Tag: Arts & Tradition

For the Love of Tyrone Crafted Glass

It’s 1970. In a woodworking class in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, 11-year-old Jim Regan is eagerly surveying a block of wood in readiness for carving a rabbit. Although enthusiastic, Regan thinks: “What good will this do me?” Little did young Regan realize then that the skills he learned in carving that rabbit he would…


Arts and Culture: Can One Avoid Fate? Part 2: Fate Versus Destiny

We discussed in Part 1 of this article how fate or destiny seems to be an inescapable part of the human condition. Indeed, in the pagan myths even the gods themselves, including Zeus, seem to be subject to its power, although there is also the opportunity to avoid catastrophe by doing the right thing. Zeus…


The Christmas Miracle of Generosity: ‘The Glory of St. Nicholas of Bari’

Every Christmas, we are bombarded with images of a man we call Santa Claus who has a long, white beard, red clothes, and happily brings toys to children who are well-behaved. But who is this patron of moral gift-giving? Where does the legend of Santa Claus come from? St. Nicholas of Bari St. Nicholas was…