Key events

Whether vestiges of paganism survived Europe’s Christianisation is a subject of enduring fascination. Scholarly debate navigates between the ‘maximalist’ position (much survived) and the ‘minimalist’

In short, yes: the Victorians did indeed think eating mummified remains pilfered from ancient Egyptian tombs was a good idea, although they did not come up with the idea themselves. The morbid practic

How Old Norse mythology endured in the Christian era

FOR JOHN KEATS, AUTUMN WAS THE SEASON OF MISTS AND MELLOW FRUITFULNESS. HERE, THE COUNTRY LIVING TEAM AND FRIENDS HIGHLIGHT WHAT THIS TIME OF YEAR MEANS TO THEM – FROM CRAFTING WREATHS TO BOTTLING SLOE GIN

In Scandinavia, they’ve turned cosiness into an art form and honestly, we’re obsessed. Whether it’s fika (that sacred coffee-and-cake break) or hygge (blanket, bun and absolutely no emails), the Nordi

Halloween trick-or-treating is seemingly an excuse for kids to consume far too many sweets. But this modern tradition has a more virtuous – and tastier! – origin: soul cakes. The word ‘Halloween’ is a