religion

The Harry Potter series frequently tops lists of banned books, but not always for such a literal reason.

Christians around the world will observe Ash Wednesday on February 17, 2021. From unusual traditions to new practices, here's what you should know about the first day of Lent.

The Vatican's Swiss Guard has worn the same metal helmets since the 1500s. Now, after centuries of neck pain and burns from the Sun, they've switched to 3D-printed plastic.

Joan of Arc as painted by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Claude des Armoises earned cash and gifts while fooling the King of France himself—until it all came crashing down.

Galileo Galilei in an oil painting by an Italian painter, 18th (?) century.

Galileo Galilei, the father of modern astronomy, probably never dropped anything off the leaning tower of Pisa, and he didn't actually invent the telescope. But he did change history with his discoveries about the cosmos.

Benjamin Franklin, whose ghost was said to have contributed some of the instructions for the New Motive Power

John Murray Spear said the spirits told him how to create a perpetual motion machine. But things didn't go quite according to plan.

Inside Our Lady of the Airways Chapel at Boston Logan International Airport

They weren't created for nervous fliers. They weren't really created for fliers at all.

Basilica of St. John Lateran, where the Cadaver Synod was held

It's been called "one of the grisliest events in papal history"—for good reason.

It’s a fish-filled Christmas Eve tradition.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, or 'Festa dei Sette Pesci,' is a delectable blend of the sacred and secular, the old world and the new.

For some Jewish families, a Christmas trip to a local Chinese restaurant is an annual tradition.

As Gentiles feast on turkey and roast beef during the Yuletide season, why do many Jews opt for chop suey? While convenience is king, other ingredients play a part in this delicious story.

The singer would have celebrated his 103rd birthday today.

Facts about Hanukkah, including how to celebrate in space and where you can find a competitive dreidel game.

Many believed that mediums were a connection to the other side. Instead, they were mostly con artists.

In Communist-ruled China, a group of foreign faithful decided to smuggle in 232 tons of the Good Book.

Galileo Before The Papal Tribunal by Robert Henry. Hulton Archive, Getty Images

The letter may solve a centuries-long mystery.

With the arrival of low temperatures and the slowdown of the farming season, thousands of Amish people in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania will pack their bags and head south to "The Amish Las Vegas."