER-Months,” the holiday celebrations start as early as September.
Read More
In what has become an annual holiday tradition, Salvation Army volunteers have flooded the streets across the United States and in countries around the world seeking donations for the organization’s annual Red Kettle campaign.
Read More(REVIEW) As Christmas approaches, some U.S. Christians despair that millions who used to go to church no longer do so. “The Great Dechurching” by Jim Davis and Michael Graham shows the decline, which — given cultural pressures plus scandals within churches — is not surprising.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In cultures linked to centuries of Christian tradition, the feast of Christmas — the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ or Christ Mass — was on Dec. 25, the start of a festive 12-day season that ended with the Feast of the Epiphany. Many Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar, celebrating Christmas on Jan. 7.
Read More
(ANALYSIS) There are lots of theories as to why the Christmas classic died. Perhaps it simply takes time to become a Christmas classic with culture-wide acceptance. And yet, that wasn’t true of the Christmas movies that came out in the 1990s and early 2000s. Perhaps streaming is to blame, where movies would become classics had they come out in theaters.
Read More
(REVIEW) Books about Christianity, morality and community are nothing new. While the world, especially the West like the United States and Europe, become more secular, there seems to be a cottage industry that continues to churn out books aimed at religious people. Three new titles out in time for the holidays aim to satisfy that audience and convince non-believers why faith should also matter to them.
Read More