We talk about the Jewish High Holidays with a hazzan, also known as a cantor, who leads a congregation in sung prayer. More →

September 10, 2004

“Every single food on the Passover Seder plate has a dual symbolism,” says cookbook author Joan Nathan who explains the meaning behind some of the foods of the Seder. More →

April 2, 2004

Many of the best known Christmas traditions were actually adapted from pagan practices and given new Christian meanings. More →

December 19, 2003

Christians say the 2,000-year-old Easter themes of suffering, redemption, and hope have enduring meaning. Author and ordained Presbyterian minister Frederick Buechner says he finds great reassurance in those beliefs, especially during a time of war and uncertainty. More →

April 18, 2003

Susan Braunstein, Curator of Archaeology and Judaica at the Jewish Museum of New York, explains the traditions of Hanukkah. More →

November 22, 2002

“Repentance, prayer, and charity are the hallmark[s] of this season,” says Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor, “We search our souls and then we pour out our souls to God, saying, ‘God help us, give us the strength to be the kind of people that we want to be.'” More →

September 13, 2002

“The freedom that is so important in the Passover story, in the Haggadah, is something that doesn’t belong to a specific time period 3,000 years ago…There’s a fresh message available to be garnered from the Passover story no matter when or who is looking at it,” says David Wachtel of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. More →

March 22, 2002

For Tibetan Buddhists, the new year is celebrated with dancing, and R & E sat in as members of the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Washington, D.C. performed. Our guide was Geshe Lobsang Tenzin, who spoke of the power of negative and positive energy, and about the legends associated with snow lions and the Black Hat Masters. More →

February 8, 2002

All over the world and in almost every culture, the tradition of displaying scenes from the birth of Jesus has become a cherished part of the holiday season. There is even a group dedicated to keeping this Christmas tradition alive. More →

December 21, 2001

Hanukkah is a holiday of freedom, recalling the successful Jewish revolt against the Syrians who had conquered and occupied Jerusalem. We heard the story at the home of Rabbi Bentzion Geisinsky, in Potomac, Maryland. More →

December 7, 2001