Rites and Rituals

This wild game of "football" between two sections of an English town has been staged every year for countless centuries.

A ghost town revived by hippies and wanderers throws its own special brand of holiday parade.

The historic Masonic Lodge in which the first-ever female Mason was initiated.

This legendary stone is of unknown origin, and throughout history has been a literal touchstone for British leaders.

This mountain's identity is stuck somewhere between a nightmare and a scenic tourist attraction.

Dozens of padlock-trees along the Moscow River.

A tradition unlike any other, this marks the site of the annual Groundhog's Day tradition.

This was once the center of the Birdman cult, and is now a World Heritage Site.

1920's reinforced concrete church by architect Auguste Perret changes the face of modern design.

Home of Vissarion, the "Jesus of Siberia."

With a history of slaughter, feast, and famine, remnants of the pork industry decorate this area--even its church.

Modern pyramids built to channel positive energy have also fomented local tales of animal sacrifice.

Spies, love letters, and ghost stories have all left their mark on this home-cum-museum.

A son-and-daughter meat market, hawked by mom and dad.

A studio devoted to keeping hundreds of unique Chinese arts alive.

This smaller cousin of the Forbidden City has gone from ancestral sacrifice to tourist's whispers.

A good place to research the Freemasons, esoterica, occultism, and hermeticism.

A mecca for India's Jains.