Why Do Himba Women Use Red Ochre?
In northern Namibia, a Himba woman grinds a piece of deep red stone into powder. She mixes it with butterfat…
The culture desk
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One mixed stream of rituals, food, beliefs, everyday life, celebrations, identity and human connection from around the world.
Why Do Peruvians Decorate Llamas So Colorfully?
A llama stands in the Peruvian Andes with brilliant red tassels hanging from its ears. Another has pink, yellow and…
Why Do Italians Avoid Cappuccino After Lunch?
Lunch is over in an Italian restaurant. The plates disappear, and someone asks the table a familiar question: coffee? A…
Why Do Arab Hosts Keep Refilling Your Cup?
The cup is tiny. The serving is even smaller. You drink the fragrant Arabic coffee, hand the cup back, and…
Why Do Australians Call Everyone “Mate”?
You walk into an Australian café and the person behind the counter says, “How ya going, mate?” A few minutes…
Why Do Brazilians Wear White on New Year’s Eve?
Just before midnight on December 31, Copacabana Beach begins to look almost unreal. Millions of people face the Atlantic beneath…
Why Do Americans Tip So Much?
The meal is finished. The bill says $60. But in the United States, that often does not mean you are…
Why Do Maasai Warriors Jump So High?
A circle of young Maasai men is singing when one figure suddenly rises above the others. He jumps almost straight…
Why Do Moroccans Pour Mint Tea From So High?
The teapot rises. Twenty centimeters above the glass becomes thirty, then forty. A thin amber stream falls through the air,…