Articles tagged as Religion | Smithsonian Magazine

Kapparot for penance and purification at Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem, Israel.

A judge ruled that there was not enough evidence that the practice was a public nuisance

September 18, 2015

New Research

Half of American Catholics Have Lapsed

But 11 percent eventually return to the church

September 17, 2015

Cool Finds

A Brief History of the Popemobile

From sedan chair to Mercedes-Benz

September 17, 2015

New Research

New Proof That Ancient Egyptians Bred Birds of Prey

A recent 3-D scan of a mummified falcon shows it was force fed sparrows and mice

September 9, 2015

Cool Finds

People Have Always Been Obsessed with the End of the World

Since ancient times, art and fiction love to play in the fertile ground of the apocalypse, but it hasn’t always been healthy

September 8, 2015

Cool Finds

American Vegetarianism Has a Religious Past

Thank the creators of corn flakes and graham crackers for veggie burgers and not-dogs

August 20, 2015

Aymara people prepare an offering to Mother Earth during the sunrise of the winter solstice ceremony in La Apacheta, El Alto, on the outskirts of La Paz.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Inca Road

In Bolivia’s High-Altitude Capital, Indigenous Traditions Thrive Once Again

Among sacred mountains, in a city where spells are cast and potions brewed, the otherworldly is everyday

August 13, 2015

The fragments comprise two parchment leaves, written in Hijazi script on sheep or goat skin.

New Research

Carbon Dating Reveals One of the Oldest Known Copies of the Quran

Manuscript fragments found in U.K. library were written between 568 and 645

July 24, 2015

Hundreds of people gather at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia to perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer. After the prayers, families and community members get together to celebrate with food and gifts.

Photos of Muslims Celebrating Eid al-Fitr Across the Globe

Muslims mark the end of Ramadan with food, festivities, gifts and prayers

July 17, 2015

New Research

In Egypt, There Was Once a Tomb Full of Eight Million Dog Mummies

Devotees of the Ancient Egyptian deity Anubis buried dogs at the necropolis of Saqqara

June 24, 2015

The first edition of 34,000 figurines sold out in 72 hours

June 11, 2015

New Research

Atheists Remind People of Death

New research shows that atheists trigger death-related thoughts

May 22, 2015

Should Saint Bernadette be laid to rest in the town she made famous…or the one she chose to live in?

May 5, 2015

Pope Francis will issue proclamation in wake of recent summit

April 28, 2015

A man throws colored water as he celebrates Holi in Nandgaon, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, February 28, 2015.

Holi 2015: Stunning Photos of Holi, the Festival of Colors

Celebrated all over India and around the world, the Hindu festival heralds the beginning of spring

March 9, 2015

Navajo activist Delores Wilson opposes development on land she holds sacred: “You don’t want to anger the Holy Beings there.”

Who Can Save the Grand Canyon?

A holy war is being fought over a proposal to build a $500 million commercial development, on the rim of America’s natural treasure

March 2015

Cool Finds

Come for the Giant Rock, Stay for the UFO History

George Van Tassel believed he could communicate with aliens

January 9, 2015

Cool Finds

Argentina Has a Superstition That Seventh Sons Will Turn into Werewolves

If the president adopts them, however, the seventh sons are spared from their werewolf fate

December 29, 2014

Sculptures in St. Anthony's Chapel in Pittsburgh.

Cool Finds

Pittsburgh Has a Huge Collection of Relics

St. Anthony’s Chapel contains the largest number of relics outside of the Vatican

December 23, 2014

Cool Finds

The Science of the Red Sea’s Parting

It is physically and scientifically possible for a body of water to part

December 8, 2014