Language

Kupala: Ancient Slavic Midsummer Mythology and its Modern Celebration

Kupala is an ancient Slavic holiday celebrating the summer solstice, or midsummer. Once part of a series of annual rituals, it marked and was believed to sustain agricultural cycles—essential to early human survival. Held as vitally important, these pagan traditions remained deeply rooted even after Christianization, technological change, and centuries of oppression tried to dislodge […]

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The Talking Polish Phrasebook

The Talking Uzbek Phrasebook

Recipes

Kulich, Paska, Nazuki: The Easter Breads of Eastern Christianity

Easter breads such as kulich, paska, choreg, and nazuki are delicious Easter traditions. Easter is by far the most important religious holiday for those practicing Eastern Christianity. In addition to church services and egg dying, the holiday is also marked across the cultures by ritual bread baking. Despite the wide geographic area covered by Eastern […]

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Pierogi, Pīrāgi, Varenyky: A Tour of Pastries and Dumplings

Olivier and Rasols Salads: Holiday Traditions With Fascinating Histories

Holidays

Latvians on Ligo, the Wild Midsummer Celebration

Every summer solstice, Latvians gather to celebrate Ligo, one of their biggest national holidays. Originally a pagan holiday celebrating Ligo, the god of fertility, this is a colorful and boisterous holiday that many might see at odds with the otherwise famously reserved Latvian demeanor.  Walking the streets of Riga on this day, you will see […]

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Maslenitsa, Masliana, Meteņi: Spring Holidays of the Slavs and Balts

Holidays in Russian Culture: Моя Россия Blog

Talking Phrasebooks

Armenian Talking Phrasebook

The Talking Phrasebook Series presents useful phrases and words in side-by-side translation and with audio files specifically geared to help students work on listening skills and pronunciation. Below, you will find several useful phrases and words. To the left is the English and to the above right is an English transliteration of the Armenian translation. […]

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The Talking Kyrgyz Phrasebook

The Talking Serbian Phrasebook