Where Do American Christmas Traditions Come From?
A brief history, including evergreen trees, presents, and Santa Claus.
Holidays
Radicals Go Caroling: The Untold Story of Progressive Choirs
If you are wondering whether a political movement is effective, follow the music.
Incarcerated Seniors Deserve a Chance to Come Home for the Holidays
Years of “tough-on-crime” policies have resulted in growing numbers of elderly people remaining in prison for decades. It’s past time to enact policies that help them come home.
How to Show Solidarity with Black Lives Matter this Holiday Season
Melina Abdullah of Black Lives Matter explains how the 3 core tenets of the Black Xmas campaign are building Black, buying Black, and banking Black.
A Brief Analysis of Letting Go
As a collective, how do we say goodbye to the structures and traditions that no longer serve, protect, and preserve us?
A Multi-Cultural Perspective on Gratitude
Learning from other languages and cultures of gratitude, perhaps Americans can make “thank you” less casual and more heartfelt.
My Memories of Diwali Celebrations are Antithetical to India’s Hindu Fundamentalists
“India’s rightwing Hindu supremacists want to control how we celebrate Diwali, a Hindu-origin tradition that is widely embraced and signifies the universal idea that good will triumph over evil.”
8 Books to Light a Dark Season
How would you describe 2020? Alarming, chaotic, enraging, or all of the above? Here are some brilliant books to help you make sense of it all and get ready for a new year.
8 Black and Indigenous Businesses to Support This Holiday Season
Businesses owned by people of color are particularly vulnerable to the economic impacts of COVID-19. So this year, consider ditching the big corporations and opt for patronizing these small businesses instead.
An Economy Built on Sharing
Instead of conspicuous consumption, try the conspicuous sharing of “Buy Nothing.”
If You Must Gather This Holiday Season, Consider These Precautions
An epidemiologist shares her family’s plan for safer holiday gatherings during the pandemic.
The Christian Right and Left Share the Same Faith But Couldn’t Be More Different
I didn’t know Christians could be Democrats until I got to college. Though affiliated with the relatively conservative Christian Reformed Church, my school had a small but vocal minority of
Oh, Christmas Tree… Fake Christmas Tree?
It’s the holiday season again, and in the midst of making to-do lists and prepping for festive dinners, some people will once again ponder whether it is better for the
Reinventing Rituals in a Multiethnic World
This holiday season, Kristin Eriko Posner has her San Francisco home prepared for a cocktail-style Hanukkah celebration: a seasonal winter crudité platter and spiced nuts sit on the table, local
5 Tips for Surviving the Holidays With an Eating Disorder
For years, when I would go home for Christmas, I would have the exact same conversation with my grandmother. “Have you lost weight?” she would ask, jubilantly. I almost never
What Your Favorite Christmas Movies Say About Social Justice
Get your warm fuzzies with a side of righteousness.
No, You Don’t Need to Go to Holiday Parties If You Feel Lonely
There are better ways to find connection.
8 Gift-Buying Alternatives to Amazon That Support Communities of Color
Ditch the big companies for your last-minute holiday shopping and support these small businesses instead.
Dreading Conflict During the Holidays? Let It Go, Let It Go, Let It Go
You’re not alone. Here’s how to prepare for those encounters.
How I Changed My Holiday Traditions to Match My Values
Five ways to celebrate without feeling financially and emotionally overwhelmed.
8 Tips to Get You Through Difficult Conversations This Holiday Season
The point isn’t to win. It’s to ignite understanding.
18 Holiday Gift Ideas—From Co-ops
Here’s how to use your holiday shopping to support cooperatives.
A Radical Homemaker on How to De-Stress, Have Fun, and Stay Healthy This Christmas
Tired of the spending that goes along with the holidays? The gifting frenzy? The stress? Maybe this is the year to blend a few new ideas into your holiday routine.
When Christmas Dinner Gets Uncomfortably Political, These Cues From “House of Cards” and Other Shows Can Help You Out
This year’s most popular movies and TV series can be a tool to work your way out of a particularly bad conversation.
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