Anthropology

The words 'Latin America' are used to describe the group of 21 countries (listed below) in the American continent where Latin languages are spoken. These countries are all located south of the US-Mexico border, starting with Mexico in North America,...

One day after my wife and I purchased a new SUV in Thailand, we decided to get it blessed by a Buddhist monk. In this article, I explain why the vehicle was blessed and then describe the interesting ritual involved.

In August 2014, our home in Thailand was blessed by nine Buddhist monks. After examining why homes are blessed, this article describes the ceremony conducted in the presence of family and friends.

A lost tribe was discovered in 1971 living deep in a Philippine rainforest and the story became an international sensation.

Japan's association with the land and its peasant classes has been an element which has defined Japanese identity, but was constructed rather than organic to Japan.

The 17th March, St Patrick's Day, is recognised as a celebration of Irishness around the world. Yet somehow, even though there are almost a million Protestants living on the island of Ireland, Irishness is often equated with Catholicism in many...

Life in rural Honduras is hard. The people are poor by monetary standards, but they accept their lot stoically as the traditional way of life handed down to them from many past generations.

This interview was done in 2015, when I visited Felix Padel, famous anthropologist and the great-great grandson of Charles Darwin, in Odisha

Have you ever noticed the rabbit in the moon? Are you familiar with the Moon Rabbit, or Jade Rabbit as it's sometimes called? "The Moon Rabbit In Legend and Culture" is dedicated to that big bunny pounding away in its pestle!

Ghana has myths ingrained in its society and directs the way of life and behavior of its people. Some of these myths have evidence to back them up and serve as sacred and tourist attraction sites.

Who were the Neanderthals? Were they related to us? How were they different from us?

Even though the carved cedar pole and potlatch were illegal for many years until 1951, their meanings in a cultural context were never lost. The lineage of the Master Carvers preserved them.

So much faith and perfection is put into these ceremonies that even one slip of the tongue in a recitation, one omission of a word, one stumble in a dance, can discredit the performer and bring misfortune for the entire village and a failed crop for the year.

Many people know of the Jersey Devil, but not many people know of the man the legend likely originated from.

The art of traditional tattooing nearly died out among the Hawaiians. But it has been reborn. Join me on a journey through the history of tattooing and my quest to receive a tattoo from Keli'i Makua.

Death can be a celebration of life, or a means to help the soul pass. Everyone has their own way to deal with grief. This article explores how cultures around the world handle death.