December 31, 2001

Hogmanay: Biggest Day of the Year

Scottish culture preserves New Year’s Day as the most important family holiday.

December 28, 2001

Hogmanay

According to Scottish legend, visitors to your door on the night of Hogamanay, will determine your luck for the New Year.

December 27, 2001

Listener Initiative

Our listeners are invited to share their seasonal observances on our new toll-free number, 1-877-PULSE99.

December 26, 2001

Kwanzaa – Traditions

This week, millions of people around the world celebrate Kwanzaa, a relatively new holiday with roots in the ancient harvest festivals of Africa.

December 25, 2001

Christmas: History

Believe it or not, there was a time when the singing of Christmas Carols could land you in jail.

December 24, 2001

Christmas: Trees & Mistletoe

Some of our most enduring Christmas traditions may date back to the days before that holiday even existed.

December 21, 2001

Jonkonnu: Safety Valve

In the early 1800’s, letting off steam at the annual Jonkonnu celebrations may have been a social safety valve.

December 20, 2001

Jonkonnu: Reconstructing

A widely celebrated event during the 1800’s inspired historians and local residents of eastern North Carolina to reconstruct its spectacle.

December 19, 2001

Jonkonnu: Kome

Revelers of the Jonkonnu masquerade sing and dance through neighborhoods, visiting homes where their pageantry might be favored with a gift of money.

December 18, 2001

Yoiks – Memories

For the Sami people of Scandinavia, yoiking is a sonorous characterization of loved ones.

December 17, 2001

Yoiks – Reindeer Jazz

An indigenous style of singing created by nomadic reindeer herdsman is kept alive in contemporary Scandinavia.

December 14, 2001

Jonkonnu: Origins

In North Carolina, the festival of Jonkonnu is celebrated with influences from West Africa, England, and the Caribbean.

December 13, 2001

Santa Lucia: Waking Up

Serving sweet bread and wearing a crown of candles, young Swedish girls represent Saint Lucia in an early morning ritual.

December 12, 2001

Santa Lucia: History

The ancient legends of Santa Lucia are still embraced by the Swedish culture, with rituals of light in the darkness of winter.

December 11, 2001

Quietude – Solutions

If there is a right to quiet in our common spaces, how can we best preserve it?

December 10, 2001

Quietude – The Commons

Our atmosphere is replete with vibrations from unnatural sources.

December 7, 2001

Patagonia Penguins: Raising Chicks

For Patagonian penguins, parenting requires manic intensity to insure survival of their chicks.

December 6, 2001

Patagonia Penguins: Adapting to Survive

Penguins have adapted to the harsh conditions of Patagonia where they flourish as adept ocean dwellers.

December 5, 2001

Patagonia Penguins: Life Histories

Patagonia is home to over one million penguins who spend much of their lives on the surface of the ocean.

December 4, 2001

E.O. Wilson – Electric Fish

A surprising explanation on how a unique kind of fish communicates and captures their prey.