Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth ...

For her M.A. thesis, Shannon Murphy '22 looked at the concepts of lamentation, hope, and ritual as ways to provide some “balm” to the pandemic and respond to the suffering and isolation that people in ...

The summer solstice marks the first day of the summer season. In the northern hemisphere, the 2023 summer solstice begins on Wednesday, June 21. The summer solstice is also the longest day of the year ...

Rituals percolate through our lives, helping us connect with ourselves, each other, nature, and beyond. Across time and place, personal rituals and group rituals are common aspects of human behavior, ...

Growing up in Greece, Dimitris Xygalatas remembers adults at school putting him through regular practices that didn't serve an obvious purpose. DIMITRIS XYGALATAS: We'd have morning prayer. Twice a ...

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas about his new book, Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living. Rituals are important to human life — even when they ...