Religion Matters

Lighting the Dark: Cross-Cultural Traditions of Christmas

Episode Summary

Christmas is more than a Christian holiday; it’s a global response to darkness, uncertainty, and the need for hope. In this episode of Religion Matters, we explore Christmas alongside Roman Saturnalia, Yule fires, saints and monsters, La Posada, global South celebrations, Kwanzaa, and Asian traditions of light and home. A journey through ritual, food, and meaning that asks what humans do when winter, either literal or symbolic, sets in.

Episode Notes

Christmas is more than a Christian holiday; it’s a global response to darkness, uncertainty, and the need for hope. In this episode of Religion Matters, we explore Christmas alongside Roman Saturnalia, Yule fires, saints and monsters, La Posada, global South celebrations, Kwanzaa, and Asian traditions of light and home. A journey through ritual, food, and meaning that asks what humans do when winter, either literal or symbolic, sets in.