Ancient Holidays

NATIONAL BESTSELLER Timeless insights into what it takes to lead a meaningful life—still profoundly relevant nearly two thousand years later. Now featuring a brand-new foreword from Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle Is the Way! “Meditations offers a...

It’s the winter season of 1746, and the Highlands are snowy. In the village of Calvine, north of Tay Forest along a road that leads straight into Inverness, the only tavern in town is packed to the rafters with travelers. Eight months after the disastrous defeat at Culloden, the people haven’t recovered, nor has the land, and it’s a bad winter. When James de Lohr, Earl of Worcester, shows up looking for clues to his brother’s fate on the Culloden Moor, he gets more than he bargained for.

The Ancient Origins of Modern Holidays draws from the Bible and Jewish sources on what has always been defined as paganism and idolatry. In this book, we learn which holiday practices are forbidden and which ones are not. The Dead Sea Scrolls record the origins of the festivals celebrated on the equinoxes and solstices and reveal why they are important for Christians today. Using these sources, Christians can easily draw the line on practices and celebrations. We learn how to nullify paganism and take back what God gave us, so we can be obedient to His commands.

This book is your portal into the magic of Norse Pagan holidays and festivals, and it’ll take you by the hand into a world that is deeply entwined with the power of nature, with countless blessings of Norse gods and goddesses.

The life and thought of Diogenes the Cynic, an iconoclastic philosopher who pioneered a brash and free-thinking vision of life that inspired the philosophy of Stoicism—“a rich, engaging portrait of intellectual fearlessness” (Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Cleopatra) In...

A practical guide to the ancient Japanese art of manifesting and pre-celebration, full of wise guidance on how to slow down, tune into the rhythms of the universe, and fulfill your destiny. During a particularly tough season of life, a Buddhist monk told Azumi Uchitani that the...

The Duanwu Festival is just around the corner, and Mulan's favorite part is the Dragon Boat Race. Listen along as Mulan's village enters the race for the first time!

I believe in science one hundred percent, yet a werewolf shows up out of nowhere and says I'm his mate, who do I call in this situation? I was just like you, sick of credit card bills, rent and damn jobs and praying before bed that the end of the world would be tomorrow. The universe suddenly decided to be merciful, and the apocalypse arrived unannounced. I found myself facing one crisis after another, with death and conspiracy hot on my heels. The mechanical buzzing of insects signaled the prelude to a conspiracy, followed closely by the attacks of furry werewolves—fanatics who were ...

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author and creator of The Daily Stoic, Ryan Holiday comes one of the most incredible stories in all of history. A young boy, out of nowhere, is chosen to be the emperor of most of the known world. What he learns, what he does, who he is, will echo in eternity.

"The Origins of Easter: Tracing the Ancient Roots and Modern Celebrations of Christianity's Most Sacred Holiday" is a comprehensive exploration of the origin and celebration of Easter by Christians. This 12-chapter book delves into the pre-Christian origins of Easter, examining its roots in pagan traditions and the role of fertility goddesses. It also discusses the transition from Jewish Passover to Christian Pascha, exploring the significance of the Last Supper and the events of Jesus' death and resurrection. The book analyzes biblical references and interpretations of Easter, highlighting...

Rose has always fancied the handsome but unkempt Rag, since their teenage, sixties, skinny-dipping days, and knows that with them both suddenly single, it is up to her to gain the confidence to knit them both together. It should be easy for a liberated woman in the nineteen-seventies. Love has to eventually win. Daphne is in finishing school while her father is a Pharmacist, serving in the first world war. Her only aim in life is to meet a rich man and to move upwards, socially. Being wooed by Bertie she is swept off her feet and life sees them both move socially upwards, higher than either...

A Short Story...by Ted Lazaris Enter the world of Elderwood Hall, where Christmas is not just a festive season but a gateway to enchantment and timeless mysteries. "The Enchanted Eve at Elderwood Hall," penned by the imaginative Ted Lazaris, takes readers on a magical journey that intertwines the joy of the holiday season with the allure of ancient secrets. Nestled in the heart of a snowy landscape, Elderwood Hall is a magnificent manor, brimming with legends and whispered tales. This Christmas, it becomes the backdrop for an extraordinary event that will awaken the hidden magic within its ...

The one knight who didn’t believe her was the only man who could keep her secret and save the Yule As she grew up, Lady Thora of Grandmore was told the legendary tales of the Yule Cat. The creature was supposed to be a fantasy until it attacked her. Now, Thora will do whatever is necessary to make sure the dangerous beast doesn’t hurt anyone ever again. Sir Bastian is sworn to protect Grandmore Castle and all its occupants. He finds himself falling in love with Thora but for the sake of her safety, he must convince her the animal that attacked her was not the legendary cat. Can Bastian ...

Sir Adam de Ware is on a mission as a spy for King Edward III. He is sent to Cavendish Castle to investigate some odd behavior from the earl. If he succeeds to get answers for the king, he will be rewarded when the mission is completed. Wanting to get close to the earl's daughter, the cold-hearted Lady Eva, to find out more, Adam decides to seduce her. But the only way to seduce a woman like this is to appeal to what she most desires, and that is sumptuous food! Adam uses his unique skill of being able to cook delectable holiday dishes to lure the woman closer.

How did things progress from that story in the Bible, with a Jewish girl giving birth to the Messiah of Israel in a manager in the city of Bethlehem, to the modern colossus that is the Christmas holiday? How did Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, the snow sleighs, the presents, and family reunions become the distinctive features of the holiday if none of them were there at the beginning? The answers can be attributed to a chain of events, characters, oral traditions, artistic works, and an assimilation of local folklore.

A wonderfully funny adventure and educational story for children. Layla Skye is a ten year old girl with a talent. Through her books and her online research she discovers things. And she has discovered the secret where abouts of the mythical "last treasure of the Hyksos" - and it is Crete. She persuades her mother and family to go to Crete on holiday. She is excited - but less so when she meets with Professor Zoakos who has been searching for the treasure for years within the ancient ruins of Knossos. Zoakos is keen to find out what Layla Skye knows and is not about to let his arrest record...

Lord Etienne de Beynac, the youngest of six boys, has managed to disgrace his family with his wild ways. When his father and brothers disown him, he has no choice but to agree to his father's terms. He joins a monastery as a novice across the channel, in England. Etienne gets one last chance for redemption before he finalizes his vows to live the rest of his life as a monk. As a favor to his brother, he goes to Grimsthorpe Castle to spy on his brother's betrothed, Lady Philippa.

Throughout their married lives, baseball star Gaspar Bethlen's wife gave him a lovingly crafted mystery every year for Christmas. Solving the clues led him to his present, but the mysteries themselves were the true gift. Now, Beth has died, leaving Gasper a wreck of a man. But Beth left behind a clue, the beginning of one final Christmas mystery, and it's much more than either of them expected.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN LARGE PRINT Available in the same book series: Rome, Venice, Florence, and Istanbul. Get ready to immerse yourself in centuries of history! Discover Athens' past and its tremendous legacy of beauty, temples, museums, and spectacular monuments with this comprehensive guidebook for cultured travelers. Learn the story behind such world-famous landmarks as The Acropolis The Parthenon The Areopagus The Agora The Arch of Hadrian The Panathenaic Stadium The Academy And many more. Please note that this is a historical guidebook. It does not include lists of hotels and restaurants,...

Charles Dickens' classic Yuletide tale is one of the most popular tales of personal redemption in world literature, and has been adapted many times for presentation on film and on stage.