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Rites and Rituals

Pox is often served with coffee ground–dusted orange slices and a few pieces of cacao.

Pox

This ceremonial Mayan brew has evolved into a sweet, smoky spirit in the Chiapas highlands.

Placentas encased in coconut shells.

Kintamani, Indonesia

Bayung Gede Placenta Graveyard

In this Balinese village, coconut shells containing placentas are hung from trees.

Tchoukoutou

In Togolese markets, locals socialize over gourds of this sweet-and-sour sorghum beer.

Biscuits With Mice

After the birth of a child, Dutch families celebrate with a sweet and colorful treat.

View down to Muker from the Corpse Way over Kisdon.

Swaledale Corpse Way

A winding medieval path was used by mourners to carry their dead to the nearest church.

Moulton Crow Men.

Moulton, England

Moulton Crow Fair

Every July, men dressed as giant crows dance around a scarecrow who comes to life.

Two key pieces of infrastructure: bricks and a small clay pot.

The Festival Where Millions of Women Prepare a Feast for a Goddess

On the ninth day of Attukal Pongala, an entire city is devoted to women and their sacred offering.

Jessica Gingrich September 5, 2018

Camino de Santiago Wine Fountain

Pilgrims trekking across Spain can stop for free wine at the Monasterio de Irache.

A crow feeds on a family's offering of boiled rice, ghee, jaggery, fruits, and vegetables.

Feeding Crows for the Shradh

In this Hindu ritual, families feed crows who represent deceased relatives.

Courir de Mardi Gras

A Cajun tradition that combines costumes, gumbo, and chasing chickens.

Enjoying Torremorón wine with a porrón.

Porrón

The traditional way to send a stream of wine straight to your mouth.

Colcannon with scallions and bacon.

Colcannon

A hearty Irish staple that can tell your fortune.

Addressing the haggis.

Burns Supper

Pay tribute to the poet Robert Burns with bagpipes, readings, and heaping helpings of haggis.

The Annual Crayfish Party at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia.

Kräftskiva

Don your party hat, sing, and chow down at these seasonal Swedish crayfish feasts.

Nimbu Mirchi

These dangling decorations of lemon and chili peppers are meant to ward off a goddess of misfortune.

Pouring Moroccan Mint Tea

A gesture of welcome and respect, Moroccan mint tea gets poured from high above the glass.

Muskrat Dinners

In Michigan's Downriver region, a few churches are maintaining a fading Lenten tradition.

Presenting the liquor offering.

Liquor Offering at Kal Bhairav Temple

Devotees bring bottles of booze to a deity in Ujjain.